The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
The Lion Women of Tehran
by Marjan Kamali
Presents
Farhang’s Second Book Club Selection
By author Marjan Kamali
Farhang Foundation was honored to welcome bestselling author Marjan Kamali in conversation with our host, renowned author Abdi Nazemian.
From the nationally bestselling author of the “powerful, heartbreaking” (Shelf Awareness) The Stationery Shop, a heartfelt, epic new novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.
“An evocative read and a powerful portrait of friendship, feminism, and political activism.”
— People
“Elegant…A tender, beautifully written examination of two women—and their choices—over more than 30 years.”
— Oprah Daily
“A touching portrait of courage and friendship.”
— Kirkus
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 of a friend to alleviate her isolation.
Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate 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 for 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.
About Marjan Kamali
Marjan Kamali is the award-winning author of The Lion Women of Tehran, an instant national bestseller, The Stationery Shop, a national and international bestseller, and Together Tea, a Massachusetts Book Award finalist. She is a 2022 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship.
Marjan’s novels are published in translation in more than 25 languages (22 languages for The Stationery Shop and 10 languages for Together Tea). Her essays have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Literary Hub, and The Los Angeles Review of Books.
Marjan holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University, and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from New York University. Born in Turkey to Iranian parents, she spent her childhood in Turkey, Iran, Germany, Kenya, and the U.S. Marjan is currently the Fannie Hurst Writer-in-Residence at Brandeis University. She lives in the Boston area with her family.
About Abdi Nazemian
Abdi Nazemian is the author of five novels including Like a Love Story, a Stonewall Honor book, and The Chandler Legacies. His latest novel, Only This Beautiful Moment, was the 2024 Stonewall Award Winner from the American Library Association. For his literary work, he has also received a Lambda Literary Award. His screenwriting credits include movies such as The Artist's Wife and The Quiet, and television shows including Ordinary Joe. He has been a producer, executive producer or associate producer on a number of films, including Call Me By Your Name and Little Woods. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband, their two children, and their dog Disco.
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