Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni

Jan 23, 2009

Meagan rated it

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Shelves: memoir

Honeymoon in Tehran is the kind of book I would encourage most Americans to read, especially since it provides so much insight into a country that so many Americans view as a dangerous enemy. Moaveni is an American journalist born to Iranian immigrant parents but who still feels a distinct connection to the land of her heritage. She worked for many years as a foreign correspondent for Time magazine, investigating everything from Iranian pop culture to politics to human rights issues. Her late...more

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Feb 03, 2009

Sara rated it

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This book is a truly excellent memoir. If you’re looking for a memoir that details the struggles and censorship that modern Iranians (particularly women) are facing, it delivers. It is chock full of complicated patriotism, scathing social observations and balanced political commentary. But if contemporary romance is your thing, it has that too. The novel spans two years as President Ahmadinejad rises to power, and the author meets the love of her life. I won’t spoil the ridiculous and creati...more

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Dec 30, 2008

Claire rated it

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Shelves: grownup-books, memoir

A first hand account of life among educated, middle-class in Tehran, Iran. I learned so much about Iranian points of view and many issues that I had misunderstood are made clear in this memoir. Set just as Ahmadinejad come into power and increases the repression of the Iranian Islamic regime. Politics, culture, family and profession collide with restrictions at every turn. This is a compelling and fascinating account of modern professional life in Tehran.

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Dec 01, 2009

Min rated it

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Shelves: non-fiction

I really liked this book. I previously had no understanding of Iran and Iranian life outside of western media (which Ms. Moaveni is a part of, of course). Her take and understanding of the culture mingled with her own life struggles and changes gives a refreshing perspective on this country I otherwise knew little about. She has a sort of wry sense of humor about most things and despite what is probably a dangerous profession, she is constantly brave and questioning.

I kind of wish...more

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Jan 16, 2009

Heather rated it

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Honeymoon in Tehran is Azadeh Moaveni's distinguished memoir of her time spent living in Iran as a journalist and newly married mother. As an Iranian native of California and journalist for Time magazine, Moaveni spends her notable career reporting on the societal aspects of Iran, from it's controversial elections to trends in Iran's youth activist culture. When she returns to the country to begin reporting on Iran's 2005 presidential elections, she has no idea that she will soon begin living in...moreHoneymoon in Tehran is Azadeh Moaveni's distinguished memoir of her time spent living in Iran as a journalist and newly married mother. As an Iranian native of California and journalist for Time magazine, Moaveni spends her notable career reporting on the societal aspects of Iran, from it's controversial elections to trends in Iran's youth activist culture. When she returns to the country to begin reporting on Iran's 2005 presidential elections, she has no idea that she will soon begin living in Iran, not to mention that she will meet and fall in love with her soon-to-be husband. But despite best laid plans, Moaveni is soon pregnant and must navigate among Iran's religious and political restrictions to first marry and have her child, then to continue reporting. With harrowing clarity she explains the sanctioned abuses that face unwed pregnant mothers, and experiences the difficulty of obtaining the proper permission to be married. While documenting this time in her life, the author extensively explains the political, social and religious climate that she is steeped in as a resident of Iran. In an eye-opening way, she describes the confusion of governmental agencies that share executive power over the country, and even for someone as well versed in Iran's culture as Moaveni, it still is sometimes unclear who holds ultimate authority.

