The silver spot goes to our first historical fiction to crack the top 10 as well as the first graphic novel to ever be featured on the Best Books list. It is Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

What is it about? The year is 1979 and ten-year-old Marjane is living in Iran with her forward thinking parents. Smart and blessed with a rich imagination, Marjane has a happy childhood, a childhood that seems to drastically change by all the rumblings and changes occurring in Marjane’s country. Like many in Iran, Marjane’s parents protest against the Shah’s regime and demand change. When that does happen, Marjane’s life is changed forever. As the Ayatollah ushers in a new tyrannical regime Marjane and her family find themselves in challenging circumstances that ultimately leads them to make an impossible decision.

Why did I love it? It is sad to say but stories like Persepolis seem more timely than ever. Tyrannical regimes and actions to hinder the rights of women seem to be happening around the world with more frequency. It is times like these that can make it hard to pick up stories like Persepolis but I would argue that they need to be read more to fight back those who work to take anyone’s freedoms and rights. This is a moving but heart wrenching story that while adults should certainly read, it should also be shared with the younger generation (and by that I mean early teenage years since there is content that isn’t suitable for younger readers). Marjane Satrapi shows that even in the most difficult of times there is still hope and people can still make an impact even when the odds seem impossible.

My full review of Persepolis can be found at https://rachelrheil.com/blog/2024/06/persepolis-by-marjane-satrapi-review/.