Review of Zooming with the past

Love Ukaegbu · Post by **Love Ukaegbu** » 10 Jan 2025, 19:58

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Zooming with the past" by Marlene Zaedyan.]

5 out of 5 stars

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This book, Zooming with the Past by Marlene Zaedyan, holds a special place in my heart because of the story and because it is inspired by the true life story of four friends. This book tells the story of the author and her three friends, Anna, Miriam, and Fadia. It is written from the author's perspective and describes how her friendship with each of her friends bloomed. She narrates how they went through different challenges, how their friendship got cut short, and how they eventually reconnected again.

She starts with the story of Miriam, who used to be a jovial and sweet girl but suddenly became self-absorbed and withdrawn. After asking several times and trying to understand the reason for her silence, Miriam opens up to her, and she understands what she has been going through at the hands of her father. Miriam takes matters into her own hands and decides to save herself. Then we go to the story of Anna, who had fallen in love with Nathan, a man she met in church. She suffers heartbreak but moves on with her life. After several years, she meets Nathan again, but now he's a man with a child. They reconnect, but this time around, things don't go as planned, as her life is about to change in ways she never expected. When everything felt lost due to her decision, she left town to start afresh.

Moving forward, we have the story of Fadia, who fell in love with a man named Terek, who is from a different religion. Her parents objected to the love that they shared and separated her from him. Fadia was sent away to a place where he could never see her again. However, this singular decision affected her life for good, and she was made to follow a part she never imagined she would. Finally, the last story is about Camille, whose father worked as a vineyard's sales manager. She is special because she is the one friend who was there for each of her friends. She fell in love with a man named Alain, whom she loved, married, and had a daughter with. But their happiness is cut short when Alain takes a drastic decision, leaving her brokenhearted.

What makes this story even more beautiful is that, at the very worst of each friend's situation, she was there to help and offer any support she could, especially in Anna and Fadia's case. I love how detailed each story is, as the author perfectly describes the book's sceneries and her feelings for each friend. The stories of each lady show how resilient one can be when one chooses to survive and change one's narrative. I liked Anna's story because she used to be a woman controlled by her emotions. However, after she had pieced her life back together, she never allowed anyone to treat her less than she deserved.

When it comes to downsides, this book has none. I only wished I could have seen more perspectives from the other friends. I wanted to know more about their inner thoughts. However, this is not a downside, as the author did justice to their stories by discussing them in detail. Despite this book being about four different stories, it was well-detailed. I did not get confused at any point; this shows how meticulous the author was with the book's pacing. It was perfectly edited and error-free, as I did not spot a single error while reading. I enjoyed every bit of the book and learned something from each story. For these reasons, I'm rating this book 5 out of 5 stars and recommending it to everyone interested in true stories and friendship stories.

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Zooming with the past
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Louis Donald · Post by **Louis Donald** » 17 Feb 2025, 08:29

The way the author explores the different life challenges and resilience of her friends really caught my attention. It sounds like an emotional and inspiring journey through friendship and personal growth. I’d definitely be interested in reading it, especially with how each character’s story seems well-developed.

Pearl Flourish · Post by **Pearl Flourish** » 20 Feb 2025, 12:02

“Zooming with the Past” by Marlene Zaedyan offers a heartfelt narrative of enduring friendship, resilience, and personal growth, beautifully capturing the essence of life’s challenges and the strength found in supportive bonds.

George Bastem · Post by **George Bastem** » 25 Feb 2025, 11:40

I like how the book is well-paced and detailed, making it easy to follow despite covering multiple characters' perspectives. This book seems like a book that resonates with readers who enjoy real-life-inspired, heartfelt tales about friendship and overcoming adversity. Nice review.

Post by **Rebecca De Figueiredo** » 27 Jul 2025, 09:25

It seems like this would be an easy read to get into. The prose is non frivolous and personable. The plot is a good one and I’m sure it will be enjoyed by many. The reviewer summarises the plot nicely…. These four women seem intriguing.

tarafarah7 · Post by **tarafarah7** » 27 Jul 2025, 09:38

Inspired by real life people and events, today's BOTD is one of love, resilience, and friendship. Readers looking for personal stories of challenge, growth, and overcoming life's obstacles will definitely want to pick this one up today. I've downloaded my copy; thank you so much for the amazing review! I loved it!

Post by **Mr Benj** » 27 Jul 2025, 09:48

Zooming with the past" by Marlene Zaedyan., a book that features three close friends and their experiences. It will be interesting to read about Anna, Miriam, Fadia and what happened to their relationship.

MdAdnin Ahasan Nirob · Post by **MdAdnin Ahasan Nirob** » 27 Jul 2025, 09:52

I really appreciated how the reviewer highlighted the author’s use of vivid imagery to bring historical moments to life in Zooming with the Past. It’s interesting how they pointed out the balance between engaging storytelling and accurate historical detail — something that can be tricky to achieve. I also liked their note about how the book connects past events to present-day themes, making history feel relevant. It definitely makes me curious to read it myself!

Post by **Limpho Mojakisane** » 27 Jul 2025, 09:57

Thanks for the detailed review. I like how each friend’s story shows real struggles and growth, especially how Camille stayed strong and supported everyone. It’s clear the author put a lot of heart into telling these stories, and I also agree; it would’ve been interesting to hear the other friends’ own perspectives too, but it’s great that everything was still clear and easy to follow.

Holly Black · Post by **Irene Sejas** » 27 Jul 2025, 10:07

I'm actually quite curious about what happened to the girls, it sounds like an interesting book with several stories that give it depth and many perspectives. I certainly would read a book like this one.

Macel A · Post by **Macel A** » 27 Jul 2025, 10:26

Zooming with the past is a great book I'm really intrigued to learn about the lives of the four friends, their bad times how they came through for each other. Great review

Cake Maiden · Post by **Cake Maiden** » 27 Jul 2025, 10:59

This feels like a story that would pierce you emotionally. I love how this review provided such great picture of each character without the big details that would be considered as a spoiler. This book is definitely worth the read, especially that it is centered around the bond between women and their shared strength despite they're different struggles in life and how they approach it while continuing to support each other. Girl Power Moment!

Post by **Seetha E** » 27 Jul 2025, 11:01

A book about real people and events in their lives... Readers will have a lot to learn about the bonds they share in their phases of struggle and support. Thank you for your detailed review.

Post by **Judy Burr** » 27 Jul 2025, 11:07

Thank you for the review. I read the sample. Stories of four childhood friends written by the author during COVID-19 lock down in her house. I read about Miriam, a victim of abuse by her father. Sad.

Post by **Magdalyne chebet** » 27 Jul 2025, 11:35

"Zooming with the Past" by Marlene Zaedyan is a heartfelt true story of four friends navigating love, heartbreak, and resilience. Their journeys and unbreakable bond sound deeply moving. I’m genuinely interested in reading their powerful, intertwined stories. Congrats BOTD!