I absolutely loved The Stationary Shop of Tehran and was excited to see Marjan had a new book out. The Lion Women of Tehran is the engaging and touching story of the complex friendship between Ellie and Homa. The two meet as 7 year olds and despite come from very different background and forge a lasting friendship that had its up and downs. I particularly enjoyed seeing them meet and bond over food as their friendship grew before deciding that they would become lion women. Set between Tehran and New York, from the 1950 to 2022, it was very interesting to learn about the religious, political and social change in Iran during this time. Kamali covers the history well and explores a number of relevant topics over the time such social class, women’s rights and political activism. A beautiful story of two amazing women and I’m glad to have spent the time getting to know them both.