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Author Inspirations with Marjan Kamali (Virtual)

Join us for a thoughtful conversation with internationally acclaimed author Marjan Kamali as we explore the timeless themes in her New York Times bestselling novel, “The Lion Women of Tehran."

About the book:

Register now to hear directly from the author about crafting this tender and powerful story of friendship, resilience and identity.

In 1950s Tehran, 7-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams for a friend to alleviate her isolation.

Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions of becoming “lion women.”

But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls’ high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.

Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences.

Register now to hear directly from the author about the crafting of her tender, yet immensely powerful work. https://libraryc.org/anythinklibraries/155072 

About the author:

Marjan Kamali is the bestselling author of "The Lion Women of Tehran," "The Stationery Shop" and "Together Tea." She is the 2022 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Award, and her books have been translated into more than 30 languages. She lives in the Boston area with her family.