Persepolis

Marjane Satrapi is a young Iranian girl growing up during the Iranian Revolution. She is old enough to remember a time before she was forced to wear a veil to school, before her school was segregated for boys and girls, and before she had to lie about how many times a day she prayed. Her entire family is active in social protests, so it’s only natural for her to participate as well, until it gets too dangerous. She endures many bombing raids and threats of arrest. She begins to rebel, pushing boundaries, until her parents cannot risk having her live in Iran any longer. She is sent away to live in Austria. In Austria she finds an outlet for all of her pent up frustration and freedom to behave and act the way she wants to. She becomes disenchanted and becomes homeless. Missing her family, she moves back to Iran, until the religious and social constraints force her to move to Europe once again.

If you are a fan of Smile by Raina Telgemeier, then you will be a fan of Persepolis. The graphic novel autobiography and biography books seem to be on the rise, taking the normally drab, boring, and information saturated to making it light, easy to read, and more likely to resonate with young readers.

Chapter 7: Moving From Fiction to Informational Books

Persepolis is an autobiography done in a stunning black and white graphic novel. The severity of the topic written by Marjane Satrapi, and the misunderstanding of the history of Iran by the West, is made clear through bold illustrations and dialogue. Autobiographies done in this style will keep and hold young readers’ attentions.

Satrapi, M. (2003). Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.