Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

Satrapi, Marjane. 2003. PERSEPOLIS: THE STORY OF A CHILDHOOD. New York: Pantheon Books, 2003.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhoold is just that--the story of Marjane Satrapi's, author of this graphic novel, childhood. Originally published in 2000 and 2001 in two volumes in France, Satrapi tells the story of her life as a child in Tehran from ages six to fourteen. Tehran is the capital city of Iran, not to mention the largest. Her life there was tumultuous, having to live through the Iraq-Iran War, a totalitarian ruler, bombings and deaths. She doesn't make her life any easier by exhibiting her rebellious nature. She chose to share her story in the form of a graphic novel, providing readers with a visual tale as well as a verbal. This was a new type of media for me, having a true story told in graphic format. It adds an entertaining, stimulating quality that may otherwise not have been there. Also, the novel seemed to move at quicker pace because of the short comic strip-like feature. Says one reviewer: "This is a graphic novel of immense power and importance for Westerners of all ages. It will speak to the same audience as Art Spiegelman's Maus (Pantheon, 1993)."

Reference List:

Woodcock, Susan H. 2003. Review of Persepolis: The Story of a Childhoold, by Marjane Satrapi. School Library Journal.