The Lion Women of Tehran tells the story of Elaheh and Homa, two life-long friends who meet in childhood. Elaheh and Homa couldn't be more different; Elaheh was raised in luxury whereas Homa was surrounded by poverty, Elaheh was taught to worship the Shah who kept her family's wealth in tact whereas Homa was taught the values of communism, Elaheh looked forward to a life of marriage and motherhood whereas Homa only desired to become a judge. Despite these differences and painful moments through time, the two friends share a love that is understated yet deeply understood.

The Lion Women of Tehran was beautifully written. The plot was layered and complex but easy to follow, which isn't always the case in stories that move back and forth through time. I fell in love with Kamali's characters and their growth. This is a story where you want to root for everyone because there's so much hope embedded throughout their journeys. As someone who is unfamiliar with Persian culture and Iran, I also felt as though Kamali did her readers a service by using vivid imagery and descriptions that made it easy to feel like you were living in the story. I look forward to reading more of Kamali's work!

A powerful story of two women and the complicated weight of their shared history, deep friendship, and emotional debts. Homa and Ellie are both lovingly rendered as multifaceted, complex, flawed individuals - one brimming over with idealism and a hunger to right the world's wrongs, and the other searching for her own identity in the midst of envy and naivety. The family and friends that surround both of the main characters are equally human, capable of inexplicable cruelty and heroic endurance.

Kamali writes vividly of Tehran and its streets, cafes, and bazaars, steaming kitchens and high-society parties, all the contradictions and tensions of a rapidly changing country. Especially evocative are her descriptions of food - from the scene of the girls slicing an onion with Homa's mother onwards, I was totally drawn in and hooked.

A fantastic read for fans of intergenerational sagas - thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

A deeply personal and beautifully told narrative from the author of THE STATIONARY SHOP, which I absolutely adored and so I could hardly wait for this next book from Kamali. Her story of a decades-long, life-defining friendship is set against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution is beautifully told, emotional and heart-centered throughout, and a joy to read. Worth the wait.

✨T H E L I O N
W O M E N O F T E H R A N✨
🅶🅴🅽🆁🅴—𝐻𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓁 𝐹𝒾𝒸𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃
🗓ℙ𝕦𝕓 𝔻𝕒𝕥𝕖—𝕁𝕦𝕝𝕪 𝟚, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟜

𝓢𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓭𝓪𝔂, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓶𝓮 𝔀𝓮'𝓵𝓵 𝓭𝓸 𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼. 𝓦𝓮'𝓵𝓵 𝓵𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓿𝓮𝓼. 𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓹 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓼. 𝓦𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓬𝓾𝓫𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝔀, 𝓶𝓪𝔂𝓫𝓮. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝔀𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓰𝓻𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓼. 𝓢𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝔀𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓷."

✂️ P L O T L I N E
In 1950s Tehran, 7-year old Ellie and Homa become the best of friends despite being from different socioeconomic backgrounds. After Ellie moves to another neighborhood, they lose touch with one another but never forget the vow they made to each other to become “lion women.”
Years later when they are reconnected and resume their friendship, one betrayal will alter the course of both of their lives. A story of friendship, betrayal, and the difficulty of growing up in political turmoil.

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
I know that I don’t have the words to do this book review justice, but I hope I can find a few that will help me get my point across when I say that this book is everything. Marjan Kamali has blown me away again with her beautiful story telling and her characters that seem so life like. I have a deep connection with this book because I have so many strong Persian female role models in my life that grew up in Iran during this same time period. Despite already knowing much of the history discussed in this book, Marjan Kamali brings a set of fresh eyes to this experience. I felt everything that her characters felt from start to finish. I felt their hearts breaking and the fear and anger and hostility that they had to hold on to. I felt their sadness and hopefulness. Honestly I didn’t want this book to end. It made me feel all the feels. I appreciate Marjan so much as a writer because her stories remind us that the people of Iran are separate from the government that they are forced under.

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💫Female friendship🤝
💫Women’s rights🟰
💫History of Iran🇮🇷
💫Strong and resilient female characters💪🏻
💫Delicious Persian food talk🍚
💫Coming of age📈
💫Love and loss💔
💫Emotional and thought provoking😢
💫Spans multiple decades⌛️

⚠️ 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: sexual abuse, infertility, loss of loved ones, political violence.

🦁𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾🦁
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

💕Q U O T E: “𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊? 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓅𝑒𝒹 𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝑒.”

🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Marjan Kamali for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕

I love a good saga and this one did not disappoint!

The Lion Women of Tehran follows Ellie and Homa and their story of friendship, betrayal, and redemption taking place in the setting of Iran across 3 decades. It is truly a beautiful and heart-wrenching story that touches on a myriad of complex topics such as identity, class, privilege, family dynamics, and more. It was a journey to see how the course of these two women's lives were once they intertwined as it shows the lasting impact people can have on us.

