Dreaming in English

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

“If you want to stand up and cheer, read
Dreaming in English
. I loved the compelling, sweet love story. And I loved the way Laura Fitzgerald, through the eyes of an Iranian immigrant, made me fall in love with America all over again.”

—Cathy Lamb, author of
Such a Pretty Face
and
Julia’s Chocolates

 

“A delight sweet as a sugar cube melting on your tongue as you sip hot tea,
Dreaming in English
beautifully showcases Fitzgerald’s trademark charm and grace in illuminating cultural differences and human universals.”

—Monica Pradhan, author of
The Hindi-Bindi Club

 

“A warm, winning novel. Laura Fitzgerald elegantly crafts a story that will tug on your heartstrings while making you smile. Fans and new readers will be delighted.”

—Mia King, author of
Good Things
and
Sweet Life

 

“You’ll cheer through every page of this enchanting book for the kind and beautiful Tamila Soroush as she fights to hold on to the man of her dreams and her newfound American freedom (not necessarily in that order). Once you know Tami’s story, you’ll never again take for granted the simple joys of wearing a sleeveless dress on a sunny day or of publicly kissing someone you love.”

—Claire LaZebnik, author of
Knitting Under the Influence
and
If You Lived Here, You’d be Home Now

 

“What a delight to dive back into the world of Tami Soroush, an artistic and charming young Persian woman intoxicated with America and the possibilities for a new life. Laura Fitzgerald has given us another beautiful, heartfelt tale about love, family, and freedom.”

—Carol Snow, author of
Just Like Me, Only Better

“A warm, gentle, yet unsparing story of one immigrant woman’s quest for her inner strength and worth in America. Sprinkled with unexpected revelations and twists, Tami Soroush’s funny and moving journey to find her place in a foreign land—and the formidable obstacles she must face—will keep readers turning the pages late into the night.
Dreaming in English
is an endearing tale of family and love that made me laugh, cry, and at times sent a chill across my skin. I rooted for Tami all the way through to the last tension-filled scene.”

—Anjali Banerjee, author of
Haunting Jasmine

 

“
Dreaming in English
is exactly the kind of book I’m always hoping to find and rarely do: a generous, honorable, illuminating tale about family, love, and a woman’s journey to her truest self. If there is a more winning character in recent memory than Tamila, I have not met her. If only we could be friends in real life!”

—Barbara O’Neal, author of
The Secret of Everything

 

“
Dreaming in English
is the insightful story of a young Iranian immigrant navigating love, prejudice, and her own conflicting emotions as she assimilates to Western culture. With compassion and wisdom, Laura Fitzgerald imbues Tami with hope and charm in this bittersweet look at what it means to be Iranian in today’s America.”

—Jennie Shortridge, author of
When She Flew

 

 

“Every mother, every daughter, and anyone who’s ever been in love should read this book! Grab the tissues. It’s a triumphant tearjerker!”

—Vicki Lewis Thompson, author of
A Werewolf in Manhattan

 

“With simple but heartfelt prose, this book is a marvelous read for any woman who has had to choose between love and family or has watched her freedom and choices dwindle before her eyes.”

—
The Tampa Tribune

 

“Evocative, poignant, and truly lovely. Laura Fitzgerald gives us a glimpse of a culture that’s terrifyingly different—and yet heartbreakingly the same as our own.”

—Alesia Holliday, author of
Seven Ways to Lose Your Lover

“A fun, romantic, and thought-provoking debut novel from a promising author.”

—
Booklist

 

“A gorgeously authentic voice. Fitzgerald’s narrative is infused with wit, warmth, and compassion. If you like cross-cultural books, you won’t want to put this down.”

—Kavita Daswani, author of
Salaam, Paris
and
For Matrimonial Purposes

 

“In this winning debut, Fitzgerald has crafted the powerful story of one woman’s courage to look beyond the life she has been given—
Veil of Roses
is a poignant and uplifting novel full of charm, wit, and grace.”

—Beth Kendrick, author of
Fashionably Late
and
Nearlyweds

 

“Watching Tami find her voice through such small comforts as being able to sit alone in a house, walk to school unescorted, or buy lingerie with her sister will leave readers rooting for her.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“After picking up
Veil of Roses
, I did everything one-handed for two days, I was so unwilling to put it down! Charming and heartbreaking and hopeful and funny, this is the rare book that completely transports the reader. Laura Fitzgerald is an amazing talent.”

—Lani Diane Rich, author of
The Comeback Kiss

 

“Poignant and warm,
Veil of Roses
is a story about having hope, finding love, and embracing freedom. I loved it.”

—Whitney Gaskell, author of
Testing Kate

 

 

“A gorgeous book. At times cheeky and poignant but always very real.”

—
Arizona Daily Star

 

“An engaging read that’s tough to put down . . . the book seems to pick you up and carry you right along.”

—
Tucson Weekly

 

NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

First published by New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

First Printing, February 2011

Copyright © Laura Fitzgerald, 2011 All rights reserved

 

 

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:

 

 

Fitzgerald, Laura, 1967-

Dreaming in English/Laura Fitzgerald. p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-101-48626-9

1. Iranians—United States—Fiction. 2. Women immigrants—United States—Fiction. 3. Marriage—Fiction. 4. Families—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3606. I8836D74 2011

813’.6—dc22 2010036658

 

 

 

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

 

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.