(Pantheo
n Books, 2003. ISBN: 0375422307)One of the most powerful books I've read this year. Presented in a black and white comic strip format, this memoir tells the story of the recent turbulent history of Iran from the perspective of a young girl.
As Marji grows from child to adolescent, the Shah is deposed, the Islamic revolution takes place, and war begins with Iraq. Through it all, the author maintains her connection with her younger self's perspective. A particularly moving sequence juxtaposes the horror of young men becoming "martyrs" as they are killed in devastating numbers with Marji's excitement at being allowed to attend her first party.
Marji's parents are very modern, rather liberal Iranians, living what we might consider to be a lifestyle much like that of a middle class American family. As they react to the restrictions imposed by the new extremist government, to the brutal treatment of friends and family, and to the terror of bombs landing in their street, I was struck by how a life we take for granted can change suddenly and horribly. There but for the grace of God ...
If you haven't read a graphic novel yet, this is a good one to begin with. It is, by turns, gripping, amusing, touching, and horrifying.
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