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Daughter of Persia: A Woman's Journey from Her Father's Harem Through the Islamic Revolution
An intimate and honest chronicle of the everyday life of Iranian women over the past century
“A lesson about the value of personal freedom and what happens to a nation when its people are denied the right to direct their own destiny. This is a book Americans should read.” —Washington Post
The fifteenth of thirty-six children, Sattareh Farman Farmaian was born in Iran in 1921...more
“A lesson about the value of personal freedom and what happens to a nation when its people are denied the right to direct their own destiny. This is a book Americans should read.” —Washington Post
The fifteenth of thirty-six children, Sattareh Farman Farmaian was born in Iran in 1921...more
Paperback, 432 pages
Published
June 27th 2006
by Broadway
(first published 1992)
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I learned a LOT about the culture and 20th century history of Iran. This book clarified my formerly vague understanding of how the CIA's meddling in Iran contributed to our current dismal non-relationship. Sattareh Farman Farmaian is an amazing woman! Born into a (pre-Reza Pahlavi) aristocratic family, she comes to the U.S. for college and then decides to establish the field of social work in her own country, which she does almost single-handedly. Her family's extensive connections help her to b...more
This book was so much more interesting than I expected. I kept going to the internet to remind me of people and places I had heard of in news reports – the Shah of Iran and Ayatollah Khomeini. Farmaian was raised in her father's harem , a place where she was loved by all - her father, step-mothers and half-siblings. After training in the United States, she started the first School of Social Work in Iran and helped millions of her people improve their lives. She did this while working under the v...more
This is a memoir of a Persian women who grew up before Iran fell victim to political Islam. She describes the harem, the part of her home that the women family members lived in. It was my first acquaintence with the fact that a harem is not a bordello for noblemen to enjoy, but rather a place where the women of a family are protected from the outside world. Her father was a distant figure that she was in awe of, a provider for the women in the family, and not an intimate friend. The author was u...more
In this heartfelt autobiography, Ms. Farman-Farmaian provides us with a personal account of Persian history and culture. The book chronicles her life experiences – as a young girl born into an aristocratic Qajar family to an adult woman who founded social work in Iran and was then forced into exile in order to survive. The writing is clear, wonderfully descriptive and contains a smattering of the Farsi language. It is amazing that after all she has been through that she is able to provide a fair...more
A truly fascinating book on the life of such a young girl growing up in the Middle East. This book really opened my eyes to a lot that I previously didn't understand or know at all. It's a deep-read and took me quite some time to get through but I highly recommend it.
What a fascinating life. I've always been intrigued with how much life changed for people born in the earlier part of the twentieth century. Someone born in 1920 has lived through some huge changes in the world. And that's just thinking of in America and Western Europe. Reading this author's account of her life in Iran is even more extreme. She went from a lifestyle straight of out the Middle Ages to current times.(I googled her after finishing the book and discovered she died just last year). I...more
I picked this up at a used book store thinking it was small enough to be ok as a book to read on a trip. I had to start it in November when I had packed most of the books and didn't have much choice. I was really glad I read it. She describes growing up in a household of 4 mothers and many, many siblings, an adventurous trip to the U.S. during World War II, and back to Persia/Iran in the 50s to set up the country's first school of social work and social work programs. It gave me more respect for...more
Amazing story from a woman born in 1921...Surprisingly enough, the harem part seems pretty normal once you read this book. The part that is hard to take in is what mobs will do doing political turmoil, which seems pretty permanent in Iran. Then, stepping back at the end of the book, I was just floored by the dedication and idealism of the author. Just the effort she put into following current events puts me to shame, but her contributions to making life better for poor people in Iran are her mai...more
A fascinating and illuminating account of a woman's life born in Iran, 1921, growing up in a highly privileged and wealthy, though traditional lifestyle of her father and his harem of wives. Sattareh, the author, shares her early family life within the larger Persian culture, then takes the reader through her adult life, all with the social change in her country during those 60 years as background.
Sattareh passionately writes of the waste, extravagance, and oppression of Reza Shah and later his...more
Sattareh passionately writes of the waste, extravagance, and oppression of Reza Shah and later his...more
A remarkable life -- Sattareh Farman-Farmaian (who died in 2012) was born into medieval feudalism, grew up with a modernizing despotism of the Shah, and fled the ferocious obscurantism of the Iranian Revolution.