In addition, she gives a first hand account of the social repression that is the standard for the country. From the strict laws on acceptable attire (especially for women, who are expected to don their head coverings in almost all public venues) to the segregation of the sexes, even at events such as private weddings, Moveni explores an array of customs that all must live by in their everyday life. Aside from these revelations, she examines the repressive and reactionary attitude of the government, documenting the way in which the country's leaders seek to control Iran's image in the media and the shocking downfall in the socioeconomic status of Iran after Ahmadinejad's unexpected election as president. With all that she faces, there is still more: she must routinely deal with her private handler, known only as Mr. X, as he systematically bullies, threatens and frightens her into complicity. In Iran, each news correspondent must have a government minder, ensuring that the reporter doesn't portray unsavory aspects of the country or its leaders to the outside world's news outlets. By using scare tactics and intimidation, Mr. X fast becomes a villain in this insidiously prescribed relationship. As Moaveni moves through these new stages of her life, she gives a candid account of the attitude of both the traditionally religious and secular Islamic people living in Iran, and she explains in great detail the way in which the Islamic religion has shaped and still very much influences the governmental aspects of the country. Although Moaveni must face many difficulties in her time in Iran, still she embodies a great love for the people, culture and wonderful contradictions of Iran, where today most people can't afford to buy a home but nose jobs are had easily and affordably. At the conclusion of her memoir, Moaveni must decide if Iran is truly the place in which she wants to live her life and raise her child, and though I won't spoil the book for you, it's obvious that her heart is torn in two opposing directions. Her ultimate decision is hard won and heartbreaking. This accurate and compelling look at life in modern Iran encompasses all that the country is, and all it hopes to one day be.

When I first began reading this book, I was a little non-plussed at the fact that this was not mainly a book about one's person's experiences with everyday life in Iran. I had supposed, going by the title, that it would be exclusively about the author's struggles in a strict and repressive society. When I finally realized the scope of the book, I began to be able to better form an opinion of it. Although it was not what I was expecting, this book caught me totally off-guard and I was blown away by how much I enjoyed and appreciated the story Moaveni told. I didn't have much information regarding the state of society in Iran but was quickly able to understand and grasp the various aspects of modern life in the country. I believe that this material, handled so well by the author, could have been very flavorless and dull had it been presented in other ways, by other authors. As I read and my understanding grew, I began to ask myself questions that I hoped to be able to research the answers to later. However, that wasn't necessary, because Moaveni did a wonderfully thorough job of answering all these questions for me; I needed only to be patient as she explained.

As time went on, I realized that this book was perfectly complete, posing and answering questions about Iran that have been shrouded in mystery for far too long. It was then that a curious change took place within me: I stopped doubting the story and became more intimately involved with the country's history and future. The fact that the story was not as personal as I had originally hoped for ceased to matter, and I left those feelings behind and became totally engrossed with the all-encompassing story the author had to tell. I still enjoyed Moaveni's story of her marriage and pregnancy, but taken with all the other aspects of the book, those sections were only one facet of a multi-layered portrait of Iran. While reading, I experienced several emotions, all at the heels of each other. I found myself angry at the government and its minions for attempting to totally repress an intelligent and growing society, I was astonished that so many Iranians seemed to humbly accept these impositions on their lives, and saddened by their apathy for instituting change. I was also a bit perplexed at the audacity of the governments reactions and punishments to totally ordinary and normal aspects of human behavior. I was joyful when I read on to discover that most secular Iranians had their own ways of obliquely dealing with their suppressive regime, giving themselves the freedoms that had been methodically denied to them by their leaders. And last, but certainly not least, I was appalled and scared for Moaveni in her dealings with Mr. X, a cruel and inventive man who did his best to terrify the journalist away from her work. I very greatly appreciated the exclusive instruction that this book provided for me, and I think that Moaveni did a fabulous job in relating a huge amount of history and the implications for Iran's future in such a compelling and interesting way.

I have not had the opportunity to read the author's first book, Lipstick Jihad, but I am looking forward to reading more from this author, who I consider an expert in this area of the world. I think that this book should be read by anyone with a curiosity for Iran. Whether this will be your first time reading about the country or you are seasoned in the area's complexities, this is a wonderful read that is not only timely, but enlightening. I applaud this author for her unflinching look at Iran and her ability to relate the country's flaws, beauties and conundrums. A great read.
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Mar 10, 2009

jen8998 rated it

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Azadeh Moaveni follows her first memoir with this book about her last two years in Iran. Significantly less hopeful than Lipstick Jihad, Moaveni chronicles a return of more repressive regime. She continues to work as a journalist despite inherent risks. An interesting theme in this book is her relationship with her government handler, Mr. X, who vets each of her stories prior to publication. Well worth reading as is her first effort.

