Marjan KamaliCritiques

June 3, 2024
I have never read anything else by this author, nor have I ever read anything about Iranian culture. I found myself at first mesmerized by this novel. Unfortunately, it seems written more for the young adult crowd than for anyone else. Let me amend that last sentence: MOST of the novel seems written for Y/A's.

It is a fascinating look into a culture I know little about, and it is a captivating history of Iranian women, politics, and the deep and abiding friendship of two women who met when they were 7 years old and kept their friendship going for most of a lifetime.

This was a fast and engrossing read, perfect for those who want to know more about the culture and what women have gone through and are going through now.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster, the author, and NetGalley.

I chose this book as my birthday gift from Book of the Month Club. I knew little of the Iranian culture and wasn't sure that I wanted to know. However, this book held my interest from beginning to end and I finished it in a day and a half. It starts in Tehran in the 1950s with the friendship between Ellie and Homa when they are seven. We follow them through their grade school years. When Ellie moves away during high school, they lose touch until their senior year. While the girls come of age, the politics of Iran are happening in the background. A fascinating book, I am so glad that I read it. I've also ordered her other two books as well, The Stationery Shop and Together Tea.

4.5 Stars
Beautiful love story

Marjan Kamali's "The Lion Women of Tehran" is a poignant and sweeping tale of friendship, resilience, and the transformative power of love and courage set against the backdrop of three tumultuous decades in Tehran, Iran.

The story follows Ellie, a young girl whose life takes a drastic turn following the untimely death of her father. Forced to move to a humble home downtown with her mother, Ellie longs for companionship and finds it in the spirited Homa. Together, they navigate the colorful streets of Tehran, dreaming of becoming "lion women" and defying societal expectations.

Kamali expertly captures the essence of Iranian society during pivotal historical periods, from the opulent 1950s to the upheaval of the Shah's regime and the Iranian Revolution. Through Ellie and Homa's intertwined lives, readers gain insight into the challenges faced by women in Iran, including issues of class, identity, and social injustice.

What sets this novel apart is Kamali's evocative prose and her ability to delve into the complexities of human relationships. The friendship between Ellie and Homa is depicted with warmth and authenticity, making it a central and compelling aspect of the narrative.

As the story unfolds, Kamali skillfully weaves together themes of friendship, betrayal, and redemption, culminating in a powerful exploration of how the people we meet shape our lives. Despite their flaws and differences, Ellie and Homa emerge as resilient and courageous women who defy societal constraints and forge their own paths.

"The Lion Women of Tehran" is a captivating and emotionally resonant novel that will stay with readers long after they turn the final page. Kamali's rich storytelling, combined with her deep understanding of Iranian culture and history, makes this book a must-read for anyone interested in compelling narratives and thought-provoking themes.

I received an advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed here are my own.

“She thought of her words being placed inside the pages of a Persian poetry book, hugged by the verses of the ancients. Their love was safe there. In a way, it belonged there” (96).

My stomach was in knots the whole time I was reading because, like a Shakespearean star-crossed-lovers tragedy, you know that the pages are littered with such sad land mines, clandestinely hidden in each chapter only to lead us, the readers, and the tragically beautiful characters to an ill-fated end. You know it’ll end with sadness and regret and tears. And it did. Yes, there’s the American-optimism, the silver lining, the safe Walter, the one son. But what Roya and Bahman missed in the sixty-year gap was so much more lamentable than the brief amount of joy they had with one another for a few months at the Stationery Shop in unstable Tehran and a few hours at the Senior Center in cold, snowy New England. Yes, Roya lived a content life in America, but she missed out on a full, passionate life with Bahman. It’s just so—real. I wanted to remain in those brief moments in Mr. Fakhri’s Stationery Shop among the ideas and poetry and fictitious worlds, Roya and Bahman meeting covertly, covered and protected by the books surrounding them, the place that began and sustained their young love. The meetings at the bookshop and even the corresponding letters through the books were my favorites—and even though it’s not real life to stay there, I wished they could’ve remained in that shop forever, reading Rumi, backs pressed against the full shelves of possibility.

This is a romance novel which shifts between Iran in 1953 and contemporary U.S. The author was born in Turkey to Iranian parents, and spent her childhood in Turkey, Iran, Germany, Kenya, and the U.S.