Smart, well read, and with courage, her book makes one more than a little sad, its the "what Iran could have been"; however there is some bright side in that its what Iran still might be.
Its politically difficult for anyone to swallow, which makes me like the author all the more. She was...more
Smart, well read, and with courage, her book makes one more than a little sad, its the "what Iran could have been"; however there is some bright side in that its what Iran still might be.
Its politically difficult for anyone to swallow, which makes me like the author all the more. She was...more
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I have read my fair share of books about Iran, both fiction and non-fiction. After completing "Daughter of Persia," I have to rank this book in the top three books about Iran, right up there with "Reading Lolita in Tehran" and "Iran Awakening."
Ms. Farman Farmaian does an excellent job detailing the political events of Iran from pre-Mossadegh to the revolution from the point of view of someone who was moderate and fairly removed from politics. It is an interesting take on events in Iran, viewed f...more
Ms. Farman Farmaian does an excellent job detailing the political events of Iran from pre-Mossadegh to the revolution from the point of view of someone who was moderate and fairly removed from politics. It is an interesting take on events in Iran, viewed f...more
This is, quite frankly, one of the most fascinating memoirs I have ever read.
Sattareh Farman Farmaian was born the year Reza Shah (father of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the ousted Shah of Iran) came to power. Born into one of Iran's noble families, she led a privileged life. However, because of her family's beloved servants, Farmaian was exposed to the squalor in which the majority of her country lived. She became determined to do something to help.
After studying abroad to become a social worker, Fa...more
Sattareh Farman Farmaian was born the year Reza Shah (father of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the ousted Shah of Iran) came to power. Born into one of Iran's noble families, she led a privileged life. However, because of her family's beloved servants, Farmaian was exposed to the squalor in which the majority of her country lived. She became determined to do something to help.
After studying abroad to become a social worker, Fa...more
The book will probably be more interesting for people who don't know anything about Iran and the historical events of the last 100 years. I have a different perspective from the subject/author, and found her viewpoint interesting in contrast, but overall the book suffered from a combination of poor writing (perhaps to be blamed on the woman who co-authored it) and self-indulgence. That said, Ms. F-F's ambitions were noble and she certainly lived during a very tumultous time, so there are many in...more
The author leads you through the story of her life which provides an interesting perspective on the changes that have occurred in Iran over the last 50 plus years. Certainly relevant to understanding the politics that are in place today. It gives one pause to think about the unintended consequences of intervening in other countries and the impact on a rich cultural history. It makes me appreciate the freedoms that I as a woman often take for granted, however, it also calls into questions our gov...more
This book is the amazing story of a woman born in her father's harem. But she wasn't content to with the life of a well-off wife in upper class Iran. She wanted to study in America. After her beloved father's death, she left, in the middle of WW2, for America and studied and lived there for many years.
When she returned to Iran she started a school for social work. Her passion was to help people improve their lives. The whole idea of social work as a profession was so unheard of in Iran, that Sa...more
When she returned to Iran she started a school for social work. Her passion was to help people improve their lives. The whole idea of social work as a profession was so unheard of in Iran, that Sa...more
Nov 21, 2007
Mary
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
news junkies, interest in islam and iran
Shelves:
biographies-of-women
I was left with many questions about Farman-Farmaian herself but also with a much better understanding of Iranian 20th century history. For example, I hadn't realized that the Pahlavi dynasty was only two kings and both of their reigns ended in exile. Farman-Farmaian's life traces an arc from the almost medieval compound (harem of the title) of her childhood to her life in the U.S. and Iran as a single mother and professional woman and finally to her exile and refugee experience in her 50's. The...more
Jul 20, 2007
Patti
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who wants a broader understanding of the world we live in.
Shelves:
non-fiction
This is a lovely book written by a woman from Iran who grew up during times of great change in her country. She saw the Shah implement modernization - one thing he decreed was that women should not wear the veil in public, they should be modern like Jackie Kennedy. It was interesting as a westerner and a feminist to see how this decree caused great anxiety among the women of the household.