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Feb 28, 2009

Meri rated it

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Shelves: biography-memoir, middle-east

Despite her relative youth, Moaveni writes with insight and understanding about Iran over the past few years. The book begins when Amadinejad is elected and follows the changes that happen in Iran over the following years. It is also an account of a young woman who was raised in the west dealing with getting married in Iran. Despite what one would think, the book is not a wholehearted condemnation of modern Iran, nor is she an apologist. What it does is capture, affectionately, the sentiment...more

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Feb 07, 2009

Sydney rated it

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Shelves: biography-nonfiction-memoir, advance-reviews, first-reads

This was a fantastic, fascinating book.
It got off to a bit of a slow start... I was a little overwhelmed by all of the information about Iran that the author included in her story, but all of this information was relevant. It quickly picked up and

Moaveni is a journalist by trade, which makes her a wonderful storyteller. I feel like I know so much more about Iran, a country that is growing increasingly important in world affairs.

This was a great mix of the inside ...more

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Feb 24, 2009

Jack rated it

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Fascinating portrait of life in Iran, just before the election of Ahmadinejad and during his Presidency. Although much of the criticism of Iran is present, from the role / dress of women in the public sphere to the government's crackdown on activists and journalists, there is nuance. Partial displays of openness with satellite TV, a lax enforcement of dress requirement at times and outdoor musical symphonies. Sometimes funny, sometimes menacing, it is life within the borders of a newly emboldene...more

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May 27, 2011

Ari rated it

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Shelves: read-in-2011

There's a lot of information in this book, much like in the other, although there are some natural extraneous details, but to me that added an even more personalized touch. I think another bit of information worth keeping in mind is that besides being the perspective of one Western-educated woman, it is also the perspective of an upper middle class woman. Class plays a big role in Iranian society and this is not the best of books if you want to learn about daily life for the working class (somet...moreThere's a lot of information in this book, much like in the other, although there are some natural extraneous details, but to me that added an even more personalized touch. I think another bit of information worth keeping in mind is that besides being the perspective of one Western-educated woman, it is also the perspective of an upper middle class woman. Class plays a big role in Iranian society and this is not the best of books if you want to learn about daily life for the working class (something I'm now interested in after reading this book). Something worth keeping in mind as well is that this book is very slow-paced. As someone who has discovered a passion for the Middle East (and as such I'm willing to read anything I can on those countries) I eagerly read through this book, but if I wasn't so personally enamored with the topic, it probably would have taken me much longer to finish.

Most importantly if the reader has read Lipstick Jihad they will notice immense growth in Ms. Moaveni. "When I first arrived in Iran, fresh and green from northern California, I had obeyed like a schoolgirl in such situations, naively deferential to authority, certain the worst could not happen to me, of all people. Only when the worst (arrest, near arrest, public humiliation and so forth) befell me, repeatedly, as a result of my submissiveness, did I learn to respond like the Iranian young people of my generation: with loud, shrill confrontation. This was the rather simple trick by which my friends; indeed, most young Iranians-managed to evade the bullying ways of the Islamic system: by shouting down its enforcers, daring them to engage in hostile, full-fledged confrontation. It sounds counter intuitive, but it was actually effective. Very often the authority figure in question was either too young, cowed, bored, or poorly paid to deal with an angry female whose shrieks typically gained her the solidarity of passers-by" (pg. 96). I really like this quote because while it very summary-ish, it gives a peek at the change Ms. Moaveni goes through, a change that is well worth reading about. Another intriguing aspect of the story concerns falling in love in Tehran, what life is like for dating couples, for those who just want to hook up and married couples. It's not as restrictive as one might suspect but it's no America.

