Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Zahra’s Paradise Amir illustrated by Khalil YP FIC AMIR


After the fraudulent Iranian elections of 2009 many took to the streets in protest.  Many of those were taken and never seen again.  This is Medhi’s story; the  story of his mother and brother who fought corruption, tyranny, and intimidation to find the truth about his disappearance.  A fictional tale about all too realistic subject matter.

This is a truly poignant and moving story about loss, family, and tyranny.  It puts a human face on current events and gives us a look at a society all too often shrouded in secrecy.  One of the most powerful parts of the book is an end-note that lists all the people that have died while protesting the Iranian government.  This very long list of names speaks volumes about the magnitude and seriousness of this issue.  Iran is in the news quite a bit these days with fears of nuclear armament, so this book offers a way to better understand the nature of the Iranian regime.  But more than that, Zahra’s Paradise is a way to understand tyranny all over the globe and by comparison the importance of freedom.  This is a must read to fans of serious comics or anyone that would like to know more about Iran.  I would also heavily recommend it to fans of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (YP FIC SATRAPI or DVD PERSEPOL) a book and film about growing up around the Iranian revolution.  

Check our catalog for Zahra’s Paradise here.

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