LSSL 5385 Book Blog- Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

Satrapi, M. (2008). Persepolis: the story of a childhood. London: Vintage Books.

Summary:

Persepolis is the memoir of author, Marjane Satrapi. Using a graphic novel format, she describes her childhood in Iran during the late 1980’s. She is the outspoken daughter of a wealthy, progressive family and struggles with her opposing views of tradition such as wearing a veil, during the revolution. As social injustice wages around her, she suffers through the execution of her uncle Anoosh and finds that she does not agree with the same beliefs of her government. Her family must be secretive with their beliefs and even send Marjane away to Vienna after an incident at school, fearing for her life. Marjane struggles to fit in there too, but her outspoken nature does not go away. She eventually returns to Iran and the revolution continues to wreak havoc on the world around her. After being forced to leave for good, she finds that home isn’t always where you belong.

Connections:

I think Marji’s character is very relatable and a lot of readers would see themselves in her outspoken, rebellious ways. She shows the importance of standing up for yourself despite oppression. The reader watches Marjane find herself despite living in a war-torn country. The graphic novel makes this book easier to follow, while it shows the reality of what life was like in Iran in the 80’s. The simplistic black and white images add to the childlike point of view of Marjane. The strong theme of oppression takes the reader on a journey through cultural differences from one country to another. Keeping in mind that it is important for books to reflect cultural diversity, this book would be a good choice to promote empathy and appreciation of our differences. YA literature centers around contemporary issues, and while this story plays out in the 80’s, both class and social equality are still current issues plaguing society.

**Required YA novel

Book Trailer:

Books with similar themes to Persepolis: 

Eisnar, Will. (2005.) The contract with God trilogy: life on Dropsie Avenue. W.W. Norton & Company.

Spiegelman, Art. (1986).The complete maus. Penguin Books.