I knew little about the country of Iran or much about its tumultuous centuries-old history until I picked up this historical fiction novel, The Lion Women of Tehran, written by Marjan Kamali. I have traveled much of the world for business and for pleasure but have not been to the Middle East as yet.
Upon finishing this riveting work of fiction, I came across a quote about reading from the great F. Scott Fitzgerald: “That is part of the beauty of literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”
I think many readers will relate to the two lead characters in this story and to their emotions; emotions that I believe are universally shared. What crystallized for me through the words of the author Marjan Kamali in The Lion Women of Tehran is the strength of the unbreakable bond that can be forged from an early childhood friendship.
In this work of fiction, we meet the two Iranian heroines, Homa and Elaheh (Ellie), both seven-year-olds in 1950; one born uptown to wealthy parents and the other born downtown to low-income parents. They live two worlds apart until the death of Ellie’s beloved father and the loss of her mother’s financial means. And so, Ellie, the once wealthy “play-by-the-rules” uptown girl moves downtown to the impoverished area of Tehran, accompanied by her now widowed, overprotective, and traumatized mother.
Ellie is forced to attend a school situated in the center of what she and her mother perceive as a slum neighborhood. Nervous and uncomfortable; Ellie feels as though she “sticks out like a sore thumb” in the midst of the other children at school, most of them dressed in worn, threadbare clothes while she still wears her uptown clothes. This is where Ellie meets Homa, an intelligent, yet high-spirited, and often reckless girl. Homa is immediately intrigued by the new girl in class and enthusiastically pursues a friendship with the very different Ellie.
Once the two girls connect, the adventure really begins for the reader!
Despite Ellie’s initial reluctance, Homa knows from the start how deep and far their friendship might go. And Ellie softens mainly because of Homa’s good-humored and charming style. Ellie gradually opens up to everything new and begins to see the world through the eyes of her new best friend. Homa introduces Ellie to the joy of home-cooked foods crafted in a modest stone cave-like kitchen by Homa’s mother, Maman Joon.
Marjan Kamali, the book’s author, features the joys of Iranian cuisine with phrases like, “The caramelized scent that infused the house as the onion sizzled…” or the “Tangy explosion of sweet and sour” which are just two examples of the sensory words used by this author. In Homa’s family kitchen, Maman Joon invites Ellie to taste her home-made pomegranate-filled pastries, known as ghotab, which Homa describes as, “The best thing you can eat.” Not only does Ellie partake in the many unique specialty foods in this simple yet enchanting kitchen day after day but she is also asked to join in their family gatherings, much to the angst of her own mother.
Maman Joon proceeds to teach the two girls the secrets of her food preparation, how she selects the ingredients and specific flavors she seeks to achieve in both her savory and sweet dishes. Readers will experience the smells, tastes and details of Persian cuisine, which are expertly woven into each chapter of this book, offering a delicious sensory dimension to the writing.
The two girls become an inseparable pair, although Homa is never allowed to visit Ellie’s house; forbidden by Ellie’s mother who insists that Homa and her family are far beneath Ellie’s social standing and her future economic potential.
Homa has a wild side, and encourages Ellie to play hooky from school with her to spend a day at the city’s Grand Bazaar where they enjoy delicious vanilla ice cream infused with rosewater, stuffed between two thin wafer disks. Sitting together in the busy Bazaar, the girls are surrounded by wonderful aromas coming from crates of dried mulberries, savory nuts and other delicacies.
Although a rebellious risk-taker, Homa fuels Ellie’s interest in higher education, and urges her to take schoolwork more seriously. Homa’s desire is to attend Tehran University, achieve her professional dream of becoming a lawyer and ultimately a Court Judge. She is determined to do all of that with Ellie by her side.
But of course, there are plenty of obstacles and hazards ahead. The backdrop to this fictional work is one of worsening political turmoil in Iran. Early in the book we learn that Homa is passionately devoted to “fighting” for women’s rights, above anything else in her life. She is, at first vehemently against the supreme rule of the Shah. But later, post revolution, Homa finds herself against the rule of the political religious zealots that have replaced the Shah. She sees the new regime as even worse with respect to women’s rights and their freedoms. The new rule fiercely restricts women’s dress, limits their education and is against any personal prosperity for women in general. Stress, strain and disagreement erupt between Homa and Ellie as they transition into adulthood. Explosive life events come about for both characters and cause an even greater separation between the two.
Without giving away more details of the story that spans more than thirty years, I want to highly recommend this read. My advice is for you to plunge into this book “full throttle.” My promise is that you won’t want to put it down, not even for your favorite Netflix series or an evening out. The knowledge I gained from this insightful author has fueled my yearning to learn much more about Iran – the country, its culture and its people.
Linda S. Gunther is the author of six published suspense novels: Ten Steps from the Hotel Inglaterra, Endangered Witness, Lost in the Wake, Finding Sandy Stonemeyer, Dream Beach, and Death is a Great Disguiser. Her memoir titled A Bronx Girl (growing up in the Bronx in the 1960’s) was released in late 2023.