Honeymoon in Tehran addresses one of the toughest questions future-parents must make, do I really want to raise my child in my home country? In my opinion that is an extremely difficult decision and the author takes great care in weighing the pros and cons of raising her children in Iran. She doesn't want her son to be confused because while at home she could tell him that women are equal to men, Westerners aren't all evil, etc, at school it would be a different story. Furthermore there's a chance that a young child will accidentally let something slip about private family life that is technically against shari'a (Islamic law). Such as 'Mommy made fun of the Ayatollah', the risks are great. At the same time she loves Iran, the people, the beautiful landscapes, the passionate discussions (I'm so jealous of this fact. Debates are a big part of Iranian culture and it seems to me that they manage to passionately argue politics without really offending anyone. That would not be the case in America unless Iranians simply don't discuss controversial issues such as abortion, gay rights, etc because it's a moot point under their theocratic government?) and she has made many friends there. The author's love of Iran is clearly reflected in this book and I personally hope I never have to make a decision like that because there's a downside either way. I also appreciated how this book tried to explain how Ahmadinejad was elected. The author chronicles everyone's surprise at his win but she also notes that many of the people she talked to decided not to vote. Neither one of the author's two books are political, when discussing matters of politics the information is presented in a straight-forward manner with diverse viewpoints. The heart of the story however concerns relationships and how they have been both hurt and strengthened under the Islamic Republic. A fun, informative story for those who like international politics (but not too in depth) and simply reading about other countries.

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Dec 08, 2010

Khaya rated it

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Shelves: memoirs, islamicwomen, thank-god-i-wasn-t-born-there

Well, Azadeh Moaveni has certainly matured since the whiny days of "Lipstick Jihad," although she still displays the same angst about wanting to belong in Iran while feeling unable to reconcile with the lack of freedom there. Like "The Ayatollah Begs to Differ," "Honeymoon in Tehran" braids three themes together -- Iranian history and current events, Iranian day-to-day experience and culture, and Azadeh's personal lens as both a journalist and a resident of Tehran....more

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Oct 20, 2010

Trena rated it

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I was so focused on having a small carry-on purse for my recent trip to Athens and Turkey (because I had a 6 hour layover in Montreal and wanted to leave the airport and go eat at Le Commensal) that I forgot to pack anything to entertain myself on the flight! I ended up spending over $40 on books at the Montreal airport. This is why I use the library, people.

The selection of books in the airport is sad. Lots of pulpy mysteries and sundry crap. I saw the title of this one and was ...moreI was so focused on having a small carry-on purse for my recent trip to Athens and Turkey (because I had a 6 hour layover in Montreal and wanted to leave the airport and go eat at Le Commensal) that I forgot to pack anything to entertain myself on the flight! I ended up spending over $40 on books at the Montreal airport. This is why I use the library, people.

The selection of books in the airport is sad. Lots of pulpy mysteries and sundry crap. I saw the title of this one and was kind of like, "Eh. Chick lit." I like chick lit, but it goes too fast to be worth buying. But then I saw the author and realized it was a follow up to Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America And American in Iran, which I had really enjoyed for its on-the-ground view of the Iranian people. While I like the titles of Moaveni's books and think they cleverly convey the subject matter, I also think that she is alienating large numbers of people who would be a good audience with her chick lit titles.

This was another great account of how Iranians feel about and deal with their government. The book jacket makes much of the fact that the book deals with Ahmadinejad's ascendancy, but his election doesn't occur until halfway through the book and Moaveni had left the country by the time of the post-election riots of 2009. His presidency definitely is covered, but to be clear this is not a book that will give you a comprehensive picture of Iranian politics.

What the book does provide is a portrait of how Iranians feel about their country and its leadership. (I can't really say "average Iranians" because her subjects are almost always well-off, though she stresses that the sentiments run throughout all economic levels.) The random arrests, beatings, crackdowns, and TV satellite destructions are terrifying, as is the cat-and-mouse game played with Moaveni as a journalist for a Western publication. I felt in suspense much of the time (in a good way). Moaveni does meet her husband, marry, and a have a child in the course of the narrative, but it wasn't really about her--more how the state interacts and interferes with such normal human acts. She had to have her father's permission to marry. She had to give her son a state-approved name. While giving birth her husband had to be smuggled in and she had to wear a ludicrously enormous "modesty covering" hospital gown that didn't open in the front to allow nursing. That sort of thing.

