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The Lion Women of Tehran

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The Lion Women of Tehran

Written by: Marjan Kamali
Narrated by: Mozhan Navabi, Nikki Massoud
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A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From nationally bestselling author Marjan Kamali, this perfect book club read is “evocative...and a powerful portrait of friendship, feminism, and political activism” (People) set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.

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. Asian Creators Friendship Genre Fiction Islamic Heritage Women's Fiction Women's Voices Iran Middle East Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt
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What the critics say

"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."
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I was captivated by the story of these strong women right from the start.
I absolutely loved this book.

A masterpiece

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Really engaging story, brought to life by fabulous narrators. I was enraptured from the beginning through to the end.

Excellent story and narration

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Fabulously engaging with a powerful story about women's strength, tenancity and lifelong friendships that fill our souls.

A Powerful Narrative

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Loved it. Finished the whole book in less than a week . Couldn’t stop listening to it. The whole history, friendship , loneliness and a lot more were pictured beautifully in this book.

Beautiful story, very well written

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Excellent narration. Wonderfully written.
Beautiful story of generations.
The ongoing fight for women’s rights in Iran has thankfully been brought to the forefront of my mind.

Excellent narration reading a beautifully, important piece of historical fiction.

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