Customer Reviews

Inside Iran: Women's Lives

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In her book, Howard discusses her life as the wife of a diplomat living in Iran for several years. She traveled all over Iran and met women from all walks of life; big city sophisticates, traditonal villagers, nomads and others. Howard discusses the ups and downs of women's lives in a totalitarian Islamic state where there is no freedom of speech or press; where saying or printing the wrong thing can result in imprisonment, fines and/or whippings. There are so many restrictions on Iranian women and Howard does a great job of describing how they get the proverbial short end of the stick in almost every aspect of life (one exception is that female homosexuality carries a lesser punishment than male homosexuality). She describes their brave struggles for personal freedoms and the same privileges that men currently enjoy.
"Inside Iran: Women's Lives" is best described by the author in one of the last paragraphs of her book:

"The general frustrations with everyday life here, the petty restrictions of the dress code and the restrictions on freedom of speech are tempered with the warmth and hospitality of Iranians. For me, it was a fascinating experience and a lot of fun. But for some women, not just foreigners, Iran sometimes feels like a life sentence from which they cannot escape."

Lots of charming black and white photos included.

Foreign correspondent Jane Howard made her home in Iran for five years and raised her two children there: these experiences brought a more personal set of insights into the lives of everyday Iranian women, explored here. From tea in a nomad's tent to presidential places, Inside Iran: Women's Lives provides a different image of Iranian women than most books would offer, going beyond the veil to explore how they work outside the home, drive, and even become politicians. A fascinating report.

This book is a diary of a British journalist who had the curiosity and connections to go deep into Iranian society and understand the condition of women. Issues such as pre-marital sex, divorce, family planning, education, sports, politics and many others are discussed here by a woman and with many women. She has done good research and brings up hard numbers to back her arguments. The main focus of the book is on the positive change brought about by the Khatami presidency.

The one drawback is perhaps a bit too much name dropping, a common problem in books written by journalists who meet famous people, but it's a venial sin, the book is well worth reading though it is becoming obsolete as the situation in Iran has changed after the departure of president Khatami from power.