WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY: Taking Cover : One Girl's Story of Growing Up During the Iranian Revolution by Nioucha Homayoonfar
ABOUT THE BOOK
This coming-of-age memoir, set during the Iranian Revolution, tells the story of a young girl who moves to Tehran from the U.S. and has to adjust to living in a new country, learning a new language, and starting a new school during one of the most turbulent periods in Iran's history.
This true story of Nioucha Homayoonfar offers a window into an at-once familiar yet foreign culture. Religion classes are mandatory at her new school. Nioucha has to cover her head and wear robes. Her cousin is captured and tortured after he is caught trying to leave the country. And yet, in midst of so much change and challenge, Nioucha is still just a girl who listens to music and idolizes pop stars. But she has to be careful when Western music is banned and she cannot be seen in public together with her new boyfriend. Will she ever get used to this new way of life?
REVIEW
This engaging memoir of a young Iranian girl's growing up during the Iranian Revolution was eye-opening for me. In some ways she had a childhood not to different than mine, but in others, her life was vastly different. I enjoyed reading about her home life with her beloved parents as well as her experiences both good and not-so-good with her extended family. The move from America to Iran was a shock for her as a five-year-old, but being young she adapted quickly. But after the revolution occurred things started to change drastically. And with an Iranian father and a French mother, the changes didn't sit well with her own families' beliefs and traditions. Some of the experiences she had would have been truly terrifying. And yet, despite it all, she still loved her home and extended family, and still misses the good things that not even the revolution could take away. I learned a lot reading this book. The book is like a window into the life of a young person who grew up around the same time I did, but had vastly different experiences. The book is well-written and easy to read and is a great example of the memoir genre for the middle grade/young adult age-group.
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