In January of this year, I reviewed Persepolis, a graphic novel by Marjane Satrape in which she describes growing up in Iran during the tumultuous time of the Islamic Revolution. I loved Persepolis and naturally decided to read the sequel. The first volume ends with Marjane's departure from Iran: her parents decided to send her to Austria. Persepolis 2 picks up right after. Marjane arrives in Austria speaking no German and knowing very little about the life in the West. Her desire to fit in is exacerbated by her foreign accent, looks and distance from loved ones. She misses her family, feels lonely and never totally accepted. She makes friends with other marginalized students and experiments with marijuana. She also experiences first infatuations and heartbreak. In the end, Marjane travels back to Iran just to discover that time in the West did have an impact on her and she now struggles to fit in at home. I think Satrape does a wonderful job describing what it's like to be different no matter where you go. Her story is sincere and raw. I really enjoyed this second installment and highly recommend it.
After reading Persepolis 2, I read Satrape's Embroideries, a humorous collection of stories that Marjane's female relatives like to swap when they get together at her grandmother's house. They discuss marriage, love, sex, men, careers and everything in between. Underneath it all, there is a simple desire to be happy and loved. All of the women have various problems and struggles. and sharing their experiences, comforting each other and laughing together makes life's struggles much more bearable. The entire book is filled with warmth and love. I highly recommend checking it out.
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