Veil of Roses » (Unabridged, 8 CDs, 9 hrs.)

A native of Wisconsin, Laura Fitzgerald lives in Arizona with her husband, who is of Iranian descent, and their two children. Her favorite part of being an author is interacting with readers and attending book clubs by phone and in person.

Tamila Soroush wanted it all. But in the Islamic Republic of Iran, dreams are a dangerous thing for a girl. Tami abandons them…until her twenty-seventh birthday, when her parents give her a one-way ticket to America, hoping she will “go and wake up her luck.” If they have their way, Tami will never return to Iran…which means she has three months to find a husband in America. Three months before she’s sent back for good.

From her first Victoria’s Secret bra to her first ride on a motor scooter to her first country line-dance, Tami drinks in the freedom of an American girl. Inspired to pursue her passion for photography, she even captures her adventures on film. But looming over her is the fact that she must concede to an arranged marriage before her visa expires. To complicate matters, her friendship with Ike, a young American man, has grown stronger. And it is becoming harder for Tami to ignore the forbidden feelings she has for him.

It’s in her English as a second language class that Tami finds a support system. With the encouragement of headstrong Eva, loyal Nadia, and Agata and Josef, who are carving out a love story of their own, perhaps Tami can keep dreaming – and find a way to stay in America.

“A gorgeously authentic voice. Fitzgerald’s narrative is infused with wit, warmth and compassion. Of you like cross-cultural books, you won’t want to put this down.” – Kavita Daswani, author of Salaam, Paris
“In this winning debut, Fitzgerald has crafted the powerful story of one woman’s courage to look beyond the life that she has been given – a poignant and uplifting novel full of charm, wit and grace.” – Beth Kendrick, author of Nearlyweds

Publishers Weekly

In this pat but sweet attempt at FOB (fresh off the boat) chick lit, Tamila Soroush, a 27-year-old Iranian woman, flies to Tucson, Ariz., to stay with her older sister, Maryam (whom she hasn't seen in 15 years), and Maryam's orthopedic surgeon husband, Ardishir. Tami is there for a three-month stay, courtesy of a visa arranged by her loving parents, who want her to marry an Iranian with American citizenship and stay in the States. Tami concurs with this plan: "being married is a small price to pay if I can stay in the land of Opportunity." But on her way to her ESL class, Tami meets Ike, an affable American working at Starbucks while he raises money to open his own chain of coffee shops. Potential Iranian fianc setups move forward while Tami and Ike's mutual feelings deepen. As she nears the end of her visa, Tami faces some tough choices. The plot is disposable and the agenda transparent, but 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. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.