Iranian-American author Marjan Kamali is an author whose books I read and thoroughly enjoyed. However, it took me a while to pick up her newest release, The Lion Women of Tehran. This is not due to the book itself, but I was awaiting a Dutch publication as I read her other books in Dutch. This hasn’t happened thus far, so I decided to just pick up the English audiobook. I finished it just last week and I’m still super behind on my other reviews, but since it’s International Women’s Day today, I figured it’s very fitting to publish my review for this book today.

About the book

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
Published by Gallery Books on July 2, 2024
Pages: 327
ISBN: 9781668036587
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, General fiction, Historical fiction, Literary fiction
Rating: 4/5

From the nationally bestselling author of the “powerful, heartbreaking” (Shelf Awareness) The Stationery Shop, a heartfelt, epic new novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.

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.

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.

Written with Marjan Kamali’s signature “evocative, devastating, and hauntingly beautiful” (Whitney Scharer, author of The Age of Light) prose, The Lion Women of Tehran is a sweeping exploration of how profoundly we are shaped by those we meet when we are young, and the way love and courage transforms our lives.

My review

Before reading

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this book, apart from it being a story I usually would enjoy, and that piqued my interest straight away after first seeing the title and reading the blurb. It’s a mere coincidence that all eyes are on Iran right now, I was planning to read this book anyway. It has been put on my March TBR without any intention, just because I was still in a reading funk and this novel would probably help me get out of it. I was wondering though whether reading this book in English whereas I read Kamali’s other work would make any difference, but my fears turned out to be unfounded.

Characters

We follow two women since childhood, Ellie and Homa. The story starts in 1981 when Ellie receives a letter from Homa, her friend from Iran whom she hasn’t been in touch with for over 17 years. However, the letter is urgent and Ellie isn’t sure what to do. Then, Kamali jumps back in time to 1950, when Ellie was just seven years old. A lot was about to change for her. Gradually, we learn more about hers and Homa’s friendship and how it evolves. They have been in and out of touch, and their different upbringing was partially the reason for this. The differences between these two girls is pretty obvious, but they still have so much common ground. Whereas the first half of the book solely focuses on Ellie’s narrative, the narrative shifts during the second half of the novel. This way, we get to know both Ellie and Homa well, as well as their ongoing differences. Still, their common ground of wanting to fight for women’s rights is palpable, for one of them more than for the other. However, I wasn’t too fond of Homa at first, I found her a bit to dominant and overruling Ellie way and way too much. Nevertheless, Ellie learnt to come out of her shell more, because she didn’t have it easy at home. Needless to say, Kamali depicted both women well and they were interesting to read about.

Writing

As per usual, Kamali’s writing was very indulging. It invited me to read about these women from start to finish and it was tough to put the book down. I really enjoyed the narration here, both the audiobook one and the way of storytelling. Narrators can make or break the book, so I’m always a bit wary when trying an audiobook with new-to-me narrators. However, both Mohzan Navabi and Nikki Massoud did a great job here. Both are Iranian adjacent, which is noticeable in the narration. The author uses multiple Persian phrases and sayings throughout the book and no other than people who speak the language could have narrated this properly.

Plot

Another reason I was completely drawn into this story is the main theme the author addresses. The title explains it all: the story is about women’s rights in Iran. This begins in the 1950s, when, as a seven-year-old girl, Ellie already realizes that much is expected of her as a woman. She has to behave properly and is scrutinized much more than boys and men. This is partly due to her conservative upbringing. Due to events, Ellie and her family have lost their prosperity and status, leading them to live in a poorer part of Tehran. Her mother looks down on her neighbors, which is why Ellie feels much more free with Homa and her family. As the years pass, much changes in Ellie’s young life once again, causing her to spend the rest of her childhood in a bubble. Homa repeatedly bursts this bubble, and through their friendship, Ellie gradually learns to stand up for herself and other women. Moreover, she learns more about the world. Both main characters fight for equality for women, and primarily for their rights. This requires courage and perseverance, a fact that becomes increasingly clear as the story progresses. With this novel, Kamali paints a picture of Iranian women’s rights through the decades, highlighting key moments from the second half of the twentieth century. The main story unfolds from the 1950s to the 1980s, ending with an epilogue in 2022 that addresses the current situation in the country. That year, a new wave of protest movements against the oppression of women by the Iranian regime erupted. This theme and the way the main characters fight for their rights is truly intriguing, but also important because, unfortunately, it is still necessary.

Final thoughts

If you pick up one book this month, make sure this to be The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali. Not only for its discussion of women’s rights, but also for its insight into the political situation in Iran, which is unfortunately still relevant today. The characters are well-developed, and the differences in wealth and status clearly reveal their respective worldviews. This story makes it clear that, even if you come from different backgrounds, you can still fight together for a greater cause. The time period in which this novel is set was turbulent, and so much happens that you want to keep reading. The audiobook is definitely recommended, as the narrators do a great job of brining Ellie’s and Homa’s story to life.