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Walking Naked in Tehran
Imagine yourself a newly married nineteen year old American woman thrust into living in a foreign country, where your new husband is the only person you know. Now imagine that foreign country is not just any country; it's Iran. Back in 1975, Ann Craig-Cinnamon, a teenager from Kentucky, rather brashly married a man nine years her senior who she had dated for only a few months and moved to Tehran, Iran where she lived for a year and a half. Walking Naked in Tehran tells the story of her time in Iran. Living there was difficult and challenging but was also an incredible, rich life experience which she tells with candor and wit. It's also a look inside a country and culture that has been closed off to much of the world for decades. This story is inspiring and has a message for others about the journey to find oneself and the relationships along the way that help to mold you.
Ann Craig-Cinnamon is a broadcast professional with thirty years of experience in both radio and television. For most of her career, she served as the host of popular high profile morning radio shows. She also has been a TV anchor/reporter and the News Director of a statewide radio network. Ann and her husband, John, are currently the publishers of an Indianapolis area magazine and she writes regularly for several other publications as well. In addition, she and John have owned numerous other businesses and currently own a travel company. Owning a travel business fits perfectly with Ann's passion for travel which she developed during her time living in Tehran, Iran, the inspiration for Walking Naked in Tehran. A popular travel public speaker, Ann has visited all fifty states, more than seventy countries and all seven continents. Her proudest accomplishment, however, is being the mother of two sons.
Ann Craig-Cinnamon is a broadcast professional with thirty years of experience in both radio and television. For most of her career, she served as the host of popular high profile morning radio shows. She also has been a TV anchor/reporter and the News Director of a statewide radio network. Ann and her husband, John, are currently the publishers of an Indianapolis area magazine and she writes regularly for several other publications as well. In addition, she and John have owned numerous other businesses and currently own a travel company. Owning a travel business fits perfectly with Ann's passion for travel which she developed during her time living in Tehran, Iran, the inspiration for Walking Naked in Tehran. A popular travel public speaker, Ann has visited all fifty states, more than seventy countries and all seven continents. Her proudest accomplishment, however, is being the mother of two sons.
176 pages, Paperback
First published December 17, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 13, 2013
The title caught my attention - the idea of a sheltered American girl braving the conservative culture of Iran was an adventure I thought I would enjoy reading. And I would have too if the author would have managed to catch my attention.
I think the author was trying too hard to make it entertaining and funny that she lost track of being real. Most of the times it felt forced, like what was written was what the writer thought the readers would enjoy and not what was her feels. I could not really connect with her narrative and most of the times I felt she sounded being bitchy or too whiny. I read through it waiting for it to get better eventually, but sadly it did not.
It had its moments though, an anecdote about bird poop on her new dress, her honest description of her OCD and a few other stories managed to reach to me but in its entirety I found this memoir effortfully funny at best and forgettable at its worst.
This ebook was provided to me by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
I think the author was trying too hard to make it entertaining and funny that she lost track of being real. Most of the times it felt forced, like what was written was what the writer thought the readers would enjoy and not what was her feels. I could not really connect with her narrative and most of the times I felt she sounded being bitchy or too whiny. I read through it waiting for it to get better eventually, but sadly it did not.
It had its moments though, an anecdote about bird poop on her new dress, her honest description of her OCD and a few other stories managed to reach to me but in its entirety I found this memoir effortfully funny at best and forgettable at its worst.
This ebook was provided to me by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
April 1, 2013
The title of this book may put you off about picking it up. The title and the cover photo are actually from a dream the author has. The author did not disrespect Iran by physically walking around naked. Let’s face it even in the seventies she would have been imprisoned and possibly killed for that. So get over that. I mention it only because I have had negative feedback regarding the title and cover. Normally I do not include them in reviews. In reading the book you become aware of the significance of the title.
In the opening the author speaks of the Iranians as a volatile people. I have not found that to be true of the ones I have met. It is my experience that Persians are some of the friendliest people in the world. The opening of the book has a bit of negativity that almost stopped me from reading the book. I kept on and happily some of that lifted. The author does go on to talk of friendships she made there. She does hold some value for these and speaks well of the people. The author does however make it known at the beginning that she dislikes the time she lived there. I admire and welcome her honesty. I do wonder, though, if she had a different attitude would she have enjoyed Iran more. I also have to wonder why she did not attempt to learn some Persian knowing she would be living there. Americans are often thought of as arrogant. This is an example of one of the reasons why. Even as a teenager, it would never occur to me to go to a foreign country with the expectation that they would know English. I can understand not learning a language just for a trip, (though I think it a wise person who learns key words). However Ann states she knew for four months that she was moving there for an undetermined length of time. She also mentions getting in another semester at college. Therefore she is not an ignorant woman. I believe it is these things that made it difficult for me to feel sympathy for Ann. I believe if she had learned some Persian either in Kentucky or once she arrived in Tehran, she would have enjoyed her time there more.