Roya meets political activist Bahman Aslan in Mr Fakhri’s bookshop. Over a summer of political turmoil during which the Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh is ousted by a coup, the two fall in love. The coup removes pro-democracy Mosaddegh in favour of the Shah and maintaining international oil control. A series of events drive the two young people apart only for them to meet up sixty years later searching for answers to their heartbreak.

This was a poignant romance which reminded me of Nicholas Spark’s The Notebook, although somewhat better written. The historical events are more of a backdrop than the main part of the story. There are some events which stretch plausibility and I find attributing nefarious motivations to mental illness somewhat sloppy writing. It’s quite OK to write a nasty, manipulative character without needing to give them a psychiatric label to excuse their actions. This was a pleasant enough read. 3.5 stars for me.½

I’m surprised The Stationary Shop of Tehran seems to be so positively received because I really did not like it. I like instalove! But instalove at 17 always seems to be about kids who are looking for something different in their lives. I felt that the writing was awful and immature (I have a special dislike for authors who put unimportant information in parentheses) and I honestly do not understand the point of the entire middle of the book – was it to show that Roya was doing just fine without Bahman or that she was deeply unhappy? We couldn’t tell because the author seemed to keep changing her mind about it. All we know for certain is Roya chose ‘boring and safe’ Arthur because he was opposite of Bahman - that a character that chooses a mediocre life does not make for an interesting novel.

This unique story covers so many different kinds of Love in a beautiful way. Great characters and perspectives covering many decades but without feeling like an endless story. A great something different love read with the perfect amount of detail.

The Stationery Shop, Marjan Kamali, author; Mozhan Marno, narrator
There are always unintended consequences, so the moral of this novel might be, be careful what you wish for. In a simple explanation, this book begins with the history of Iran, and the rebellion in the early 1950’s when people began to rise up against the rule of the Shah, who seemed to be enriching himself at their expense. They demanded more freedom, more opportunity and more equality. They wanted a new leader; they wanted a new government. Some wanted the Shah to resign to be replaced by the Prime Minister who had been duly elected, and who had promised more freedom and opportunity. There were also hints of some who wanted the exiled religious leader to return so they could establish a Theocracy, ruled by the tenets of Islam. The corruption of the ruling class had instigated protests and calls for change rang out.
It was at this time that Roya met Bahman in a Stationery/Book shop. Both of them were on the same side of the political divide. They were immediately attracted to each other, but were very shy, at first. Unbeknownst to the two of them, there was a very deep connection between the owner of the shop and Bahman’s mother, from her past life as a fruit seller in the market in Teheran. That connection would alter the trajectory of their lives.
As the relationship deepened, they made plans for their marriage, although still in their teens. It was customary, however, at that time, for marriages to be arranged so that suitable matches would take place that would advance the family standing. His parents had already arranged such a match for Bahman, and his mother vehemently objected to their relationship. She was also emotionally troubled and unable to cope well with being denied her wishes. During this time of chaos and protest, the government began to strike back against the protesters. The only person who knew of the devious plans to sabotage their wedding plans was murdered.
For the next several decades, Roya’s life is explored as she attempts to become a scientist to satisfy her father’s desires and attempts to recover from the loss of her one true love. She moves to America for her education and does eventually remain there, marrying a decent and good man. The reader watches the history of Iran play out alongside her history until she is deep into her 70’s in 2013.
The history of Iran’s degeneration into a country run by strict Islamic principles is revealed alongside the revelation of secrets, rebellion, forbidden romance, elitism and the class divide, the lack of women’s rights, and the history of a once thriving country. As the doomed love stories are revealed, the dreams of a more democratic and free country are dashed.
The history of Iran, from the early 1950’s, under the Shah’s rule, until the establishment of an Islamic government in the 1970’s, is explored in an almost outline form, without many details. However, a Theocracy is established that completely destroyed the original hope for more freedom. Instead, the country was ruled by religious principles that dictated the system of education, the environment, the laws, the dress, the treatment of women, the supremacy of men, and any other part of life religion could touch. The future was now marked by the opposite of a Democracy. So much for the hopes and dreams of the young. In a period of three decades, life changed dramatically.
As this novel covers the life of the two young teen lovers and the way the culture of the times impacted their lives, even until the early 2000’s from Iran to America, the reader watches, as slowly, many hopes and dreams were destroyed because of secrets, manipulation and deceitful behavior. Some of those who wanted a better life were able to adjust, either by adapting to the situation or by moving elsewhere. Patience and compromise, thoughtfulness and sincerity were paramount for succeeding in the world. The inability to deal with the reality on the ground, because of conflicting goals, led to disastrous consequences that affected all avenues of life.

