Cardamom Candy

Cardamom Candy is a humorous narrative by Mehrdad Seddiqi about the childhood of a boy from Bojnord whose brother goes to war and is taken prisoner. The story is told from the perspective of this Bojnordi child himself—Mohsen—who is the youngest member of a five-person family. Set during the years of the Iran–Iraq War and the 1980s, the book humorously portrays the notable events of that era.

Through this narrative, Seddiqi seeks to show how the people of Iran lived during those years away from the front lines and how they managed to preserve their morale. Cardamom Candy consists of twenty separate yet interconnected stories, all linked by the theme of war. The book is published by Sooreh Mehr Publishing, and its electronic edition is available on Fidibo.

In Cardamom Candy, we encounter life behind the front lines through the eyes of Mohsen, the main character and narrator. The stories introduce people who, far from the main battle zones of the Iran–Iraq War, strive to live their lives and maintain their spirits through various means. The book recounts amusing incidents—ones that are less commonly found in works related to that era and have received little attention. People of that time tried to find happiness in small things: using a washing machine, watching their first color television, enjoying luxury foods and fruits such as bananas, and going to the cinema.

Another notable aspect of the book is its vivid depiction of the atmosphere of Nowruz (the Iranian New Year) and the Sizdah Bedar celebrations during wartime. Mohsen’s family can be seen as a representation of Iranian families as a whole, illustrating how they confronted the bitter and sorrowful reality of war while still experiencing moments filled with joy, enthusiasm, and warmth.

Cardamom Candy includes 20 stories titled: The Secret, The Proposal, The Extra Ration Card, Number Twelve Plus One, Please Have Some Haleem, Eagles and Vultures, Once Again Qezel Khanom, Watering the Bouquet, The Day of Departure, The Letter, Action and Reaction, Forty Days—Blooming Spring, The Scent of Eidi, The Thirteenth’s Sunset, Betrayal upon Betrayal and the Confession of a Liar, A Good Day, A Bad Day, A Few Lessons with Aunt Nazdik, The First Banana I Didn’t Eat, The Addict, Checkmate, Mrs. Oshin and Mr. Dollar, Expectation, The First Banana I Ate, and From the Friends’ Point of View.