Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Stolen Revolution:
Seems rather timely under the current circumstances.
Quick synopsis:
A look at Iran after the revolution of 1979.
Fact for Non-History People:
Female literacy rates skyrocketed from under 30% to over 80% post-revolution.
Fact for History Nerds:
However, over 60% of Iranians are under 30 and want reform.
My Take on Stolen Revolution:
When I started Stolen Revolution by Yeganeh Torbati and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, I was wondering how they could cover five decades of Iran post-revolution without making their book 5,000 pages. It turns out, you can cover a whole heck of a lot if you focus on the people. The books I always love the most do that, and this one pulls that off.
The authors look at Iran starting with the close of the Iranian Revolution in 1979. There are four parts to the book, but it felt like three to me. The first two parts are mostly centered on Mehdi Karroubi and Hila Sedighi. Karroubi is a political animal trying to make his way in a whole new world. Sedighi is a young woman and budding poet who is destined to run into plenty of problems with what Iran would become.
The first two parts introduce us to a lot. This includes people and aspects of the Iranian state. I had started to worry that Sedighi, for instance, seemed entirely superfluous to the narrative at first. There was already a dizzying number of names and she seemed totally extraneous. However, I should have had more faith in the authors. They clearly anticipated this. What they do is introduce people slowly so we get to understand who they are and what they will become before they fully take the spotlight. In short (too late!), if you feel a bit overwhelmed at first, stick with this. The authors know what they are doing. Plus, you will feel as off-kilter as the people of Iran so added bonus for atmosphere.
Part three follows various business folk as they make the horrible choice to trust the Iranian government to be open and honest about, well, anything. Part four follows two young women who have a few issues with how women are treated in Iran. Part four ends right near present day.
This book is absolutely packed to the gills with great reporting and colorful characters. Most importantly, the authors don’t pull punches. There are multiple times where Karroubi is much closer to a villain than a hero. In fact, you could argue he only looked like one in comparison to the people who turned on him. I love books like this because I could argue either way. If you want to know what it’s been like for people in Iran over the past five decades, then you need to pick this one up.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by Doubleday Books and NetGalley.)
Verdict:
A great look at a complicated story. Buy it here!
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