A movie has been made out of Persepolis and Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi. These graphic novels memoirs tell the story through the eyes of the author, who was a young Iranian girl growing up during the Islamic Revolution. Read a review of the movie.
LOL, the high school book club that meets over the lunch hour to discuss a book (or other ideas) at least once a month just finished with an Iowa High School Book Award winner, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
This book was made into a movie that has just been released in theaters, and tells the story of two boys who have grown up together in Afghanistan: Amir, a wealthy elite Pashtun, and Hassan, his Hazara servant. When Amir secretly witnesses a brutal assault on Hassan by village bullies, the guilt over his unwillingness to stand up for or even try to protect his friend eats away at him throughout his life.
While many parts of this novel are painful or disturbing to read, the insight into Afghan culture, the glimpse of what the country was like before the Taliban, and the multi-layered relationships among the characters make this a book that is hard to put down.
A few "read beyond" ideas for those who want to read more about Afghanistan: A Thousand Splendid Suns, also by Khaled Hosseini, The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seirstad, The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky by Farah Ahmedi, Kabul Beauty School: Beneath the Veil of Afghan Women by Deborah Rodriguez, and Zoya's Story: An Afghan Woman's Struggle for Freedom by Zoya.
In the juvenile collection, recommended titles include Parvana's Journey (see review on my Kids Blog), and it's prequel The Breadwinner, both by Deborah Ellis, and Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples.