Stunning writing by Marjan Kamali and I highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

The book had a little bit of a slow start for me, but once it picked up it really picked up. You felt the motivations and flaws of the characters deeply and it was so unique and interesting in terms of perspective. Especially the main characters jealousy as a defining feature. I had never been aware of exactly how much political turmoil and injustice was happening in Iran (other than that as an American citizen I probably shouldn’t visit), so it was very enlightening to read. The author expertly wove real life events into the narratives of powerful women in Iran and it felt so real, raw, and complicated. There were parts of the book where I was really emotional as I’d gotten attached to the characters.

I’m also a sucker for books where we get a glimpse into the normal day of other cultures and I really appreciated the food and housing descriptions that she crafted were beautiful. I can’t vouch that they are real as I’ve never been to Iran, but it certainly felt real to me. I truly hope Persian women can find peace and equality in the future and will likely seek out more books that highlight the conflict going on in that region.

5/5 for masterful handling of a really complex issue that centers around strong women.

This enchanting story is set in 1950s Tehran. We meet seven-year-old Ellie who is forced to move after her father dies. She is lucky that Homa befriends her and introduces her to the town. They cook, run through the bazaar and dream of being Lion Woman.
Ellie eventually returns to her wealthy life and how the two connect is incredibly.

Kamali is well known for her story-telling ability and she weaves an enchanting coming of age story set against the political turmoil of Iran. Stupendous historical tale!
#gallery #thelionwomenoftehran #marjankamali

I love books about the Middle East and women’s who live there it’s fascinating and this book was no different.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel about an unlikely friendship that set in Iran's tumultuous 50s through the present. The ending left a little to be desired, but the characters are wonderfully written.

Absolutely enjoyed reading this story! Ellie and Homa's stories and struggles are captured in such a meaningful way. Both of these women have had to overcome hardships even though their lives differed from each other. Ellie's mom was not my favorite character – she seemed selfish and snobbish as she transitioned from riches to rags. It was hard having any love for Ellie's mom, especially when her mother diminishes the big more life changing events in Ellie's life. As a reader with no background on Iranian history, it was interesting learning about it as I was taken through the storyline. I did not know much about Tehran in the 1950s or the events that occurred follow the overthrow of the Shah/Iranian Revolution. I felt like I was taken through time and experiencing the time in which Ellie and Homa had to live through. It was intriguing being exposed to the challenges women in Iran face. It something I never thought about before and Marjan Kamala really put it into perspective for me. I enjoyed connecting with Iranian culture and food throughout this story – it make me understand what these women were fighting for.

Marjan Kamali is such an excellent storyteller, and one who writes women exceptionally well. These Lion Women were no exception.

There is a pulse to this book that is so true to life - it pulled at memories of college days and unlikely friends, while bringing me into the world of Iran prior to and during the 1979 revolution. We follow the relationship of wealthy, rule-following Ellie and downtown, revolutionary Homa. I was enchanted by their childhood friendship immediately, which was my favorite part of the story. Not because it went downhill, but because of the inevitable heartbreak of a tale such as this.

I'm electing to keep the review spoiler free, as the book isn't out yet. The characters and setting are amazing and this book was quite nearly 5 stars for me. There was a surprising POV switch, where I wish we had seen more. I liked Homa's character so much, and you could tell after a traumatic event, her voice became shorter and less emotive. I'm unsure if this was purposefully done, but it was quite clever. I wanted more of Homa, if this was going to be a multi-POV. Then, at the end, we see another POV, and even though it was short, it worked pretty well. I did like how the end of the book tied everything together. However, the resolution was very quick and I was hoping to have a bit more time and resolution.

If you loved The Stationary Shop, you'll love this one, too.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars ⭐️

“Azadi bayad nabayad nadare” is the chant we say louder and louder. “Freedom has no musts.” “The Lion Women of Tehran” is a book by Marjan Kamali set in the 1950s in the backdrop of political upheaval in Tehran, Iran. The story follows the lifelong friendship of Homa and Ellie, two women with two very different personalities and perspectives. The author strives to teach readers about Iranian culture, cuisine and the struggles that women went through during the Iranian revolution. I am a sucker for books focusing on friendship and this story checked all the boxes! “Homa is the most compassionate bird. It casts good fortune on all those it touches” and the author paints her in a way that ensures the character stays true to this depiction. Having read this author’s earlier books, I had high expectations and she has met my expectations and I was delighted that request for the book was approved! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is beautiful. It's well-written and interesting, engaging, and heart-warming. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and learning more about Iran and the lion women who still make an impact. The book brought me to tears multiple times. I'm so happy that it centers on a platonic love and friendship between two women as those platonic love stories are some of my favorites. There's really nothing I would change about this book from start to finish. If you want to read a moving story about two lifelong friends and about the political turmoil in Iran in the 50s and 70s, especially, then this is a book you'll enjoy. I strongly recommend it.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing this e-copy of the book to be reviewed.

