Women Without Men

By Shahrnush Parsipur,

Book cover of Women Without Men: A Novel of Modern Iran

Book description

From an outspoken Iranian author comes a “charming, powerful novella” that is banned in Iran for its depiction of female freedom (Publishers Weekly).
 
“Parsipur is a courageous, talented woman, and above all, a great writer.” —Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis
 
This modern literary masterpiece follows the interwoven destinies of five…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Women Without Men as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Five Iranian women of very different backgrounds come together in a lush Persian garden outside Tehran. We learn their stories, their dreams, their hopes. The central theme is as the title suggests: what would a world without men be like? How would life away from the narrow gender-defined roles of an oppressive patriarchal system work? If you like magical realism, there is plenty here, and it’s beautifully rendered. Because of her writing, the author spent many years in prison under the Islamic Republic. Yet she never stopped writing. I think she should be considered for the Nobel Prize in literature.…

From Susanne's list on strong Iranian women.

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