The author wrote as though she were telling her story to a friend. She also wrote it as the teenager she was. Considering over thirty years have passed this may have been difficult to accomplish. Her maturity does come through when she speaks of being able to learn from her memories. She brings her experience in Iran to your home. I was able to picture the things I was reading. I especially loved reading of the bazaar and the carpet shop. I think I was as amazed as the author when she went into the computer room at Bell and described it. I, too, could not help thinking of how far technology has come in such a short time.
Ann speaks of many friendships she made in Tehran. Most made through Bell, the company her husband worked for. But she does let us in on her friendship with a Persian gentleman, Mohammed, who did not speak English well, a beggar who knew no English, Jay, the carpet dealer. These friendships say a lot and I enjoyed the author’s remembrance of them.
Once into this book I enjoyed reading it. The beginning is difficult because of the negativity but I do think it necessary. It gives us a point from which we can see how much, if any, the author grew from her experience. The stories are interesting and at times witty. The author writes a very interesting look at Tehran during the 1970’s. Is it biased? Of course it is. This is the author’s memories not an unbiased investigation of Iran. I also appreciated the author’s openness regarding her innocence, ignorance and especially her OCD. I do have to admire the way she was able to move out of her comfort zone. It is my opinion that this book is not a depressive or angry account of being an American woman living in a country that does not favor either. Instead it is a self examination of an important time in the author's life. It is an often upbeat, witty and always honest look at a young American bride growing up in a foreign country and becoming a strong woman.
I leave you with this quote which I think summarizes the book:
"But I learned so much about myself, Iran, the Iranian people, and in general, people of different cultures from these kinds of friendships that I allowed to happen."
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for review purposes. The above review is my honest opinion of this title.
In the opening the author speaks of the Iranians as a volatile people. I have not found that to be true of the ones I have met. It is my experience that Persians are some of the friendliest people in the world. The opening of the book has a bit of negativity that almost stopped me from reading the book. I kept on and happily some of that lifted. The author does go on to talk of friendships she made there. She does hold some value for these and speaks well of the people. The author does however make it known at the beginning that she dislikes the time she lived there. I admire and welcome her honesty. I do wonder, though, if she had a different attitude would she have enjoyed Iran more. I also have to wonder why she did not attempt to learn some Persian knowing she would be living there. Americans are often thought of as arrogant. This is an example of one of the reasons why. Even as a teenager, it would never occur to me to go to a foreign country with the expectation that they would know English. I can understand not learning a language just for a trip, (though I think it a wise person who learns key words). However Ann states she knew for four months that she was moving there for an undetermined length of time. She also mentions getting in another semester at college. Therefore she is not an ignorant woman. I believe it is these things that made it difficult for me to feel sympathy for Ann. I believe if she had learned some Persian either in Kentucky or once she arrived in Tehran, she would have enjoyed her time there more.
The author wrote as though she were telling her story to a friend. She also wrote it as the teenager she was. Considering over thirty years have passed this may have been difficult to accomplish. Her maturity does come through when she speaks of being able to learn from her memories. She brings her experience in Iran to your home. I was able to picture the things I was reading. I especially loved reading of the bazaar and the carpet shop. I think I was as amazed as the author when she went into the computer room at Bell and described it. I, too, could not help thinking of how far technology has come in such a short time.
Ann speaks of many friendships she made in Tehran. Most made through Bell, the company her husband worked for. But she does let us in on her friendship with a Persian gentleman, Mohammed, who did not speak English well, a beggar who knew no English, Jay, the carpet dealer. These friendships say a lot and I enjoyed the author’s remembrance of them.
Once into this book I enjoyed reading it. The beginning is difficult because of the negativity but I do think it necessary. It gives us a point from which we can see how much, if any, the author grew from her experience. The stories are interesting and at times witty. The author writes a very interesting look at Tehran during the 1970’s. Is it biased? Of course it is. This is the author’s memories not an unbiased investigation of Iran. I also appreciated the author’s openness regarding her innocence, ignorance and especially her OCD. I do have to admire the way she was able to move out of her comfort zone. It is my opinion that this book is not a depressive or angry account of being an American woman living in a country that does not favor either. Instead it is a self examination of an important time in the author's life. It is an often upbeat, witty and always honest look at a young American bride growing up in a foreign country and becoming a strong woman.
I leave you with this quote which I think summarizes the book:
"But I learned so much about myself, Iran, the Iranian people, and in general, people of different cultures from these kinds of friendships that I allowed to happen."
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for review purposes. The above review is my honest opinion of this title.
March 30, 2013
Over the dinner a few nights ago, my wife told me that she had started reading this book after a friend of hers at a local newspaper mentioned it to her. She also told me that she felt like moving on to something else after the harsh and unpleasant tone that the author had used in describing Iran and Iranians. A few nights later, the topic of the book came up again somehow. So after she mentioned the book a couple of times, my interest was piqued and I considered purchasing the book on my own iPad. First of all, I admit that my wife's sympathetic views of Iranians are biased because she is an American married to an Iranian.
