The Rug Merchant by Meg Mullins
Ushman Khan is a rug merchant in New York City. He came to the United States from Iran three years, leaving his wife and invalid mother back home. His wife arranged his emigration, defeated after five miscarriages. She chooses the rugs and ships them to him and he sells them, support his family back home, waiting for the day when his wife will join him.
But one day, he is told that this will never happen, that his wife has found another man, is having a baby, and is leaving him forever. Ushman is devastated and finds himself wandering, trying to get past his loneliness, trying to find a way forward. When he encounters Stella, a young college student, with her own sadness, there is a connection and the unlikely couple find themselves comforting each other, and beginning to care about each other. The story also involves one of Ushman's best clients, Mrs. Roberts, a woman who has bought many carpets from him, and seems to always want more than he can give her. As Mrs. Roberts reveals her own sadness, Ushman finds himself offering her comfort as well.
This is an interesting book about connecting with others, about the essential humanity in all of us, about the fact that while we will all encounter sadness, we will also all encounter joy.
Sounds good.
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