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The Lion Women of Tehran Hardcover – July 2, 2024
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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.
- Print length336 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherGallery Books
- Publication dateJuly 2, 2024
- Dimensions6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101668036584
- ISBN-13978-1668036587
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Riveting...Reminiscent of The Kite Runner and My Brilliant Friend, The Lion Women of Tehran is a mesmerizing tale featuring endearing characters who will linger in readers’ hearts.” —BookPage
“Kamali tells a moving story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and how a country’s transformation, in turn, transforms the lives of two unforgettable women. Simultaneously heartbreaking and life affirming, it’s a book that you won’t be able to put down until you’ve read every word.” —Adrienne Brodeur, New York Times bestselling author of Little Monsters
"With this masterful, heart-centered novel, Marjan Kamali has crafted a deeply honest look at the true meaning of friendship. Through Homa and Ellie we see the nuances of a perfectly imperfect love that withstands class differences, personal trauma, jealousy, war, and revolution. Their souls are forever intertwined and as a reader it is an honor to bear witness. This book made me incredibly proud to be an Iranian woman—a Lion Woman too." —Shideh Etaat, author of Rana Joon and the One and Only Now
"Marjan Kamali is at it again, this time bringing us a story of friendship and love set against the tumult and terror of the Iranian Revolution. The Lion Women of Tehran is a novel about two girls, who grow up wanting very different things but are united by their affection for each other and their shared desire for a more egalitarian Iran. Kamali is a gifted storyteller at the height of her powers, who manages to connect the country’s complicated history with its present and sing the praises of Iranian women who, even today, are fighting for the most basic of freedoms. If you liked The Stationery Shop, you’ll love The Lion Women of Tehran." —Rachel Beanland, author of Florence Adler Swims Forever and The House is On Fire
"In The Lion Women of Tehran, Marjan Kamali brings to life the beauty and tragedy of Iran in the 1960s. From the delicious scent of spices simmering, to the colors of the bazaar, to the snowflakes landing on a certain character’s hair, this story came brilliantly alive to me from the very first page. Courage, friendship, loyalty, hardship, love—this novel has everything." —Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes
"Kamali's storytelling is both evocative and hauntingly beautiful, creating a vivid portrayal of the characters' lives and the cultural tapestry of Tehran. The Lion Women of Tehran is not merely a novel; it is a sweeping exploration of the enduring influence of early connections, the resilience of the human spirit, and the transformative power of love and courage in the face of political upheaval. This novel is a testament to Kamali's storytelling prowess and her ability to create a deeply moving and thought-provoking narrative. I loved this book!" —Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee
"A moving tale of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness, unfolding into a deep and powerful exploration of feminist protest in Iran. The contrast between Ellie and Homa’s voices is a narrative all of its own, and Homa deserves a place as one of the true heroines of literature.” —Erica Bauermeister, New York Times bestselling author of No Two Persons
"An evocative read and a powerful portrait of friendship, feminism, and political activism." —People
"More than a tale of friendship or a coming-of-age story, it’s a beautifully crafted and subtle exploration of love, family, friendship, ambition, betrayal and redemption in a socio-political powder keg...This finely written novel emphasizes the human experience in the face of turmoil.” —Bookreporter
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Gallery Books (July 2, 2024)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1668036584
- ISBN-13 : 978-1668036587
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #3,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #45 in Friendship Fiction (Books)
- #88 in 20th Century Historical Fiction (Books)
- #296 in American Literature (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
![Marjan Kamali](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/amzn-author-media-prod/8u1s8jfs2vc3pjcjoihvfefu6o._SY600_.jpg)
Marjan Kamali is the award-winning author of The Stationery Shop (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster), a national bestseller, and Together Tea (EccoBooks/HarperCollins), a Massachusetts Book Award finalist. She is a 2022 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship. Kamali’s novels are published in translation in more than 20 languages and The Stationery Shop was awarded the Prix Attitude in France. Her essays have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Literary Hub, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley, an MBA from Columbia University, and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from New York University. Born in Turkey to Iranian parents, Kamali spent her childhood in Turkey, Iran, Germany, Kenya, and the U.S.
