Book Clubs of EPL: The Lion Women of Tehran

About this event

Adult. Love reading? Love to talk about books you've read? Join our book club for spirited discussions on a wide range of fiction and non-fiction. Each month we'll tackle a new title. Whether you loved it, loathed it, or left it unfinished, we want to hear your take. Come share your impressions and connect with fellow readers! This month we will be reading The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali. "In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother's endless grievances, Ellie dreams of a friend to alleviate her isolation. Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa's warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions for becoming "lion women." But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls' high school in Iran, Ellie's memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie's privileged world alters the course of both of their lives. Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences." Love EPL? A free library card gives you access to even more programs, books, eBooks, streaming services, learning tools, and more for every stage of life.