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Sign up todayThe Lion Women of Tehran
Length
10 hours 29 minutes
Language
English
Narrators
Mozhan Navabi & Nikki Massoud
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
Learn moreBookseller recommendation
“A fascinating glimpse at the history of Iran through the eyes of women. ”
— Jana • Inscribe Books
Bookseller recommendation
“I loved this book so much. The author’s weaving of the stories of these women’s lives is moving and eloquent. I learned so much about the struggle for women’s rights in Iran, and the depth of female relationships - mother/daughter, friends, marriage, etc - really shines through. The Stationary Shop from her so-named novel makes a little cameo which I also loved. Overall and wonderful book!”
— Jean • Books on Main
Bookseller recommendation
“This is a powerful story about the depths of friendship between strong women and their impactful legacy. Starting in the 1950s, this story takes us through the tumultuous history of Iran.”
— Amber • Shop Around the Corner Books
Bookseller recommendation
“A wonderful story of a lifelong friendship through all of the turmoil in Iran from the 1950's through the present.”
— marggie • Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza
Bookseller recommendation
“A beautiful book of friendship, growing up, and standing by your values. ”
— Anne • Viewpoint Books
Bookseller recommendation
“A beautiful book, heartbreaking and hopeful both. Complex, memorable characters for whom you feel and want so much. Homa, perhaps especially, and Ellie and all others, too. Themes of self determination, revolution, friendship, family, courage, integrity, cultural wealth and survivance… An epic tale of women’s rights and righteousness, and a beautiful testimony to the strength, conviction, and contributions of the lionesses of Iran.”
— Lauren • Possible Futures
Bookseller recommendation
“What would we do without women in our lives? Love and friendship are at the center of this book. This book immerses you in a time and place. It makes you want to be strong and powerful. And it makes you want to eat delicious food. ”
— Christi • Red Fern Booksellers
Bookseller recommendation
“I loved this story of female friendship through the decades and learned a lot about Iran's recent history in the process. You will be hungry when you listen to this book - fair warning!”
— Ashley • Niche Books
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
An “evocative read and a powerful portrait of friendship, feminism, and political activism” (People) set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran—from nationally bestselling author Marjan Kamali.
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 for a friend to alleviate her isolation.
Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind 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 of 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.
“Reminiscent of The Kite Runner and My Brilliant Friend, The Lion Women of Tehran is a mesmerizing tale” (BookPage) of love and courage, and a sweeping exploration of how profoundly we are shaped by those we meet when we are young.
Marjan Kamali, born in Turkey to Iranian parents, spent her childhood in Kenya, Germany, Turkey, Iran, and the United States. She holds degrees from UC Berkeley, Columbia University, and New York University. She is the 2022 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Award. She is the author of The Lion Women of Tehran, The Stationery Shop, and Together Tea. Marjan lives with her husband in the Boston area. They have two children.
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Audiobook details
Author:
Marjan Kamali
Narrators:
Mozhan Navabi & Nikki Massoud
ISBN:
9781797175348
Length:
10 hours 29 minutes
Language:
English
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication date:
July 2, 2024
Edition:
Unabridged
Libro.fm rank:
#109 Overall
Genre rank:
#88 in Fiction
Reviews
"Mozhan Navabi performs this audiobook with the right tone and tempo. She narrates crisply and captures the guilt-ridden Ellie, who is tormented by her past. Ellie’s best friend, political activist Homa, is voiced with a younger sound and tone (by Nikki Massoud). Her voice is fitting for the youthful Iranian revolutionary who champions women’s rights and democracy and is jailed and abused for her beliefs." Expand reviewsNOW SERVING is proud to partner with Libro.fm to give you a great audiobook experience.
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