Read for Asian Readathon 2022, prompt: (2) Read a book featuring an Asian character who is a woman AND/OR older.

Heartbreaking and phenomenal, I highly recommend! This was truly excellent. I read it through the audiobook which was very well produced and with an excellent narrator.

Kamil's flowery, sentimental prose is not to my personal taste, but it does convey the warmth and tenderness between Roya and those she holds dear: Bahman, her family in Tehran, and her husband as well. The aromatic descriptions of food that permeate every stage of Roya's life, grounding the narrative in Persian-Iranian culture, kept Roya's background and nostalgia for home front and center. Some themes such as generational trauma, mental illness, and guilt are explored with powerful nuance, juxtaposing the lasting ripples of political violence on a country with those of personal violence on a family. However, despite the passion and heart at this novel's center, it lacked the level of depth and analysis that would have made it both emotionally and intellectually powerful.

I love the role food plays in this story.

That epilogue devastated me.

Kamali has drawn a strong yet subtle metaphor between love and revolution through optimism and change. This was a slow burner with a huge payoff. She writes with such poignancy (and the way she describes food...!) Loved the way we learned more and more about characters--Roya's sister's life with her husband was highly entertaining--and the secrets that were revealed.

What an absolutely INCREDIBLE book this was! I am so in love with Kamali's writing.

I moved from one Western English-speaking country to another at 12 which is far less scary than moving to the US speaking a different language and learning an entirely different culture and getting away from a revolution. Nonetheless, when Mina talks about going to Iran and seeing all her family and all friends, I completely started tearing up (OOOOOOON the subway, ALWAYS on the subway) because it was so absolutely relatable and, well, same. It sucks. Kamali has done an incredible job of capturing those sentiments.

I also am a HUGE fan of Iranain culture, and having visited and been a tourist there myself, it was really fun to read about their adventures and their customs. It wasn't overly in your face and it wasn't the main point of the story, but it added a lot. Underneath it all, this has a really delightful women's fiction premise of being about a mother and daughter coming to peace together, about finding a husband, and about what's important for one to do.

10/10.

Not sure if this would be considered historical fiction because it is not set only in a different time, buy I enjoyed the back and forth and the way the pieces of the story were wound together.

In a stationery shop in Tehran, Roya and Bahman meet and fall in love. Their meeting and love story was facilitated by Mr. Fakhri, the shop owner. They plan to marry, but Bahman's mother doesn't approve. It is 1953, and there is a coup attempt of the Prime Minister. Bahman is politically active. When Bahman doesn't arrive at the square to meet Roya to marry her, she is concerned.
60 years later, when Roya and Bahman meet again in 2013, she asks him why he never came.
This is the story of love lost, a turbulent time, desperate people, and those trying to make things right. It is heartbreakingly beautiful.
I highly recommend this novel. Love should always be celebrated.

What a twisted plot.

History takes an important part of this novel that encompasses several time periods from 1953 onward in Tehran, Iran. Two sisters come of age during a time period that is volatile. Roya, the older of the two, falls in love with a young political activist that she meets at a stationary shop. The shop remains important throughout their early meetings, later serving as a place to exchange letters when they are separated. Decades later, Roya is confronted unexpectedly with her past. I read this book as part of one of my book clubs; I don't know that I would have read it otherwise. I enjoyed the book, especially the glimpse into a society and history I knew little about.½

This is such a beautifully written book about family, love, and loss. Set mainly in Tehran, it's written in such a vibrant and sensory way that the country becomes a character of its own. It's very culturally transportive--you can almost see, smell, and taste it. While that lends an exoticness and appreciation of culture for someone who's never been there; at the same time, the family dynamics, themes, and characters are almost universally relatable. You come to understand their choices, values, motivations, and perspectives even if yours differ.

I read this book when it first came out and had the chance to re-read it a few years later for a book club. I liked it just as much and it stuck maybe a little bit more. I usually don't reread anything, but maybe I should rethink that--this is worth at least one read if not more.

This book.
Just wow.
This was such an emotional roller coaster to get through and I definitely shed tears throughout. I can only be thankful my copy is digital and the pages couldn't be ruined, as I can promise they would be with how much I cried.
I felt so fully immersed and once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I read this in one highly emotional sitting and connected deeply with Roya and her struggles. When she moves so far from home, I thought of my own journey in the name of education. When I learned of both Roya and Badri's experiences as mothers, I thought of the lost babies of those I love and also the ones who lived, who are growing and changing the world, even if it's just my world right now. This is the first time in a long-time I've been so moved by a book and I almost wish I had never read it, if only so I could experience it for the first time once more.

