During the Reign of the Queen of Persia

by Joan Chase

Book Overview

A multigenerational family drama about grief, motherhood, and coming of age, all taking place on an Ohio farm.

Joan Chase's subtle story of three generations of women negotiating lifetimes of "joy and ruin" deserves its place alongside such achievements as Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping and Alice Munro's Lives of Girls and Women.

The Queen of Persia is not an exotic figure but a fierce Ohio farmwife who presides...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590177150
• ISBN13: 9781590177150
• Release Date: April 2014
• Publisher: New York Review of Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

One of my top ten books of all time

Years ago when I definitely couldn't afford to buy books, much less hard cover books, I bought this book after reading it at the libary. It remains one of my all time favorite books. The characters are unforgettable and the author's style and voice just stunning. I reread it every so often just because it gives me such pleasure and joy. I will always be grateful that Ms. Chase wrote this book.

A gift

I have given this novel to countless friends and relatives, particularly those who say "What should I read?" Beautiful, lyrical prose that still tells a story (sometimes beautiful, lyrical prose doesn't). I love the collective voice of the narrator(s) -- two sets of sisters, all cousins. A masterpiece.

A wonderfully vivid extended family story

The Queen of Persia refers to the matriarch of a rural midwest family fifty or so years ago. If you enjoy a book that is at least equally concerned with its moments as it is with where it is going, then this book will probably be good for you. It has been over two years since I read this book and I can still see and feel what Joan Chase wrote ... the overall atmosphere and setting as well as the individuals involved.