Marjan Kamali’s The Lion Women of Tehran is a compelling exploration of family, identity, and courage set against the backdrop of Iran’s complex social and political landscape. Kamali, known for her nuanced storytelling in novels like The Stationery Shop delivers a powerful narrative that highlights key historical events in Iran, such as the Westernization under the Shah, the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and the rise of religious fundamentalism. This is a story about feminine courage, moral fortitude and the desire for freedom in a place where it often is dangerous to be a woman.
Kamali sets the story of two girls, Ellie and Homa, against this historical background. Ellie is from a privileged wealthy background and descended from royalty, who, with her mother is forced to leave their home in an affluent section of Tehran when her father dies. Homa comes from a lower-class neighborhood, her father is a communist, and she confidently is headed towards fighting injustice even at a young age. As seven-year-olds the two classmates forge an indestructible bond, sharing the joys of childhood and the ups and downs of adolescence.
We read of the fundamentalist religious rule of Ayatollah Khomeini. Under its stringent version of Islam, the marriage age was pushed back, making it acceptable to marry off child brides. The marriage age could be as young as nine years old. A woman was no longer permitted the choice of whether she covered her head or was veiled. It was required, and punishment by the morality police issued for disobedience. When Saddam Hussein of Iraq invaded Iran, Iran was involved in a full-fledged war. While its young men were conscripted to fight, women were further repressed.
When Homa and Ellie are young women, though, their friendship is fractured and they lose touch as one moves to the United States. Each woman embodies the “lion” of the title through her unique form of resistance and resilience.
Kamali’s prose paints Tehran with sensory richness—from the scent of saffron wafting through the bustling Grand Bazaar to the whispered conversations in hidden courtyards. Her attention to detail creates an immersive experience that transports readers directly into the private and public spheres of Iranian life across decades of transformation.
What distinguishes this novel is Kamali’s refusal to simplify complex realities. She portrays Iran as a vibrant, contradictory society where tradition and modernity constantly collide. Through her descriptive stories, she sheds light on themes of gender, politics, and social change without resorting to stereotypes or easy conclusions.
The relationship between the Homa and Ellie forms the emotional center of the narrative, demonstrating how strength is passed down and transformed from generation to generation. Their individual journeys are different aspects of female experience in Iran—compromises, quiet rebellions, and keeping one’s selfhood under varying degrees of restriction.
Kamali excels at depicting the interior lives of her characters, revealing how external political circumstances shape personal choices without fully determining them. The Lion Women of Tehran is a remarkable achievement that offers both a saga and a window into Iranian history and culture. This is a novel that has stayed with me, one I highly recommend.
