Alibi Bookshop Book Club: The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
Schedule
Thu, 26 Mar, 2026 at 07:00 pm
UTC-07:00Location
624 Marin St, Vallejo, CA, United States, California 94590 | Vallejo, CA
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We are closing out Women's History Month with the NYT bestselling and NPR Best Book of the Year "The Lion Women of Tehran" by Marjan Kamali on Thursday, March 26th at 7pm.NOTE: When I chose this book a few months ago, I didn't have any idea of what was going to happen in regards to Iran, and especially the girls' school. Rather than change the book, I think we should read and learn. Thank you, and hope to see you there.
"Evocative...and a powerful portrait of friendship, feminism, and political activism" -- People
"Kamali writes beautifully and passionately about friendship, love, youth, conflict, aging and the challenges of sustaining meaningful relationships amid high-stakes Iranian politics. The novel is full of atmosphere, history, great food and two unforgettable heroines...[who] will endear and intrigue readers from the opening scenes to the last page - a must-read." --NPR
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 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.
"Reminiscent of The Kite Runner and My Brilliant Friend, The Lion Women of Tehran is a mesmerizing tale" ( BookPage) of love and courage, and a sweeping exploration of how profoundly we are shaped by those we meet when we are young."
Books are available in the shop, online and ebook bookshop.org/shop/alibibookshop and audio: libro.fm/alibibookshop
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Where is it happening?
624 Marin St, Vallejo, CA, United States, California 94590Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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