One of the most enlightening quotes for me was, regarding nuclear enrichment (paraphrasing): "People don't know the difference between nuclear energy and a pizza. You ask them if they want nuclear energy, they say yes." Whether Ahmadinejad truly wants nuclear energy or is spinning a desire for nuclear weapons as a bid for energy independence I don't know, but he is clever in rallying his people to believe the former.(less)

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Sep 23, 2010

Ella rated it

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I enjoy reading about middle east politics and the controversy that often revolves around Islam. There is no better way to learn than through the eyes of someone who lives it.

Azadeh Moaveni is a Time magazine correspondent from California who moves to Tehran to report from there. She is Iranian, as is her boyfriend and later husband. Being a woman in Iran has put road blocks, as well as fear into her job. The Iranian intelligence has even assigned Mr. X to make sure her reporting is...more

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Jul 25, 2009

Kathleen Hagen added it

Shelves: 2009-audio-books, 2009-nonfiction

Honeymoon in Tehran by Azadeh Moaveni, narrated by Carrington MacDuffie, produced by Blackstone Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

Azadeh Moaveni was an American reporter whose family had emigrated to the United States in 1979 during the revolution. She had reported in the middle east since the late ‘90’s and had spent time in Iran around 2000 when it appeared that things were mellowing. In 2005, she returned to Tehran to cover the upcoming election and the rise of Ahmadinejad. Th...more

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Jun 08, 2009

Ann rated it

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We get so much of our news in sound bites that I had no concept of life in Iran under Ahmadinejad. My concept of women in burkas was one of modern day slavery. And I couldn't believe that girls in France were fighting to be allowed to wear headscarves to school.

I learned a lot from Moaveni's book. She told about how close families become when they have a common enemy. And how much fun the youth had finding creative ways to outwit the government nonsense.

But it had a real...more

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Dec 31, 2009

Heather rated it

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I read this book as my book club's December selection, and ended up enjoying it more than I expected. Or maybe enjoying is too strong a word; I feel as though I learned so much more about Iran from the reading of this book than I previously knew.

This was a content-heavy book, but for good reason: Azadeh Moaveni is a journalist with extensive background in meticulous research on her writing topics. This book is no exception. Throughout its pages, Moaveni has described her personal ...moreI read this book as my book club's December selection, and ended up enjoying it more than I expected. Or maybe enjoying is too strong a word; I feel as though I learned so much more about Iran from the reading of this book than I previously knew.

This was a content-heavy book, but for good reason: Azadeh Moaveni is a journalist with extensive background in meticulous research on her writing topics. This book is no exception. Throughout its pages, Moaveni has described her personal experiences as an independent Iraninan-American woman who is trying to reconcile her westernized 20-something self with her roots and beliefs as a Muslim woman in a country run by Islamic extremists. Within that tale she weaves Iranian history - from its roots a a Persian, Zoroastrian society to an Islamic country -, current affairs in its intertwined political and religious agendas, and the experiences of those Iranian citizens she encounters, from high class jet-setters to the taxi drivers who struggle to earn enough to feed their families.

Although this book took me awhile to get invested in its storyline, I found myself pushing further and further to discover whether Moaveni truly could make a life for herself in that country, or whether she found herself unable to withstand the pressures put upon her by its leaders.

As the sister of a young woman who has recently converted to Islam and is educating me about that religion, I was happy to see Moaveni approach this topic in a manner that leaves the reader with a better understanding that Islamic countries and their leaders are not representative of the religion as a whole. The extremes to which these regimes force their citizens to adhere are the result of not the teachings and standards of the religion itself, but rather the interpretation of those by men who choose to impose their own beliefs on countries as a whole. This is not a book about Islam, but rather about a people who practice this religion in a country where there is no separation of mosque and state.

