THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN
Written with Marjan Kamali’s signature “evocative, devastating, and hauntingly
beautiful” prose, The Lion Women of Tehran is a captivating, sweeping epic of
friendship, betrayal, and redemption, set across three transformative decades in
Tehran, Iran, spanning from 1950 through the1979 Iranian Revolution to the US in
2022.
The novel follows the intertwined yet divergent lives of Elaheh (Ellie) Soltani
and Homa Roozbeh, two young girls from different classes in Tehran’s social
hierarchy, whose friendship is formed in the early 1950s during a progressive
period in Iran’s history and survives through their journey into adulthood
during the shifting socio-economic climate in Iran during and after the Iranian
Revolution.
The path of Ellie’s and Homa’s friendship through their years at university
endures Ellie’s well-intentioned but naïve approach in seeking stability and
marriage over politics, while Homa, who aspires to become a judge, stands firm
in her commitment to women’s rights and her willingness to risk personal safety
to secure those rights, even as it places her in danger.
Homa’s fiery determination to dedicate herself to justice is beautifully captured
in her words: “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.”
Torn between her deep admiration for Homa’s strength in challenging the
injustices of the repressive ruling systems in Iran, and her own desire for
change, Ellie chooses to distance herself from political risks and pursues
separate aspirations for upward mobility and a safe future, while Homa
continues to fiercely commit herself to communism and the unwavering
fight for justice and women’s equality.
As political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, Ellie’s and Homa’s
friendship remains central in their lives until one, innocent, earth-shattering
disclosure causes devastating consequences and tears them apart – and it will
be years before Ellie and Homa reconnect from across the world, revealing long-
held secrets, remorse, and acts of bravery.
At its heart, The Lion Women of Tehran is a moving exploration of the strong
bonds of friendship, women’s empowerment, the fight for equality, and the
enduring hope that even in the darkest times change is possible – but above all,
it will make you think deeply about the bonds that connect us and the choices
that define us.
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NOTE:
Marjan Kamali 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