"Freedom has no musts."
"Freedom has no musts."
5/5 stars
This book offers a beautiful and heartbreaking view of the fight for women’s rights in Iran. If you’re not familiar with Iran’s turbulent history from the 1950s through the 2020s, Marjan Kamali paints a remarkably clear and compassionate picture, grounding the nation’s political upheaval in the intimate story of two friends.
Through their intertwined lives, Kamali captures the emotional and generational toll of living under repression, as well as the quiet, everyday acts of defiance that define courage. Her writing is both tender and unflinching—showing how friendship, love, and memory endure even in the face of loss and injustice.
The Lion Women of Tehran is not only a powerful narrative of resilience but also a poignant reminder of the cost of freedom and the strength of women who refuse to be silenced.
Favorite Quotes
““That’s how losses of rights build. They start small. And then soon, the rights are stripped in droves.””
“Lionesses. Us. Can’t you just see it Ellie? 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 will make things happen.”