Although I probably will not choose to re-read this book, I am interested in reading her previous work, Lipstick Jihad - A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran. Overall, this was an informative and eye-opening read.(less)

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Sep 27, 2009

AnnaMay rated it

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Wow. I am so glad I read this book. Reading up on the history of what is going on in Iran really helped me feel a bit more educated and well-versed in understanding a bit of what I hear on NPR. I love Moaveni's perspective (she is raised in California but her parents are Iranian and she moves back to Iran for her adult coming-of-age and stays until the book ends).

This book is great! I felt my eyes were opened to much of a culture I knew nothing, really, about. I felt I came to...more

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Mar 06, 2009

S rated it

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I wanted to read this book NOT because I loved the author's first book "Lipstick Jihad" but more because I wanted to see if she delves deeper into the history and politics of Iran. I have more empathy and respect for the author now and consider her a more credible source on the Iranian diaspora as a result of reading this book. In her first book, she explains that she was born and raised in the Bay Area and soon after moving here, her Iranian parents divorced and though she was raised ...moreI wanted to read this book NOT because I loved the author's first book "Lipstick Jihad" but more because I wanted to see if she delves deeper into the history and politics of Iran. I have more empathy and respect for the author now and consider her a more credible source on the Iranian diaspora as a result of reading this book. In her first book, she explains that she was born and raised in the Bay Area and soon after moving here, her Iranian parents divorced and though she was raised here as an American, her parents did a pretty good job in making sure she had a sense of her Iranian roots and heritage and was proud of where she came from. However, as a woman of the West having chosen to move back to Iran, a country that she never really knew, I felt that she was not suitably armed to write objectively about life in Iran since all that she witnesses and experiences is so obviously totally foreign and backwards for her and after a two year stint, she leaves Iran for Beirut and continues to report for TIME magazine as their Middle East correspondent. This book picks up with her having gone back to Iran to report on the lead up to the presidential election where Ahmadinejad is suprisingly elected to office and she meets the man that she falls in love with (an Iranian who left for Germany after the Revolution & spent most of his formative years there but had recently moved back to Iran) and soon after, the author chooses to move back to Iran. This time around, she sees Iran through a different lens and though most of the book speaks very truthfully and harshly about the scary day to day hardships and aspects of living life in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
I felt that in this book, she delved deeper into the rich Iranian culture and heritage and talked abaout what a beautiful country Iran is and how kind the Iranian people are.
"Honeymoon in Tehran" is a little more objective than "Lipstick Jihad" though not a kind piece regarding Iranian propaganda and if the author harbored any fears of being reprimanded by the Iranian government after the publication of her first book, this book will probably solidify her status as somebody who is most probably black listed in Iran. I would be curious to hear how this book has been received by Iranian clerics and would bet very highly that is on the list of banned books in Iran (which by the way, is not a difficult list to get on).
Sadly though, the book ends with her and her husband, deciding that Iran is not a place they want to raise their infant son and they leave for London. She feels very deeply that in leaving Iran she has failed and that she is turning her back on the people & culture, an emotion that I like so many others, can share.(less)

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Jul 28, 2009

Kathy rated it

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Recommends it for: Yes

Recommended to Kathy by: Ladies Book Club - Jan Fellow

Wow! What an education on the culture and corrupt government of Iran. I could hardly wrap my head around all the unjust and lack of free-agency. I kept saying, "How could this be in modern times? Why hasn't anyone tried to put an end to it all? How could the people tolerate such a lifestyle?" Seems to cruel and unfair. It made me darn proud to be an American! This story was so well written and honest. The author is a well educated person with a vast vocabulary that I found mys...more

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May 02, 2011

Holly Borroff rated it

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I enjoyed reading this book because of its description of everyday life in Tehran. I also found her discussion of the choice of where to live based on family, culture, safety, and economic opportunity to be particularly poignant. I would recommend it to anyone who has fallen in love with another country and had to leave it behind or who has found themselves living far away from there families and loved ones in order to have a better life. The only drawback I had to the book was that sometimes I ...more