I'm not sure how accurate the recollection of a teenager -or for that matter any person- would be three decades after an event. Ms. Craig-Cinnamon's description of Iranians as "volatile" people, who were upset because "the CIA supposedly installed the shah" may rhyme with what is prevalent in the U.S. media. She felt isolated because "signs on shops and buildings were in Arabic" and she could not read them. She saw Tehran as a "crowded, dirty, sprawling city of six million to eight million people, give or take a million." She felt that "Construction was everywhere but it wasn't necessarily a constructive type of construction. It seemed like they were constantly working on repairing streets and building more boring buildings."
I lived in Iran for the first 14 years of my life and I feel that a few corrections are in place. Even though politics are volatile in Iran, extending that description to Iranians seems at best unfair and at worst misinformed. A couple of things that Iranians are are well-known for are their hospitality and politeness, especially to foreigners from the West. America is still the dream destination for many in the world, including Iranians, in the 1970's and now. Furthermore CIA's meddling in Iran that re-installed the oppressive shah and removed a democratically elected leader is more than speculation, it is a well-known fact. Third, the abundance of construction in a city that was growing rapidly to accommodate "six to eight million people, give or take a million," is a necessity even though the extra million or two may be inconvenient for a visitor. Tehran is a city that was established in the 10th century, and preservation of history while accommodating a rapidly growing population may not seem like "a constructive type of construction" to Ms. Craig-Cinnamon but it probably made sense to the city planners and the executive officials of the city. Most importantly though, Iranians don't speak or write "Arabic."
I do not like to pass quick judgements but when a few pages reflected so much ignorance and misinformation, it really took away my enthusiasm to buy this book. When one's preconceptions of a place or a people are strong, then one's perceived reality will mold itself into those prejudices. This book is more like rambling of a teenager who is, while somewhat witty, is very much uninformed and prejudice. Although I admit that I really felt bad for her when she "felt like [she] left civilization behind, if for no other reason than there were no fast-food restaurants anywhere. I had heard a rumor that there was a McDonald's somewhere in Tehran." There are still no Golden Arches in Tehran; thank goodness for that. I venture a guess that most people don't equate McDonald's and KFC to great leaps of civilization.
I'm not sure how accurate the recollection of a teenager -or for that matter any person- would be three decades after an event. Ms. Craig-Cinnamon's description of Iranians as "volatile" people, who were upset because "the CIA supposedly installed the shah" may rhyme with what is prevalent in the U.S. media. She felt isolated because "signs on shops and buildings were in Arabic" and she could not read them. She saw Tehran as a "crowded, dirty, sprawling city of six million to eight million people, give or take a million." She felt that "Construction was everywhere but it wasn't necessarily a constructive type of construction. It seemed like they were constantly working on repairing streets and building more boring buildings."
I lived in Iran for the first 14 years of my life and I feel that a few corrections are in place. Even though politics are volatile in Iran, extending that description to Iranians seems at best unfair and at worst misinformed. A couple of things that Iranians are are well-known for are their hospitality and politeness, especially to foreigners from the West. America is still the dream destination for many in the world, including Iranians, in the 1970's and now. Furthermore CIA's meddling in Iran that re-installed the oppressive shah and removed a democratically elected leader is more than speculation, it is a well-known fact. Third, the abundance of construction in a city that was growing rapidly to accommodate "six to eight million people, give or take a million," is a necessity even though the extra million or two may be inconvenient for a visitor. Tehran is a city that was established in the 10th century, and preservation of history while accommodating a rapidly growing population may not seem like "a constructive type of construction" to Ms. Craig-Cinnamon but it probably made sense to the city planners and the executive officials of the city. Most importantly though, Iranians don't speak or write "Arabic."
I do not like to pass quick judgements but when a few pages reflected so much ignorance and misinformation, it really took away my enthusiasm to buy this book. When one's preconceptions of a place or a people are strong, then one's perceived reality will mold itself into those prejudices. This book is more like rambling of a teenager who is, while somewhat witty, is very much uninformed and prejudice. Although I admit that I really felt bad for her when she "felt like [she] left civilization behind, if for no other reason than there were no fast-food restaurants anywhere. I had heard a rumor that there was a McDonald's somewhere in Tehran." There are still no Golden Arches in Tehran; thank goodness for that. I venture a guess that most people don't equate McDonald's and KFC to great leaps of civilization.
April 3, 2013
A great read. Funny, heartwarming, compelling. Ann Craig-Cinnamon lived a pretty incredible year-and-half back in the mid-seventies. One day she's a 19-year-old Midwestern kid from Louisville and the next day she's living with her newlywed husband in the loud, crowded city of Tehran, Iran - a city and culture completely foreign to her, literally and figuratively. Her stories will make you laugh (bird poop on a brand new dress) and make you cry (a friend whose weekend drive comes to a tragic end). And an unlikely friendship that began with a wrong number. Craig-Cinnamon's natural, fast-paced style makes Walking Naked in Tehran a real page-turner and an entertaining read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews