What readers think of The Lion Women of Tehran, plus links to write your own review.

Marjan Kamali wrote "The Lion Women of Tehran" for people who doubt class struggle exists in countries other than the United States. A wealthy family loses its father and goes down a level or two. The young Ellie misses her best friend's family, but Mom declares them beneath her. A patriarchial society limits a young girl's thoughts about bettering her situation.

When Elaheh and childhood friend Homa reunite after years apart, the novel takes on the universal feeling of childhood friendship returning after girls approach adulthood and their future. One prioritizes marriage and family, while the other hopes for a less-traditional career in law. This dichotomy mirrors the female opinion in Iran in the early 1960s. Thinking for yourself was rare.

The flap mentions the "ultimate betrayal" between two friends, which is shocking, albeit easy to see coming. The Communist versus Royalist nature was bound to create some unwanted headaches. I did not expect one disloyalty to lead to a much greater atrocity and suffering. Societies all over have felt as if communism is such a sin that any punishment is fitting.

A woman recommended this book to me, and it has themes of feminism. The culture in Iran is fascinating, and the ways that females seek higher education and careers will inspire you. When we eventually arrive at 1979, those like me, too young to remember it, will realize why so many fought against rampant injustice and wanton misogyny.

The ability to have happy endings in unpredictable ways separates our best authors from Hallmark movie directors. Kamali creates two characters, Ellie and Homa, who deserve one another. You even like the Lion Women enough to accept their hard-earned success even when the realities of Iran are less than ideal for females. Climaxes like this are why I love books.

The Lion Women of Tehran was an engaging historical fiction, set in Iran. The story starts in the 1950s, when Ellie’s father dies and she and her mother are forced to relocate from the wealthy suburbs to a much lower class neighborhood. There, she meets Homa and they become best friends. But Ellie’s situation soon improves and she moves away, losing touch with Homa. They reconnect as seniors in high school. The story continues as they move forward into their young adulthood.

The story does a good job of providing a sense of Iran under the Shah. It highlights the difference in the classes and the roles of women during the changing times. There was a big emphasis on the food which did help give a feel for their everyday life. Kamali does an equally good job of showing how things changed under the religious regime and the war with Iraq.

I didn’t initially take to Ellie. She berates her mother for being too status conscious, but yet she was just as much. And her lack of thought at a crucial time weighed on me. (I struggled with the blurb calling this an act of betrayal.) But she grew on me and was the perfect foil for Homa.

The book starts slow and it did take a while before I was truly invested in the story. But I loved what it had to say about being willing to fight for human rights, and how it’s the rare person who is willing to be a true activist. The character of Homa is very loosely based on a friend from Kamali’s youth, who still lives in Iran and works for a human rights organization. The book also has a lot to say about friendship and how our early friendships truly shape us.

I listened to this and was less than impressed by Mozhan Novabi. Her voice often seemed flat. I was happier with Nikki Massoud.

THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN by Marjan Kamali

4.5 stars
Narration by Mozhan Navabi and Nikki Massoud was very well done. Mozhan Navabi is a favorite narrator of mine.

Ellie and Homa, two young girls growing up in Tehran meet at school in early 1950s. Ellie, who is descended from Persian royalty, lives in grand comfort until the death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Ellie and Homa do everything together and become the closest of friends and share their ambitions for becoming “lion women.” Things change for the girls when Ellie and her mother are able to return to their previous bourgeois life. Ellie meets new friends and soon Homa begins to fade. Years later Homa reappears in Ellie’s life. As they come of age together during a time of political upheaval that is building in Iran, they’ll learn that their lives will forever be changed by the course of their friendship. Though the story is Ellie’s, Homa is the real star in this.

This is a compelling and beautifully crafted historical read about the power and complexities of deep friendship and resilience during a time of political unrest. With love, ambition, loyalty, jealousy, betrayal and forgiveness, the complex nature of mother-daughter relationships, family shame and secrets.

“Lionesses. Us. Can’t you just see it Ellie? Someday, you and me — we’ll do great things. We’ll live life for ourselves. And we will help others. We are cubs now, maybe. But we will grow to be lionesses. Strong women who will make things happen.”