The Stationery Shop is a sweet story that takes place in Tehran, California and Boston. The Khanom sisters, Roya and Zari, are coming of age in Tehran. They are quite different in their outlook on life. Roya is the heroine of the book and her story concentrates on the lost love of her first boyfriend, Bahman Aslan.

Roya is a dreamy, idealistic seventeen-year-old living in 1953 Tehran. There is plenty of political upheaval as the Shah and the National Front fight for supremacy. Roya is not interested in politics and finds a literary oasis in the neighborhood stationery shop owned by Mr. Fakhri. There she finds pens, paper and Persian poetry books and she visits the shop every Tuesday afternoon when school is over. One day a cute boy comes in and is given a stack of papers to deliver by Mr. Fakhri. Bahman Aslan catches Roya's heart even before they are introduced. Their romance blossoms under the watchful eye of Mr. Fakhri. A few months later, on the eve of their marriage, Roya agrees to meet Bahman at the town square where violence erupts as a result of a coup d'erat that gives the Shah all of the power. In the packed crowd Roya does not see Bahman. She tries for several weeks to contact him but is not successful. In her grief Roya moves to California with her sister to attend college. There she meets Walter Archer. Roya and Walter marry and move to Boston so that Walter can attend law school. They live there and build a family. Sixty years after moving to America, Roya finds Bahman in a nursing home nearby her home where both of them meet and learn what ultimately happened earlier in their lives.

I love Middle Eastern novels. Most of their traditions, and especially food, charm me. I loved reading how Mrs. Khanom prepared the Iranian traditional foods. It makes me want to visit an Iranian restaurant near my home and I probably will go there on the weekend. The closeness of the families in the novel is also heartwarming. It's too bad that this part of their culture did not transplant well in the U. S.

I felt sorry for Walter. His wife could not show herself fully to him no matter how long they were married. He accepted her as she is. I also felt sorry for Roya because she could not get over her first love. We all have a first love that lives in our memory but most of us can move on. I didn't understand why Roya couldn't. There must be something about her personality that prevents her from feeling fully. Zari is a secondary character and we see her as the complete opposite of her sister. Zari has the ability to quickly recover from any downturns in her life. She sees people clearly but she is not bothered by them.

The three settings, Tehran, California and Boston, did not seem all that important to the story. The only thing about the Tehran setting that moved me was the descriptions of the food and how they were made. I think, though, that family could be a setting here. It's the family binds that make this story touching.

I loved this novel and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars. It is recommended highly, primarily to women.

I thought this book was going to be a humorous beach read, but it turned out to be an intimate account of the difficult transition to American life of an Iranian family. The story was clearly written from the author's own experience, augmented by solid research and a touch of humor. I feel I understand the difficult position Iranian refugees are in both politically and emotionally. I highly recommend this book.

Imagine The Notebook, but in Tehran, and with a not so happy ending.½

The book jacket is correct when it says that this novel is “beautiful and poignant,” but I must remember that “poignant” is book-jacket-speak for “really sad.” It is a love story, but a thwarted one, a relationship that others thought should never be. And though the main protagonists are Roya and Brahman, there are others who fall in love, and whose relationships are doomed as well. And then there are those whose marriages are arranged and are not in love at all. The novel starts out slowly. Indeed, if not for the fact that this was a book club selection for me, I would have abandoned it after Part 1. Perhaps if I had been more familiar with the politics and customs of Iran, the book would have been more appealing from the beginning. The characters’ personalities are gradually developed as the chapters unfold, but not understanding them from the beginning didn’t help in their appeal. The story vacillates from various time periods and is told by different characters. Some things just don’t make sense until later chapters in the story. There is really no big reveal, but a series of small “ah-ha!” moments that readers may have suspected. The novel definitely much improves as it winds its way to its conclusion. And the conclusion makes the whole book worthwhile.

A very enjoyable read. The author masterfully creates scenes using aromas, sounds, light, and weather. Her characters are well developed and believable. There are plenty of twists and turns to understanding how and why these characters made the choices they did or interacted as they did. This is a very unique story. The setting in Iran in the 1960s and later in the US was interesting, as well. I enjoyed the cultural details and how those cultural expectations influenced the story.