Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi's acclaimed graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

"A wholly original achievement.... Satrapi evokes herself and her schoolmates coming of age in a world of protests and disappearances.... A stark, shocking impact." --The New York Times: "The 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years"

One of the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century

In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the coming-of-age story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran's last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.

Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. Marjane's child's-eye view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, with laughter and tears, in the face of absurdity. And, finally, it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love.

Author: Marjane Satrapi
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Pantheon Books
Published: 04/29/2003
Series: Pantheon Graphic Library
Pages: 160
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780375422300


Award: Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers - Nominee
Award: Tayshas Reading - Commended
Award: Alex Awards - Winner
Award: Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award - Nominee
Award: Grand Canyon Reader Award - Nominee
Award: Academy Awards - Nominee
Award: Green Mountain Book Award - Nominee