The Stationery Shop of Tehran
The Stationery Shop of Tehran was my first read of the year, and somehow, that makes the book feel even more special to me. There is something beautiful about beginning a year with a story that stays with you long after you have turned the final page. This was one of those books for me.
I went into it without expecting too much, but I came away carrying the characters and their emotions with me. Even now, I find myself thinking about them. They feel less like characters from a book and more like people whose lives I was briefly allowed to witness. That is probably what I remember most about this story. It made me feel deeply connected to people I had never met.
What stayed with me was not simply the romance or the historical setting, but the sense of how much life can change because of circumstances beyond our control. The characters are young, hopeful and full of dreams, but the world around them does not always allow those dreams to unfold in the way they imagine. There is a quiet sadness in that idea that I found difficult to shake off.
The story also made me reflect on how easily we can make assumptions about people and situations when we do not know the whole story. Sometimes, what we believe to be the truth is only one small part of it. People carry their own fears, disappointments, hopes and regrets, and we may never fully understand what shaped their choices.
For me, the stationery shop itself became more than just a setting. It felt like a symbol of a different kind of life, one filled with books, conversations, ideas and possibilities. There was something comforting about that atmosphere. As someone who loves books, I naturally found myself drawn to that part of the story.
What I appreciated most was the emotional weight of the book. It is not a story that simply tells you what happened and moves on. It gives you space to sit with the characters and their choices. Some moments made me hopeful, while others left me frustrated or heartbroken. But even when I did not agree with everything that happened, I understood why the characters stayed with me. I also found myself thinking about timing. We often imagine that if two people care about each other, everything else will somehow fall into place. Real life, however, does not always work that way. Sometimes circumstances, timing and decisions can change the direction of an entire life. That thought made the story feel painfully human.
Without giving away too much, I would say this is a book about love, but not only romantic love. It is also about friendship, family, loyalty, loss, choices and the lasting effect that people can have on one another. Some relationships remain with us even when circumstances change, and some experiences quietly shape who we become.
The characters Roya and Aslan, still hold a special place in my heart. I think that is the strongest compliment I can give a book. I may forget certain details of the plot over time, but I do not think I will easily forget how these characters made me feel. Their hopes, mistakes and vulnerabilities felt incredibly real.
Looking back, I am glad this was my first book of the year. It reminded me why I enjoy reading in the first place. Books can take us somewhere completely different, introduce us to lives we have never lived and still somehow make us recognise parts of ourselves.
The Stationery Shop of Tehran was an emotional beginning to my reading year. It is not a book I would describe as an easy read emotionally, but it is one I am glad I read. Some stories entertain us, some teach us something, and some simply stay with us.
For me, this one stayed!
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