The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali – 336 pages
ARC from Gallery Books and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams of a friend to alleviate her isolation.
Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions for becoming “lion women.”
But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls’ high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.
My Review: 4.5 stars
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali was a standout book for me: compelling, evocative, educational and historical. I’ve read two of her earlier works and adored The Stationery Shop as well. Highly recommend it if you haven’t read it.
This novel features the story of two best friends, one from high society and the other from the lower end of town that find true friendship with one another. Their bond is beautiful until a series of events changes their trajectory. The story is based loosely on a friendship the author had with a friend that dissipated over time. One lives in NYC now while the other is under the harsh oppression of Iranian law.
I learned so much from this book and this book lends itself to a great discussion. Topics to talk about after reading it include women’s rights, how 2024 is frighteningly mirroring 1970s Iran, lifelong friendship, communism, coming of age, class divide and immigration. This is another winner from this author. Well done!
Quotes I liked:
When I am surrounded by books, I feel most at peace.”
“That’s how losses of rights build. They start small. And then soon, the rights are stripped in droves.”
“Remember above all to always love. Love madly.”
“Did you know that books can heal you? They helped restore me.”
Shop on Amazon Here!
