Persepolis

Sartrapi, M. (2004).  Persepolis.  NY: Pantheon.  

Persepolis is the story of Marjane Satrapi’s life in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.  Her parents realize that Iran is not the place they want their daughter to grow up in.  Marjane grew up in Iran just as things started getting bad. In her school, students were segregated by gender lines, women's rights receded, and family members were executed simply because they were suspected to be spies. They send her to live at a boarding school in Vienna.  Because of her independent personality this is not a good fit for her. She tells the story of the devastation she witnessed during the Iran/Iraq war. She is witty and says what she thinks. She ends up homeless and sick.  When she overcomes this she moves back to Iran and gets married.  While there she is still unhappy.  In the end she spends time with her grandmother says her goodbyes and never returns to Iran. She takes her grandmothers heritage with her.

This book would be great for a lesson on ways other countries live and the struggles they face during war.  Students could compare life in Iran for a teenager to life in United States. The problems that Marjane faced are problems that some people face on a daily basis.  It gives students a look into the harsh realities that people in other countries suffer through even today.  I recommend this book for children between grades 6-12.  Other books like this one Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi and Maus, Vol 1 My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman

Image of Persepolis.(n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://www.amazon.com/