"Persepolis A Story of a Childhood" by Marjane Satrapi is not only a great graphic autobiographical work detailing the Iranian revolution and war with Iraq from an upper-middle class ten-year-old's perspective, but a book containing nuggets of information necessary to understand the recent historical context of today's protests and the subsequent brutality in the streets.

In 1979, Marji's parents are revolting against the Shah of Iran, and Marji, a more than precocious youth, is trying to understand the context of the revolution through historical comic books, her family's legends, and her own over-active imagination. Her story is depicted through simple frames with dialog that carried  from one historical event to the next accompanied by charming narration with a slightly sarcastic tone.

After the revolution, the communists (and the young heroine) are shocked to learn the Islamic fundamentalists are taking over. From her father, the engineer and sometimes photographer of the revolution:  "The elections were faked and they believe the results: 99.9%!! As for me, I don't know a single person who voted for the Islamic republic. Where did that figure come from? From their asses, that's where!" (Sound familiar?)

Marji watches as countless friends and family leave Iran, unwilling to live their lives under the restrictive rule of the Islamic fundamentalists and then witnesses first-hand her country in war against Iraq, and is torn between the old-age antagonism between loyalty for the Persians against the Arabs and  anger at her country for encouraging young virgins to become martyrs for their country.

She and her family rely on the BBC for accurate war reporting, not believing the propaganda machine of the Iranian media, and have no way of really knowing who is winning the war.

Because it is told from Marji’s perspective as a child, the book also details her experiences at school- like her parents, she is strongly defiant, hilarious, and a seems ring-leader among her peers. Immediately after the revolution, her new favorite game is to “torture” her classmates, which does not go over well with the powers that be and her other “games” are definitely as interesting and well-drawn in the panels of the book.

The book is 153 pages and a delight to read.  I would recommend it to anyone wanting to hear a first-hand account of what life was like in Iran in 1980's or for those wanting a fresh perspective on the recent history of Iran. Though the book is simple to read, and told from a child's perspective, it may give some pause for thought about the current protests in Iran as it details quite clearly the sad tale of a successful revolution turned against the revolutionaries.