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Lipstick Jihad
Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran | Azadeh Moaveni
5 posts | 9 read | 34 to read
As far back as she can remember, Azadeh Moaveni has felt at odds with her tangled identity as an Iranian-American. In suburban America, Azadeh lived in two worlds. At home, she was the daughter of the Iranian exile community, serving tea, clinging to tradition, and dreaming of Tehran. Outside, she was a California girl who practiced yoga and listened to Madonna. For years, she ignored the tense standoff between her two cultures. But college magnified the clash between Iran and America, and after graduating, she moved to Iran as a journalist. This is the story of her search for identity, between two cultures cleaved apart by a violent history. It is also the story of Iran, a restive land lost in the twilight of its revolution. Moaveni's homecoming falls in the heady days of the country's reform movement, when young people demonstrated in the streets and shouted for the Islamic regime to end. In these tumultuous times, she struggles to build a life in a dark country, wholly unlike the luminous, saffron and turquoise-tinted Iran of her imagination. As she leads us through the drug-soaked, underground parties of Tehran, into the hedonistic lives of young people desperate for change, Moaveni paints a rare portrait of Iran's rebellious next generation. The landscape of her Tehran -- ski slopes, fashion shows, malls and cafes -- is populated by a cast of young people whose exuberance and despair brings the modern reality of Iran to vivid life.
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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Pickpick

Published in ‘05 and on my shelf for 4+ years, and it felt incredibly relevant to 2021. Moaveni is a journalist born in CA to Iranian immigrant parents. She goes to Tehran for work, yes, but more to make her own connection to Iran. This is a compelling memoir and a political discussion.

Perfect fit for my #readingasia2021 #Iran pick.

Full review https://www.TheBibliophage.com #thebibliophage2021

MaureenMc I‘ve also had this one on my shelf for years. Maybe I‘ll choose this one for my next book club pick. 🤔 3y
Librarybelle This sounds fascinating! 3y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @MaureenMc It‘s a good one for discussions! But might be too political / historical for some readers. 3y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Librarybelle It definitely was. More in my longer review at http://www.TheBibliophage.com 3y
70 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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gossamerchild
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I wish I could show how incredibly soft my new skull blanket is! Great choice on the books, too, as I've been wanting to read them for quite a while. Thank you so much, @Leelee08!

#blanketandabookswap @Tiffy_Reads @JoeStalksBeck

AmyG Ooooo skulls. Lovely. 7y
Leelee08 Yay!! I‘m so glad you like everything! 7y
54 likes2 comments
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DrexEdit
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Pickpick

Azadeh moved to America with her family in advance of the revolution in Iran. She grew up in America knowing nothing about Iran except the rosy pictures painted by her exiled family. So when she becomes a journalist she uses the opportunity to move to Tehran. The culture shock is severe. I also read The Complete Persepolis this year and the stories are very similar except that Marjane Satrapi grew up in post- revolution Iran. 3.5 🌟⬇️

DrexEdit I enjoyed this book because as a journalist the author is able to closely observe and report on life in Iran. I still get the feeling that her family has some money which probably insulates her from the worst parts of dealing with life in Iran. 7y
ValerieAndBooks I read this a few years ago, and the sequel (I thought both were good) : 7y
DrexEdit @ValerieAndBooks i didn't realize there was a sequel. Thanks! 😊 7y
30 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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Next up, some reading in solidarity with refugees and immigrants. #readersresist #globalawareness

Cinfhen They look good, thanks for posting Barbara🙂 8y
Dineen73 I loved Kabul Beauty School! 8y
gossamerchild Thanks for the good idea! 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Cinfhen @gossamerchild You're welcome. Looking forward to seeing your ideas for this too! 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Dineen73 Cool. I'm looking forward to it! 8y
100 likes10 stack adds5 comments
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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Here are some of the #TBRTuesday memoirs I'm hoping will be memorable. So many good ones on my shelves! Right now, I'm most excited about My Beloved World.

#memorablememoir #memorablememoirs #booktober

RealLifeReading Some good ones there! 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @RealLifeReading I'm excited about every one! 8y
kspenmoll Didion, Lamott, & Nafisi as different as they are, were all wonderful reads. Enjoy them! 📚 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @kspenmoll Thanks. I'm excited yo read them ALL. I need to move Sotomayor's book up the list also. 8y
kspenmoll I want to read hers as well! 8y
78 likes4 stack adds5 comments