Visit the author at marjankamali.com, on instagram at @marjankamali7, on facebook at www.facebook.com/MarjanKamaliAuthor or on twitter at @MarjanKamali.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the storyline meaningful, memorable, and gripping. They also appreciate the beautifully developed characters and eloquent writing style. Readers describe the emotional storyline as interesting and emotional from beginning to end.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the storyline meaningful, interesting, and emotional from beginning to end. They also appreciate the impactful characters, rich history, important themes, and eloquent writing. Readers also appreciate that the imagery and story are overlaid on inspiring struggles.
"...She adds timeliness to the story with reference to Mahsa Amini, the Kurd who was murdered for having shown a bit of hair...." Read more
"...I don't mean it as an insult but a compliment: I loved the history presented in this novel. I loved the characters and the imagery...." Read more
"A hauntingly beautiful story of two unlikely best friends that spans eight decades of fighting for women’s rights, classism, violence, and political..." Read more
"Beautifully developed characters, imagery and story overlaid on the inspiring struggles of Iranian women...." Read more
Customers find the characters beautifully developed.
"I loved The Lion Women of Tehran. I loved the novel’s main characters...." Read more
"...I loved the characters and the imagery. I love the rhythm of the story...." Read more
"Beautifully developed characters, imagery and story overlaid on the inspiring struggles of Iranian women...." Read more
"I absolutely loved everything about this book; the character development, the history, the author’s style of writing, everything...." Read more
Customers find the writing style of the book eloquent.
"Very well written, through the eyes of girls and women during society differences and transition in a country full of strife and change...." Read more
"...about this book; the character development, the history, the author’s style of writing, everything...." Read more
"...Beautifully written. I could not put it down!" Read more
"...with impactful characters, rich history, important themes and eloquent writing...." Read more
Customers find the storyline interesting and emotional from beginning to end. They also mention that the book is about women, friendship, and hardship.
"A wonderful book about courage, women, friendship and hardship...." Read more
"...Exciting and interesting as well as emotional from beginning to end. For me a book hard to put down, one I will never forget. Totally a must read...." Read more
"...The journey is fascinating, heartbreaking, cathartic and inspirational...." Read more
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![5 Heartfelt Stars!](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/transparent-pixel._V192234675_.gif)
5 Heartfelt Stars!
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali, is a powerful, evocative, moving story with impactful characters, rich history, important themes and eloquent writing.
We start with an irrepressible friendship between two girls from different economic, social and political statuses in 1950s Tehran. Political unrest is rampant and engulfs everyone. Ellie and Homa have lives that eventually diverge, then reunite, and we follow the paths they take. The journey is fascinating, heartbreaking, cathartic and inspirational. This epic story is meaningful and memorable and will grip your heart, stir your emotions, possibly change your perspective, and leave you better for it.
I recommend this book. Read it. It reminded me of "The Kite Runner". I don't mean it as an insult but a compliment: I loved the history presented in this novel. I loved the characters and the imagery. I love the rhythm of the story. It reminded me of listening to my grandma or grandpa tell a story of their past or of my parents. It kept me up all night. "One more chapter, then I'll go to sleep," is what I repeated over and over until I came to the end all too soon.
One thing I didn't like is that I didn't see the recipes of some of the dishes described in the book. The author describes them in such detail, I was left salivating and searching for things like "fesenjan near me." Okay, I am not a big fan of rosewater anything. But I would love to taste of of the dishes described in the book.
I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did. Thank you for reading my review (if you made it this far.)
Well worth the read
This author does a beautiful job introducing a different culture while reminding the reader all that we have in common, even if we live on opposite sides of the world. I confess Iran is not a setting I read much about, I think because it is so complicated and layered. I had a beautician in San Diego in the late 90s named Sima. She escaped Iran in the 70s with her husband, pregnant and one suitcase. I thought of her so often while listening to this book. I look forward to Ms. Kamala’s next book.
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Reviewed in India on July 23, 2024
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