Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Persepolis, #1) by Marjane Satrapi-153 pages
This is the story of Marjane Satrapi and her childhood in Iran. She grew up during the Iranian Revolution (aka the Islamic Revolution) of 1978-1979. A couple of years later Iran and Iraq were at war. Atrocities abounded both during and after the Iranian Revolution. The regime installed after the revolution was an extremely repressive Islamic government. Veils now had to be worn and worn properly by women. Parties, playing cards, tapes, records, and the like were banned. Men were encouraged to grow long beards and to never wear ties. Anyone found in violation of these new rules could be arrested and executed. Both Marjane and her mother had scary run-ins with patrols on behalf of the regime. Many died both during the revolution and the subsequent war and Marjane saw some of it first-hand. Bombings were frequent during the war. When Marjane turned fourteen, her parents sent her to Vienna, Austria to attend a French school (she had attended French schools in Tehran, Iran) out of concern for her safety in Iran. I didn't know much about the Iranian Revolution or the history of Iran before reading this graphic novel, but I learned quite a bit from reading this. It's not necessarily an enjoyable read, but it is an important read.
