The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

The Lion Women of Tehran is Marjan Kamali's third novel, published in 2024. Her work, which also includes two anthologies, has been published in Solstice Literary Magazine and broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Her previous novels were nominated for a Pushcart Prize and a Massachusetts Book Award Finalist, as well as chosen as an NPR Good Read. The Lion Women of Tehran is a New York Times Bestseller and is listed as an Amazon Editors' Pick in Best Literature & Fiction. It deals with body shaming, infertility, infidelity, sexual violence and rape, police brutality, kidnapping, grief, death of a parent, pregnancy, fire resulting in injury, and classism - although none if this is shown in detail.

Ellie grew up in Tehran in the 1950s. She came from a good family that lived in a good area in the grand way that her mother preferred... until her father died an unexpected death. Then, their circumstances changed dramatically. Forced to move to a much smaller home in downtown Tehran, Ellie's mother refused to acknowledge their changed circumstances and would not allow Ellie to play with or become friends with the children that lived nearby. All of that changed when Ellie began to attend school and met Homa. Though they knew each other for only a short time before Ellie's mother remarried and moved them out of the downtown area, Homa left a lasting impression on Ellie. A coming of age story that documents Ellie and Homa's original meeting and friendship, Homa's reappearance in Ellie's life, and their pursuit of their own futures as the political landscape around them shifts drastically. Just as the political upheaval in Iran heats up, Ellie and Homa have to deal with a betrayal of enormous ramifications.

I've heard a lot about this book in recent months and allow me to say that it did not disappoint. We read it for our August book club and we all really loved it. Ellie and Homa are dynamic and full of dimension - although the secondary characters on occasion feel a little flat. Marjan Kamali is so good at setting the scene that I often found myself craving the food that she was describing. It was fascinating to see how the political climate changed over time in Iran to what it is now and how the people, especially the women, in Iran dealt with the changing landscape although I do wish that we had seen more of the later story from Homa's point of view. The story was not full of action or intrigue but it kept me interested the whole time and it never felt like it was slow. It was a decent length book but it felt much shorter as I listened to it. And the ending was fantastic, I really enjoyed the epilogue.

I'm giving The Lion Women of Tehran by Majran Kamali 4.5 stars out of 5. Much like The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes, it was not a story I normally would have gravitated to but it surprised me by how much I enjoyed reading it. Definitely give this one a try.

For more from Marjan Kamali, check out her webite at https://marjankamali.com/

Pairs well with ghotab, an Iranian pastry made with almonds and walnuts, and taking up hiking.