Received an ARC, and so happy I did! This is a really lovely telling of a tumultuous period. For those unfamiliar, it’s amazing to truly understand what Iran was before the revolution in contrast to what we see today, ESPECIALLY for women. The switching times and narrators are not distracting or difficult to follow as the story is quite linear - instead it leads to a more well-rounded and believable story. Lifelong friendships are fraught, but also so beautiful. Highly recommend.

The Lion Women of Tehran is an epic and moving novel that tells the story of Ellie and Homa, two young girls who meet in Tehran during the 1950s at the age of seven. As you journey through time with them, from the innocence of childhood to the complexities of adulthood, you'll witness their evolution against the backdrop of a changing Iran.

What sets this novel apart is the masterful character development by Marjan Kamali. The characters are so well-crafted that the reader can't help but feel invested in their stories. With each page, Marjan Kamali's meticulous attention to detail breathes life into the characters, drawing you deeper into their world. From the bustling bazaars to the quiet moments shared between friends, every scene is painted with vivid imagery and heartfelt emotion.

This is a coming-of-age novel that goes beyond that, exploring themes of love, loss, betrayal, and the struggle for freedom and independence. The Lion Women of Tehran is a 5+++ star book that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. If you're looking for a beautifully written, thought-provoking, and unforgettable story, then look no further than this novel.

At the core, this is a story of friendship between two women from very different backgrounds, and it's set in Iran (1970-present). The cover is lovely and a good fit for the story. Sadly, I was never really able to connect with the writing, due to the writing style (poor word choice, repetition, etc). Some parts just felt unnecessary, and it could've perhaps benefitted from a tighter edit. I did enjoy the characters overall, as well as the history, as it contained things I don't recall learning. If you enjoy coming-of-age stories with strong female leads, this may be a book for you to check out.

A beautiful novel set in Tehran.A book of women of their strength of a lifelong friendship during tumultuous times.A wonderful emotional moving read .#netgalley #gallery

“For a lifetime we have fought. We have fought and fought and fought. We want to be free. We want to be equal. We want to be able to live our lives.”

Personal review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just as powerful, heartbreaking, and evocative as her debut, The Stationery Shop of Tehran, the Lion Women of Tehran follows two women through decades of life in Iran, as well as stateside. Meeting in grade school and spanning the better part of a century, the tale of Ellie and Homa’s friendship was heartfelt, but full of betrayal and redemption. I enjoyed the historical fiction aspect of this book and learning about the political turmoil in Iran. I loved watching Ellie and Homa’s friendship change and shift, and come back together. Spoiler free review - if you love historical fiction, powerful women who don’t give up, friendships, and beautiful prose - grab this book! Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for the advanced review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: In 1950s Tehran, seven-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 of a friend to alleviate her isolation.

Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate 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 for 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.

The Lion Women by Marjan Kamali is a multi-POV coming of age Iranian historical fiction set in the 1950’s through the 1980’s. It follows Ellie and Homa as they meet, become friends, and navigate growing up together and exploring meaningful futures during a tumultuous time in Iran.

This is the second book I have read by Marjan. The first, The Stationary Shop, I absolutely loved so I knew I had to read this one too! In my experience I come across a lot of historical fiction set in Europe so when I find something that’s different than that I usually want to read it. Overall I really enjoyed this story! The relationship between Ellie and Homa was relatable and I felt invested in their outcome. I also learned a lot about the Iranian culture during that time period. Some sensitive topics are addressed in this book. This was a reality of the times the book was set in (and unfortunately still is today across the globe), but be mindful in case you struggle with any of these: rape, violence, political uprising, poverty, and death.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for granting me an eARC in return for an honest review. This book is expected to be published on July 2, 2024.

This historical fiction follows two women born in the 1950's in Tehran. Homa is from the "rough" part of town while Elaheh is from a more privileged family. When circumstances bring them together, they become lifelong friends whose lives become forever intertwined. The narrative follows their lives from childhood to early adult.
The characters are well developed, the pace is good and the writing and editing excellent. I enjoyed learning about Iran and the people there through the eyes and experiences of these two women and their families. There is a small surprise twist to their story, just at the end which I did not see coming. I do not hesitate to give this a 5 star rating. You will enjoy this book if you like historical fiction or just good fiction. The story has much to recommend it as a book of the month club. There are plenty of discussion topics.