Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran tells the story of sisters, Marjan, Bahar, and Layla, who flee Iran on the eve of the Islamic Revolution, settle in a little Irish village, and set up a Persian café against the bitter opposition of the town bully. As the sisters set up The Babylon Café and the wounds from their troubled past heal, old desires and dreams of the villagers awaken.  Is it the mysterious aromas emanating from The Babylon Café that stir the villagers’ fancy?

Book Club Ideas

As you discuss the Aminpour sisters and their new life in Ireland, play some traditional Persian classical music.  Traditional Persian classical music is performed by a lead vocalist accompanied  by a wind, string, and drum ensembles, and always with a dash of improvising included.  The music is usually performed sitting down on cushions and rugs.  The album Faryad, performed by several Persian music masters, is a great example of this genre. Also, throw some big pillows around the floor for your guests to sit on during your discussion.

Book Club Menu

Pomegranate Soup is filled with a selection of appetizing recipes, so it won’t be at all difficult to prepare the book club menu.

I had to give the title recipe a try and I was so glad I did.  It is a wonderful soup.  I made a few adaptations to the recipe including substituting the lamb with ground beef.  The soup was very good and the aromas filling my kitchen while the soup simmered were divine.

Pomegranate Soup

The comforting descriptions of Marjan’s Elephant Ears had my mouth watering, so I decided to try my hand at making a batch. The first time I made them, I didn’t roll the elephant ears out thin enough, and while tasty, weren’t the crispy pastries depicted in the novel. My second batch, rolled out paper-thin, turned out light, crispy, and just plain perfect. I did make a couple adaptations to Ms. Mehran’s original recipe which is included in the novel.

Elephant Ears

Marjan, Bahar, and Layla had a samovar of tea going at all times in The Babylon Café.   Tea preparation in Iran is taken very seriously.   Here are the steps for proper tea preparation from MyPersianKitchen.com:

1. Add loose tea (best to use a tea infuser to keep the leaves out of the cup), some rose petals, and several cardamom pods.
2. Bring water to simmer in a large tea kettle or bottom of samovar.
3. Pour some of the simmering water into the tea pot, then place the tea pot on top of the large tea kettle.  Allow tea to steep for about 5 to 10 minutes.
4. To serve the tea, first pour a bit into a tea cup to warm the cup and check the color — it should not be light.  Pour the tea back into the tea pot and if color is good, pour into cup.  Place tea pot back on top of tea kettle to keep tea warm.

Book Club Resources

Ratings at the time this post was published

Discussion

1. Each chapter began with a recipe.  Why do you feel the author did this?  Did it contribute to the chapter in which it was included?  If so, in what way?
2. Did any of the recipes appeal to you?  Which one(s) would you like to prepare and why?
3. The three sisters each had very different personalities and different ways in dealing with their trauma.  Did you relate to or like one sister over the others?  Explain.
4. Thomas McGuire strove to maintain control over the village of Ballinacroagh, oftentimes through intimidation.  Was he any different than Hossein Jaferi?  Discuss the differences and similarities between the two men.
5. Why do you feel that Bahar was compelled to climb Croagh Patrick, the mountain that rises above Ballinacroagh?  Did she find the peace that Saint Patrick found on Croagh Patrick?
6. What particular purpose does the romance between Layla and Malachy serve to this story?
7. Were you surprised by the unpopularity of the Shah of Iran among the Iranian people?

Purchase Pomegranate Soup at your favorite bookseller

The Author

Marsha Mehran was born in Tehran, Iran and escaped with her family during the Iranian Revolution. She has lived in Argentina, America, and Ireland.

Another Marsha Mehran Novel and Recommended Foodie Novels

Do you have any other ideas or recipes for a book club party for Pomegranate Soup? We would love to have you share them with us! You can leave a comment below and upload pictures as well.