Ms. Farman Farmaian was the first woman from Iran to come to the United States to study. She majored in Soci...more
Ms. Farman Farmaian was the first woman from Iran to come to the United States to study. She majored in Soci...more
This was the autobiography of the woman who started the profession of Social Work in Iran. It was fascinating as she covered nearly a century of Iranian history (social, environmental and political hx) in the book. I enjoyed reading how the role of women changed throughout the 1900's -for the better and then for the worse (after the Muslim Revolution). Also interesting to learn (or re-learn) about the tumultous political events of the country and the influence of world super powers (mostly Brita...more
Far less dramatic than Princess, Daughters of Arabia, and the other Middle Eastern memoirs of privileged women. This book is refreshing because it looks into Iran, a country of fascinating contradictions.
Her memoirs illuminate pre-revolution life in Iran, and the madness that followed afterword. Sattareh's dignity and resolve stand out throughout, along with a deep love for her country and a heavy sadness for what it is going through.
Her memoirs illuminate pre-revolution life in Iran, and the madness that followed afterword. Sattareh's dignity and resolve stand out throughout, along with a deep love for her country and a heavy sadness for what it is going through.
A very informative and personal book that gives a more intimate historical knowledge of modern Iran. It is a must read for anyone who wants to learn more of Iranian history, and it certainly helps outline modern problems and aversions between Iran and the US. Plus it is also written well and generally a very fascinating, informative, and easy read especially for a biographical book.
This was perhaps the most honest, unbiased, non-judgmental, and observant account of Iran's recent history, as a context for the amazing life of a true legendary woman. A must for every persian who is confused about the factors that led Iran to its current situation and every American who is unclear about how Iran lost its only chance for a democratic society.
This was really interesting. I learned a lot about Iranian history, but because I didn't know much before I don't know how biased this information might be. As a memoir I think it worked well - it was clear how much the author loved her family and her country, but there was enough information provided that it didn't feel like it was just self-indulgent.
Fascinating to read a first hand account of what Iran was like before and during the Islamic revolution,how the Ayatollah Khomeini came to power, and a bit of why some fanaticals hate America so much. Slow in parts and lots of names that were hard to keep track of, but interesting to peer into a life so different from our own.
Having graown up in pre revolution Iran this was a fascinating revisit to a country that I remember very fondly. This is a stirring account of one woman's life and love of her country. It is also a great read for anyone who asks "why?" Iran is as it is. We in the west have many things to be held accountable for.
Great book. It's sad to see a relatively peaceful nation end up in chaos. Through the eyes of Satti, you learn of the turmoils and hardship the family suffered due to the revolutions which turned out upsetting the whole nation. Satti is a modern thinking woman who tries to help her country, in the end putting her life at risk. It's a fascinating page turner.
for someone who is looking for a thorough history of modern persia/iran, this is the book for you. i read it for my iranian women's memoirs class this semester and i thought it was dry and kind of hard to understand since i had no context for the information. still, very interesting.
What a fabulous book and insight into a new perspective. I got a hold of this book when my husband who is getting his masters in social work brought this home as the read for one of his classes. Of course I read it in a couple of days and wanted to discuss it in full with him. It is a great book about a womans journey in a land where women dont have voices. She goes to America and receives a degree in California as one of the first to do so and then goes home and starts an unbelievable program f...more
A very interesting biography of an incredible woman. Loved that she gave equal time to the U.S. and British involvement as well as the Iranians inaction and their affinity for the "Party of the Wind" for many of the countries problems.
Jul 13, 2009
Lisa Nelson
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Lisa by:
Jen
Shelves:
non-fiction
In light of current political events surrounding Iran right now this book was incredibly interesting and eye-opening. It gave a personal history and account of happenings in Iran from the early 1900's to the late 1970's. It was an easy read about some heavy history.
What I liked best was being able to feel an amazing connection with a woman who grew up under very different circumstances. When I read books like this it makes me realize more and more how very alike we are as women around the world...more
What I liked best was being able to feel an amazing connection with a woman who grew up under very different circumstances. When I read books like this it makes me realize more and more how very alike we are as women around the world...more
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Jun 25, 2009 06:00am