Name: Things I've Been Silent About
ISBN: 9780812973907

Azar Nafisi

A memoir offers a portrait of the author's family and childhood in Iran, centered around her powerful mother and her manipulative fictions about herself, as she reflects on women's choices and her own struggle to free herself from her mother's influence.

Memories of a Prodigal Daughter

Things I've Been Silent About

John Balek

I was given this book by my mother at her recommendation after hearing about how I had just finished Joumana Haddad's "I Killed Scheherazade" over the holidays. Both books focus on middle eastern women finding their purpose through reading at a young age but otherwise tell very different stories. I had never read "Reading Lolita in Tehran" so this was my introduction into Nafisi's writing. It was great to get a personal account of events happening in Iran during the latter half of the 20th century. The book balances between personal and cultural/political events of this era. If I had more of an established relationship with Nafisi's writing I might have gotten more out this book but I am interested in reading more of her works in the future.

Things I've Been Silent About Memories of a Prodigal Daughter