Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
by Marjane Satrapi
Paris: Pantheon, 2003
160 pages. Ages 12-17.
ISBN 9780375714573




Annotation
Persepolis is the autobiographical story of a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic revolution and trying to make sense of the chaos happening around her.

Commentary
This book gets its name from the capital city of the ancient Persian Empire, a center of wealth and culture destroyed by invading armies. Marji is very likable and has commentary on everything from the wearing of the headscarf to the history of Iran. The book covers parts of her life between age 6 and 14. She is inquisitive and very outspoken: a perfect example of a young feminist protagonist. The book is divided into ten chapters that all have illustrations to go along with the titles; the graphic novel format uses simple black-and-white drawings. Students might enjoy viewing the award-winning film based on this book; discussion topics might include war, politics, feminism, Islam, and Middle Eastern culture.

Best Comics of 2003, TIME Magazine

No author’s website
Media: pen and ink