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An "evocative read and a powerful portrait of friendship, feminism, and political activism" (People) set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran—from nationally bestselling author Marjan Kamali.
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 for a friend to alleviate her isolation.
Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind 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 of 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.
Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences.
"Reminiscent of The Kite Runner and My Brilliant Friend, The Lion Women of Tehran is a mesmerizing tale" (BookPage) of love and courage, and a sweeping exploration of how profoundly we are shaped by those we meet when we are young.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
July 2, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781797175348
- File size: 302229 KB
- Duration: 10:29:36
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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May 13, 2024
The insightful latest from Kamali (The Stationary Shop) chronicles the decades-long friendship of two Iranian women whose lives are upended by their country’s political upheaval. After seven-year-old Ellie’s father dies from tuberculosis in 1950, she and her mother are forced to move to a smaller apartment in one of Tehran’s poorer neighborhoods. At her new school, Ellie befriends a spirited classmate named Homa. Several years later, Ellie’s mother remarries and they move to a better neighborhood, causing the girls to lose touch. Ellie later attends a prestigious high school and is mortified when Homa, who she now views as uncouth, becomes her classmate and greets her in front of her new friends (“Homa was my past. My two worlds were not supposed to collide”). They eventually rekindle their friendship, but are once again divided when Homa is imprisoned for protesting the shah in 1963. Later sections follow a married Ellie in 1981 New York City, where she receives a desperate letter sent by Homa from Tehran. Though there’s not much of a plot, Kamali sustains the reader’s interest by exploring the contrasts and sustained connection between the two central characters. This will resonate with fans of women’s fiction. Agent: Wendy Sherman, Wendy Sherman Assoc. -
Mozhan Navabi performs this audiobook with the right tone and tempo. She narrates crisply and captures the guilt-ridden Ellie, who is tormented by her past. Ellie's best friend, political activist Homa, is voiced with a younger sound and tone (by Nikki Massoud). Her voice is fitting for the youthful Iranian revolutionary who champions women's rights and democracy and is jailed and abused for her beliefs. The novel captures the history of Iran from the 1950s through the 1970s. It indicts the Savak (secret police under the Shah) but skewers the religious zealots who replaced the Shah and pushed women's rights back centuries. The action, while predominantly in Iran, moves to New York City. The epilogue leaves the impression that those who ended up in the U.S. thrived. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine -
December 1, 2024
Kamali (The Stationery Shop) captures the soul of Iran in this fantastic and timely story that not only gives listeners much to ponder but also brings a ray of hope. The Shir-Zan (Farsi for "lion women") are the heart of this narrative that celebrates four generations of Iranian and Iranian American women, each with their unique story of hope and inspiration. The lifelong friendship between Ellie and Homa, who met as seven-year-olds when Ellie moved downtown upon her father's death, is a poignant testament to the enduring power of women's relationships. Their journey, along with those of the other women in the story, is a beautiful exploration of hope and friendship. Though weathered and frayed by betrayal and time, their friendship is brought to life by the narration of Mozhan Navabi and Nikki Massoud, who infuse these intelligent, brave, and vibrant characters with warmth and vulnerability. Their authentic accents and new-language-learner pacing and word order effectively delineate each character's generation and level of education, adding depth to the narrative. Navabi and Massoud conjure up hand gestures and facial expressions in listeners' minds. VERDICT This personal history of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution brings it tragically and heroically to life.--Laura Trombley
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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