Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

Contributed by Eli, gr. 12, June 2019

I picked up part 1 of this graphic memoir in the fall and have now finished part 2, and while nonfiction does not usually appeal to me, I am very glad to have read Persepolis. It is an Iranian woman’s account of her first twenty-four years, her childhood having been spent in Iran before she fled to Austria during her country’s war with Iraq. The memoir describes the political climate in Iran from the 1970s to 1990s - which, as someone who previously knew almost nothing about this region, I found to be eye-opening and thought-provoking.

Persepolis contains more text than many graphic novels, but that is balanced out by the simple yet striking black-and-white illustrations. Since the story centers around revolution and war, the subject matter and pictures can be quite graphic: there are detailed descriptions of violence, as well as some swearing and nudity. The author touches upon heavy topics like government oppression, prejudice between nations, and different ways to follow the same religion.

I would particularly recommend Persepolis to people with an interest in nonfiction and recent history, but I also think it is an important memoir overall. The narrator’s age helped me sympathize with her from the start, and I gained an understanding of another country that I might never have had otherwise. Anyone in search of a graphic novel with deep themes and dark humor should give this one a try.