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Jan 02, 2012

Mandy rated it

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Great perspective on everyday life in Tehran and how the political conditions there led to the election of Ahmadinejad--and how disastrous that election turned out to be for reformists who thought they couldn't get more disillusioned than they already were. The book is weaker in the second half as Moaveni struggles with what it means to be both a journalist and a mother as the regime becomes increasingly more repressive (and seems unable to forgive herself for "choosing safety over the stor...more

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May 12, 2009

Delight rated it

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This was a very interesting and interesting memoir about life in Iran and the author's personal experiences. Moaveni is a very talented writer and her ability to take complex ideals and explain them in a simple and straightforward way reminds me of the way that Tom Friedman writes about similarly complicated ideas. I found this to be an enlightening books about Iran's culture, people, and politics. And now I have a better understanding of why Iran seems to have moved towards conservatism. Th...more

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May 23, 2009

Barbara rated it

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So I read this book because it had a great review in the Seattle paper and I like learning about life in other countries. I felt like Iran was a place i would like to know more about. Well, I will be more wary of Seattle reviews. It does indeed tell you about life in Iran from this upper middle class woman's point of view. She enjoys stressing her class. You do learn a bit about Ahmadinejad and his effect on the country -- but ultimately, it is a boring read. I started it -- put it down for 3 ...more

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Apr 20, 2010

Miko Lee rated it

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This was really a fascinating book, expertly reported by Azadeh Moaveni, Times writer and author of Lipstick Jihad. It was funny, provocative and insightful. It gave me a bit of a picture into the complicated world of Iran and highlighted how vast the immigration experience is. Having spent a large portion of her life in the US she has come to romanticize elements of Islam while her fiance, raised in Germany and closer to Iran has a more negative view of the impact of Islam. I have to say, I...more

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Jan 20, 2011

Trish Heinrich rated it

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"Honeymoon in Tehran" by Azadeh Moaveni is the followup to her first memoir "Lipstick Jihad", a memoir about Iran and a young female journalists search for her culture, faith and a place to call home. In the first memoir she was forced from Iran due to the Bush administration grouping Iran into the "axis of evil", it made it impossible for an American journalist to do her job properly.

At the beginning of "Honeymoon" she's living in Cairo, and fli...more"Honeymoon in Tehran" by Azadeh Moaveni is the followup to her first memoir "Lipstick Jihad", a memoir about Iran and a young female journalists search for her culture, faith and a place to call home. In the first memoir she was forced from Iran due to the Bush administration grouping Iran into the "axis of evil", it made it impossible for an American journalist to do her job properly.

At the beginning of "Honeymoon" she's living in Cairo, and flies occasionally into Iran to investigate stories for "Time" magazine. She's asked to cover the election in which Ahmadinejad was elected. She describes the shock of everyone on his election, the supreme underdog that no one knew anything about.

Prior to the election, the women were still required to wear chador, but women were allowed vibrant colors and designer scarves. The government "tolerated a grassroots women's movement of considerable vigor..a society with 90% female literacy, whose women received 60% of the college degrees awarded each year."

Surprising when we view Iran as one of the countries that are so oppressive to women; not that I'm saying they're perfect, especially now.

Post Ahmadinejad, most of the "freedoms" that the more moderate presidents of years past allowed or turned a blind eye toward have been taken away. Over the course of a few days in 2007, 150,000 women were arrested for improper dress. From 2006 through the present authorities will randomly kick down peoples satellite dishes, and round up their pet dogs because they are "unclean". These are just a few of the things that Ms. Moaveni discusses in her book.

It's a lot like her first book in the sense that she exposes some misconceptions about the Iranian people as a whole; mainly that the majority are not fundamentalist Muslims that want to kill all Americans but instead people that are not that different from you and me. They try to provide better lives for their children than the ones they have had, they want to get married, have children, successful careers, access to the arts, to trashy TV. If you wonder why these people stay, the answers range from the inability to afford moving, to the frustration that they shouldn't have to leave the country to make good lives for themselves. Believe it or not, people love this place, they've built lives here and it's heartbreaking for them that their government makes it so difficult to live in a place they love.

