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A review by megansoetaert
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
This is a well-done historical fiction novel exploring the lives of two girls/women, Homa and Ellie, over the course of their lives in Iran and, later, the US. I loved their friendship and how their lives intersect again and again over time. Readers get to see their growth against the backdrop & because of a changing Iran in the 50s-70s.
I wish we had more chapters from Homa’s POV earlier on. Also, some of the later chapters felt rushed or misplaced. I think the best developed sections of the book were when Homa & Ellie were teenagers/young adults—it combines their personal fights, activism & politics, and their country very well.
Overall, I love seeing more historical fiction that’s not about WWII/Europe! This is a great read and tells the story of young 20th century women in Iran beautifully.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for a free copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
I wish we had more chapters from Homa’s POV earlier on. Also, some of the later chapters felt rushed or misplaced. I think the best developed sections of the book were when Homa & Ellie were teenagers/young adults—it combines their personal fights, activism & politics, and their country very well.
Overall, I love seeing more historical fiction that’s not about WWII/Europe! This is a great read and tells the story of young 20th century women in Iran beautifully.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for a free copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Rape