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A review by fleeno
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
5.0
"When you see the women screaming in Iran for their rights please remember, desr Leily, that the force and duty of our screams have been gathering power for years."
Homa and Elaheh (Ellie) meet in elementary school in Tehran, the 1950s and instantly bond. Ellie's family have fallen in status after the death of her father, and despite her mother's fears that Homa is beneath them (and a communist to boot!) they become firm friends, spending every minute together, ditching school to run through the grand bazaar. After an explosive event at the end of school Ellie and Homa drift apart, Ellie marrying and moving to the USA, in the chaotic years before Iran’s 1979 revolution.
This is an absolutely gorgeous book about female friendship and revolution. Ellie and Homa are brilliant characters, complex and fully realised. The writing is interspersed with delicious descriptions of food, scents, and colours, bringing the Persian culture to life. Although the 2022 women’s rights protests only make a small appearance at the end of the novel, the themes of political freedom, fighting for what you believe in, and staying true to yourself are prominent throughout. Homa and Ellie teach each other these lessons, together they grow, and hope for a better future for Iran. Kamali clearly sets the scene that the women of Iran have been fighting for freedom for a long time and their rage has sustained them. With few exceptions, the men in the book are all good men who stand with the girls at protests, protecting them from police, protecting unwed mothers, supporting their wives, doing the right thing by the women in their lives even when the government deems those actions obtrusive and illegal. Kamali is subtle in her writing but makes it clear the enemy is the oppressive government and those who support it, and both men and women are fighting for freedom. This book made me cry but also gave me a deep respect for the shir zan - the Lion Women of Iran.
Homa and Elaheh (Ellie) meet in elementary school in Tehran, the 1950s and instantly bond. Ellie's family have fallen in status after the death of her father, and despite her mother's fears that Homa is beneath them (and a communist to boot!) they become firm friends, spending every minute together, ditching school to run through the grand bazaar. After an explosive event at the end of school Ellie and Homa drift apart, Ellie marrying and moving to the USA, in the chaotic years before Iran’s 1979 revolution.
This is an absolutely gorgeous book about female friendship and revolution. Ellie and Homa are brilliant characters, complex and fully realised. The writing is interspersed with delicious descriptions of food, scents, and colours, bringing the Persian culture to life. Although the 2022 women’s rights protests only make a small appearance at the end of the novel, the themes of political freedom, fighting for what you believe in, and staying true to yourself are prominent throughout. Homa and Ellie teach each other these lessons, together they grow, and hope for a better future for Iran. Kamali clearly sets the scene that the women of Iran have been fighting for freedom for a long time and their rage has sustained them. With few exceptions, the men in the book are all good men who stand with the girls at protests, protecting them from police, protecting unwed mothers, supporting their wives, doing the right thing by the women in their lives even when the government deems those actions obtrusive and illegal. Kamali is subtle in her writing but makes it clear the enemy is the oppressive government and those who support it, and both men and women are fighting for freedom. This book made me cry but also gave me a deep respect for the shir zan - the Lion Women of Iran.