The Stationery Shop

Claire, a nurse at the Center, spends every night watching television in her apartment alone. She feels lonely and trapped in her life. All of her friends have more stable lives. However, Claire likes her job at the Center. She particularly likes how honest the residents are. She’s always curious to hear their stories and learn about their lives. Mr. Aslan’s stories have been the most intriguing to her of late.

Bahman writes to Roya about the political upheaval in Tehran. These events remind him of the 1953 coup. The war intensifies over the years, especially when Saddam Hussein attacks. He and his family live in fear. He has lost many friends to the conflict, including Jahangir.

Roya and Zari have their weekly FaceTime conversation. The technology always annoys Roya, but she’s glad to see her sister.

Meanwhile, Walter follows current events. Roya finds it difficult to watch the news, especially the reports of the war in the Middle East. She tries to put her past life behind her. Nevertheless, she has never stopped thinking about Marigold. When she turned 42, she had a second child, Kyle. She fell in love with him, and he “became her world,” but he also reminded her of her first child.