Status
Available
Call number
Description
"Set in the aftermath of Iran's fraudulent elections of 2009, Zahra's Paradise is the fictional story of the search for Mehdi, a young protestor who has vanished into an extrajudicial twilight zone. What's keeping his memory from being obliterated is not the law. It is the grit and guts of his mother, who refuses to surrender her son to fate, and the tenacity of his brother, a blogger, who fuses tradition and technology to explore and explode the void in which Mehdi has vanished"--Publisher's web site.
User reviews
LibraryThing member zzshupinga
Our story beings in the aftermath of Iran's fraudulent 2009 election with the search for Mehdi, a young protester who was arrested and vanished into the system. The search is not being done by the officials, who are the cause of the disappearance, but by his brother Hassan and his mother, who
This is a powerful and heartbreaking tale, one that you can't help but feel moved by. The writer captures those feelings and the turmoil of the time period--that sense of loss, the fear, and the hopelessness. And at the same time capturing the hope and the courage of those trying to stand up for what they believe is right. Even though many people were affected, the creators of this tale focus on one family, upon one son, which makes it easier to connect to the tragedy and to the family. And at the same time connect to the large number of people involved on both sides. The writer also clearly intends for this to be a beginning. He wants the reader to go deeper into the story, to read more about what happened and connect with it. He includes a glossary, an explanation of what led to these events, and further readings to go to.
The artwork is poignant and captures the characters absolutely perfectly. In just the barest of strokes he captures the pain that the mother feels while searching for her lost son...and what she's willing to do to find him. You can see the determination in her eyes and can't help but feel like you want to move mountains for her to help her succeed in her quest. One of the things that I find most interesting about the character depiction is that the he never draws Mehdi's face, even if he's in a photo with other people. It means that you as the reader can put someone that you know in that depiction. Your brother, you cousin, a friend, your next door neighbor...it could be someone that you know. Some of my favorite scenes come in chapter 20, the burial of Mehdi, where his mother is weeping and wailing at the grave of her son, with tears streaming down her eyes, yet with the strength to continue to fight.
This book is the start of a journey, not the end. It's an introduction into this time, this place, and the people affected by it. I highly recommend this book and it deserves multiple readings and multiple conversations. Even after you finish reading it, it won't leave you.
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refuses to believe that her son won't come home. They traverse through hospitals, through morgues, through corrupt and self serving politicians and leaders, all in the hope of finding him. Although they encounter the darker side of their country and the people running it, they still manage to find hope amongst those that help them along their journey.This is a powerful and heartbreaking tale, one that you can't help but feel moved by. The writer captures those feelings and the turmoil of the time period--that sense of loss, the fear, and the hopelessness. And at the same time capturing the hope and the courage of those trying to stand up for what they believe is right. Even though many people were affected, the creators of this tale focus on one family, upon one son, which makes it easier to connect to the tragedy and to the family. And at the same time connect to the large number of people involved on both sides. The writer also clearly intends for this to be a beginning. He wants the reader to go deeper into the story, to read more about what happened and connect with it. He includes a glossary, an explanation of what led to these events, and further readings to go to.
The artwork is poignant and captures the characters absolutely perfectly. In just the barest of strokes he captures the pain that the mother feels while searching for her lost son...and what she's willing to do to find him. You can see the determination in her eyes and can't help but feel like you want to move mountains for her to help her succeed in her quest. One of the things that I find most interesting about the character depiction is that the he never draws Mehdi's face, even if he's in a photo with other people. It means that you as the reader can put someone that you know in that depiction. Your brother, you cousin, a friend, your next door neighbor...it could be someone that you know. Some of my favorite scenes come in chapter 20, the burial of Mehdi, where his mother is weeping and wailing at the grave of her son, with tears streaming down her eyes, yet with the strength to continue to fight.
This book is the start of a journey, not the end. It's an introduction into this time, this place, and the people affected by it. I highly recommend this book and it deserves multiple readings and multiple conversations. Even after you finish reading it, it won't leave you.
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LibraryThing member flyear
Come from China, there are many things mentioned in this book making me feel familiar. But the one-side story makes the story biased and uncomfortable to read. Good and evil distinguish from each other like water and oil. Real world is far more complicated than that. Definitely, Persepolis or The
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Separation are far more better to read if you want to understand current Iran. Overall, I have to say it's very disappointing to read this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member AngelaCinVA
This graphic novel is an amazing look inside a country and a culture that is normally hidden from the Western world. It is powerful and heartbreaking. While the characters in this book are fictional, the setting and events are based on the reality of life after the protests surrounding the 2009
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elections in Iran. This is a well-written and drawn book about an important subject. When we don’t understand others, it becomes easy to depersonalize them. We generally don’t understand the people of Iran and often see no further than a regime with which our country is in conflict. My husband loved this book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Iran and the Middle East. I’d go further and say that this is a book most people should read in order to better understand the news and the world around us. Show Less
LibraryThing member kivarson
This work of fiction is based on the real life experiences of those incarcerated during the recent revolution in Iran. Through the eyes of one family, we are shown the abuse of human rights and the devastating effects of that abuse on those who are desperately trying to find out what has happened
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to family members who have disappeared. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sullywriter
A powerful, moving story about how one family is tragically affected by the Iranian government's violent suppression of widespread street protests in 2009.
