What a feast for the senses this one was! It's been on my list for several years, so it was a treat to find and read it!
Three sisters have fled Iran to England, and from there to a small town in Ireland where they open the Babylon Cafe, from which the heady scents of cinnamon, cardamon and rosewater shock the residents of Ballinacroagh, most especially Thomas MacGuire, the town's self-appointed big whig, who owns the pub next door, and whose son ( or is he?) falls in love with Layla, the youngest of the sisters.
The book is loaded with wonderfully eccentric characters, from the parish priest who longed to be an actor, to the leprachaun-loving store owner down the street. Thomas' wife, Cecilia, only appears occasionally, but I enjoyed picturing her in Thursday's getup: "a black sequined sweater paired with tight stretch pants that highlighted the grapefruit texture of her cellulite-ridden thighs".
The story of the sisters' flight from Iran is woven into the fabric of the novel with ease and discretion. The impact of their background is definitely felt throughout, as well as the discrimination against them by some citizens of Ballinacroagh, but, as in all fairy tales, Good prevails and the villains, like poor old Thomas, are punished.
The charm and subtlety of this novel reminded me a lot of Alexander McCall Smith's Ladies' Detective Agency novels, where there is lightness, but also food for thought ( and the senses!).
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