Persepolis:The Story of a Childhood &
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return
Marji tells of her life in Iran from the age of 10, when the Islamic revolution of 1979 reintroduced a religious state, through the age of 14 when the Iran-Iraq war forced her parents to send her to Europe for safety. This story, told in graphic format with simple, but expressive, black-and-white illustrations, combines the normal rebelliousness of an intelligent adolescent with the horrors of war and totalitarianism. Marji's parents, especially her freethinking mother, modeled a strong belief in freedom and equality, while her French education gave her a strong faith in God. Her Marxist-inclined family initially favored the overthrow of the Shah, but soon realized that the new regime was more restrictive and unfair than the last. The girl's independence, which made her parents both proud and fearful, caused them to send her to Austria. With bold lines and deceptively uncomplicated scenes, Satrapi conveys her story. From it, teens will learn much of the history of this important area and will identify with young Marji and her friends. This is a graphic novel of immense power and importance for Westerners of all ages.

In the second installment of Marjane Satrapi's retelling of her coming of age we find our heroine lost in Europe. Confused about who she is and what the world sees her as she falls into a series of misadventures before returning to her home country of Iran. It is a beautifully told story about a girl becoming a woman and coming to terms with her turbulent heritage. There aren't enough awards you could give Satrapi for her brilliant work. She has captured her life story with honesty and amazing talent. Reading her books is a joy and I only hope that she will put out a third volume in the future. I will never tire of hearing her story. These books are now presented in a film, I look forward to seeing it and for those of you who don't either get graphic novels or just don't particularly like reading reading them go to see this film!