About this title: A young journalist returns to Tehran and discovers not only the oppressive and decadent life of her Iranian counterparts who have grown up since the revolution, but the pain of searching for a homeland that may not exist As far back as she can remember, Azadeh Moaveni has felt at odds with her tangled identity as an Iranian-American. In suburban America, Azadeh lived in two worlds. At home, she was the daughter of the Iranian exile community, serving tea, clinging to tradition, and dreaming of Tehran. Outside, she was a California girl who practiced yoga and listened to Madonna. For years, ...
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Description: Good. 1586483781 Fast Shipping. Book torn, creased, missing dust jacket or otherwise damaged. Customer Service is our #1 priority. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very Good. Former Library book. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. 2006-Paperback----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
"Having just finished Empire of the Mind: A History of Iran, I felt good about jumping into Moaveni's Lipstick Jihad: I could now apply my new-found knowledge! It turns out, however, that Moaveni's writing is so well balanced between her journalistic style and her narrative that I didn't really need the background of Axworthy's History, but it was nice to have certain perspectives on Iran confirmed.
As a second-generation Iranian-American, Moaveni explores the years she lived and worked in Tehran as a journalist for Time. The focus of the text is on her growing understanding of what it means to be Iranian and American, and the complications it presents in her life.
What I enjoyed most about the book is that because she is dealing with life in Iran from the perspective of an outsider (a Farsi-speaking, ethnically Iranian outsider, but an outsider nonetheless), it was a lot easier for me to follow and understand issues of Iranian life with a sympathetic eye. Instead of being presented as foreign, Moaveni always considered the culture her own, so although her experiences are sometimes appalling and frightening, they are written with a sensitivity and understanding of what Iranian culture really is, not just what the Islamic Republic wants it to be.
Although Axworthy's History definitely highlights the amazing achievements of Persian culture and takes a sympathetic view of Iranians (i.e. NOT as the Axis of Evil), it is still the perspective of a historian. Moaveni puts the reader in the moment, and although her view is obviously limited to that of a secular, upper-middle class woman, one comes to an understanding of what life is really like, not what the Ayatollahs want the West to understand, not what the media wants us to see.
This is a book I will definitely recommend to students who want to read more about Iran after finishing Persepolis. It was well written, detailed, and historically descriptive."
"Another recommendation from Kathy. A very timely read for me as I started it right as the demos about the 2009 election were starting and I heard the author on NPR giving her tuppence ha'penny-worth of opinion too. I enjoyed the book. It reminded me that nothing is black and white and generalizations just will not do. While the author as an individual often seemed shallow but oh so human and young she always managed to follow it up with some sound analysis of why and how with a reasonable historic context and a logical development of events. I'm looking forward to reading Honeymoon in Tehran soon."
"A bit boring and self indulgent on the author's part. The book seems to go all over the place and the title only loosely fits the subject matter. The author was in her early 20's when she wrote this and only spent 2 years in Iran. How many 20-somethings have enough life experience to write a memoir?
I felt that there was a lot of useless and boring filler which is surprising because I've read a lof of articles by this author and she's a good writer who certainly knows what she's talking about. All I can think is that she wrote this book without choosing a real focus, didn't edit it well, or put it out too soon.
She could have written a few different books on differnt subjects and expanded on each of them rather than throwing together this overly generalized book on Iran. In addition this really shouldn't have been a memoir as she is much more qualified to write a journalistic or well reseached observational book. She is too young and lacking in life experience to write a memoir (sorry but having family members who lived through the revolution does not count as experience). I was dissapointed considering who wrote it."
"My son says Iranians are the friendliest people on earth, so I always wondered how people in a totalitarian society could form great friendships with the "enemy." And how could a woman leave Santa Cruz and Palo Alto for a country where women were beaten for just showing a bit of hair or an ankle.
Moavani spent most of the book describing the ways the people of Iran thwarted the mullahs. Older people seemed to hide at home while younger played a fun game of cat and mouse. Their escapades made them very close, but also took a great tole. Acceptance of the status quo, onerous as it was, seemed just a way of life.
I notice that she is no longer living in Iran. This is tragic as change must come from those living in the country, especially the women and youth. It was an interesting read and I look forward to reading the sequel."
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