LibraryThing member Noonecanstop
Wonderfully insightful. The book shows the inside struggle of a repressive government and the people who are trying to live their lives. Heartbreaking, but a pleasure reading and seeing.
LibraryThing member pathogenik
Too propaganda-ish, Islamophobic, racist, disrespectful, and politically-biased for my taste.
It suggests that Afghan Muslims kill small puppies in order to go to heaven, that Arabs are violent and inhumane, that the Iranian army is a militia, that the Ayatollahs are crows who feed on people's
In the tradition of many Iranian/American authors who get publicity in the West, especially the US, for bashing the Iranian regime, this book pleads against a 'very cruel' regime that has 'cruelly' fought against the shah of Iran in the 70's. I've been to Iran, and it is not a dictatorship; I wish our Arab world was that peaceful, self-satisfied, organized, and scientifically advanced. No country on Earth is truly democratic and every country allows a certain amount of freedom, be it wrong or right, and they all have their own conspiracy theories and prisons. Stereotypes and political propaganda does not help anyone. This book was a wrong choice, I don't like books where the author insults my intelligence, and this book did that; it was extremist, biased, dishonest, and deceitful.
It suggests that Afghan Muslims kill small puppies in order to go to heaven, that Arabs are violent and inhumane, that the Iranian army is a militia, that the Ayatollahs are crows who feed on people's
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bodies, etc...In the tradition of many Iranian/American authors who get publicity in the West, especially the US, for bashing the Iranian regime, this book pleads against a 'very cruel' regime that has 'cruelly' fought against the shah of Iran in the 70's. I've been to Iran, and it is not a dictatorship; I wish our Arab world was that peaceful, self-satisfied, organized, and scientifically advanced. No country on Earth is truly democratic and every country allows a certain amount of freedom, be it wrong or right, and they all have their own conspiracy theories and prisons. Stereotypes and political propaganda does not help anyone. This book was a wrong choice, I don't like books where the author insults my intelligence, and this book did that; it was extremist, biased, dishonest, and deceitful.
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LibraryThing member LibroLindsay
Originally available only online, Zahra's Paradise is now available in print. It documents the aftermath of the protests that followed the 2009 Iranian presidential election, and though the characters of this graphic novel are fictional, they echo the very real plight of Iranians who live under the
If you read and enjoyed Persepolis, you will probably get a lot out of this as it highlights the struggles in Iran. The black and white illustrations are beautiful and expressive, introducing, as so often is the case, the humanity of the majority locked behind the inhumane and imposing few who control the country. Be forewarned though that it is more explicit in its disclosure of violence and delves even deeper into the politics. The storyline jumps around a lot, and at times I found it difficult to place just exactly what was happening, but I eventually got a hang of the pace and felt my heart aching nearly as much as the family's in their search for closure. The authors, Amir and Khalil, have chosen to remain anonymous, but include at the end of the book a detailed glossary, outlines of events and important figures, resources for further exploration, and reflections on the story they have just presented. This is a tremendous tribute to a rich and complex land and people, steeped in history and posing important questions for its future.
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Islamic Republic's regime. Mehdi disappears during the protests in June 2009, leaving his mother and brother--a tech-savvy blogger--with no information as to his whereabouts...only the sickening suspicion that he may have become another victim of the government's strict and violent grip on the public. Together they search high and low throughout Tehran, visiting political headquarters to morgues to hacked computers, questioning everyone from the most influential (and corrupt) to shop keepers and cab drivers. Their journey is one of doubt, outrage, and loss, but also a testament to the deepest love and strength against a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. This story reveals present day history-in-the-making thanks to the phenomenon of using technology to expose a crooked system.If you read and enjoyed Persepolis, you will probably get a lot out of this as it highlights the struggles in Iran. The black and white illustrations are beautiful and expressive, introducing, as so often is the case, the humanity of the majority locked behind the inhumane and imposing few who control the country. Be forewarned though that it is more explicit in its disclosure of violence and delves even deeper into the politics. The storyline jumps around a lot, and at times I found it difficult to place just exactly what was happening, but I eventually got a hang of the pace and felt my heart aching nearly as much as the family's in their search for closure. The authors, Amir and Khalil, have chosen to remain anonymous, but include at the end of the book a detailed glossary, outlines of events and important figures, resources for further exploration, and reflections on the story they have just presented. This is a tremendous tribute to a rich and complex land and people, steeped in history and posing important questions for its future.
Show Less
Publication
Norma Editorial Sa (2011), 272 pages
Awards
Arkansas Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2013)
Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year (Honor Book — 2012)
CCBC Choices (2012)
Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Top Ten — 2012)
Language
Original language
Spanish
Original publication date
2011
ISBN
8467906812 / 9788467906813