It's this that Moaveni shows with such candor and sensitivity. She loves her family and friends in Iran, she loves Iran even; the country of haunting Persian poetry, citrus scented orchards, beautiful mountain ranges, people of humor and charm who love and accept her. You can feel her sadness as she has to realize that all these things can't overcome the daily humiliation and restrictions of the theocracy of Iran.

As the title implies, she marries a man whom she meets in Iran who, like her, was raised outside of Iran after the revolution of 1979. He shares much of her frustration but none of her romanticized acceptance of Islam, which she learned at the knee of her grandmother in the sunny suburbs of Southern California.

I learned much about the society of Iran through her troubles acquiring a simple marriage license after she and her soon to be husband found themselves expecting a baby. She was terrified the morality police would find out she was unwed and beat her until she either died or miscarried or both. Once they were married and the baby was born a whole new set of problems showed themselves, such as proper vaccines, not being able to take her son out for a walk due to the pollution, parks that were over run with "hoodlums" and the nagging question of how to raise a free thinking young man in a country that more than frowned upon it.

This book was an eye opener, just as much as the first one and I recommend everyone read it. The information is sound, much more than you'd find almost any media outlet (especially Fox news). In this day and age, where the Middle East is so important and yet only partial truths are offered in our media, I believe the point of view of someone who's lived there among it's people, had contact with politicians, mullahs, scholars, musicians and reformers is invaluable to us. (less)

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Mar 15, 2011

Ivy Gonzalez added it · review of another edition

As a country often minimalized and defined by 30-second sound bites in the news, "Honeymoon in Tehran" is a refreshing insider's look into life in Iran. Always trying to find the right balance between her Western upbringing and the life and culture she yearns to be a part of, Moaveni's tale rings familiar to anyone who has ever dealt with the conflict and internal struggles of belonging to two "worlds". Charming and insightful, the reader is invited along as Moaveni chronicle...more

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May 28, 2011

Anne rated it

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This book offers a very interesting insight into the inner workings of Iran. I learned a great deal about their political thinking, their culture, their food. Ms. Moaveni provides a unique perspective on things that Americans don't really understand. So you should read it for that reason--you'll be enlightened. But hey, if you're not into THAT aspect, you should also read it because Moaveni is hilarious; her writing style is witty and yet serious when she needs to be. It's hard not to becom...more

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Dec 15, 2009

Terrah rated it

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Oh, I'm wavering between a 3 and a 4. It was a really interesting book, but it was a little bit slow in parts. Being that she is a reporter, it is certainly a politically based book. It was interesting to read about life in Iran from the perspective of an Iranian American; how she loved her country, but was frustrated by the political and some of the social situations there. It was nice to read it relatively soon after reading Infidel, comparing Azadeh Moaveni's experience in Iran to Ayaan Hirsi...more

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Dec 31, 2010

Lady L rated it

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Shelves: girls-love-these

I labored through this book but I did not want to NOT finish it. It had enough substance to keep my interest going despite the confusing religious philosophies and foreign names. When I chose to read "Honeymoon in Tehran," I didn't know what to expect. I definitely was not expecting a "chicklit." I knew that it will be part-secular/part-political. However, as much as Ms. Moaveni was able to paint a vivid picture of everyday life in Iran from an upper-middle class, Western...more

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May 27, 2009

Rebecca rated it

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Shelves: nonfiction, international

this book felt like a deeper dive into iran than the author's first work ("lipstick jihad"), wrestling with the implications of living under the regime rather than flitting from party to party. she really conveyed the texture of daily life...the struggle to find a baby name that wasn't banned, figuring out to prove she had her father's permission to marry, trying to research her mother's breast cancer with censored internet access, calming her nephew down when he couldn't watch cartoo...more

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