Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran [DECKLE EDGE] (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: black chador, Azadeh Moaveni, Islamic Republic, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her new memoir, American-born journalist Moaveni (Lipstick Jihad) returns to Tehran in 2005 to cover Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election for Time magazine, hoping to make the city her permanent home. Her plans are complicated by the standoff with the U.S. over Iran's nuclear program, as well as several unexpected turns in her life. She falls in love, moves in with her boyfriend, becomes pregnant, gets married—in that order—in a country that has no word for boyfriend and no qualms about brutally beating unmarried pregnant women. Through her own experience, Moaveni reports on the growing apathy of the people of Iran, a society burdened by staggering inflation and tensions between religion, political oppression and secular life, the latter ever more enticing through ubiquitous, illegal satellite television. Gradually, the idealism and religious faith that characterized Moaveni's younger years wane. With the birth of her son, her misgivings come to a head, compounded by the spying, threats and intimidation she experienced at the hands of the Ministry of Intelligence. Moaveni, who now lives in London with her family, has penned a story of coming-of-age in two cultures with a keen eye and a measured tone. (Feb.)
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From Booklist

In this intimate look at the modern Iranian middle class, Moaveni, a journalist and the author of Lipstick Jihad (2005), blends her own experiences in Iran with her primary reporting subject: the dubious Tehran reaction to the ascendance of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. An Iranian American living in Lebanon, Moaveni unexpectedly fell in love when she returned to her homeland on assignment. This opened her eyes to a whole new aspect of Iranian life, that of young couples. She writes extensively about how the country’s troubled economic situation forces twenty-somethings to postpone marriage and independence from their families. Iran’s “brain drain” is well documented, but the reasons professionals grudgingly leave Iran have rarely been discussed by Western media, which instead focuses on Ahmadinejad’s rantings. Moaveni tracks the country’s increased social conservatism, and reveals both expensive marriage traditions and governmental manipulation. This perfect blend of political commentary and social observation is an excellent choice for readers interested in going beyond the headlines to gain an in-depth understanding of twenty-first-century Iran. --Colleen Mondor

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Random House (February 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140006645X
• ISBN-13: 978-1400066452
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #241,469 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and Insightful, February 3, 2009

By	B. Case "InquiringMind" (Redondo Beach, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For the past two years, I've been reading a great deal about the societies, politics, and cultures of contemporary Islamic countries. I admit I've become fascinated by the subject. Therefore, it was with great eagerness that I looked forward to reading Azadeh Moaveni's new memoir, "Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran." The book did not disappoint. When it arrived, I intended to just browse around for a few minutes and then set it aside for reading later when I had more time. But before I knew it, I was almost half-finished. Page after page, I found the book answering so many of the questions I had stockpiled in my brain over the years about contemporary Iran and Iranians. The book was a genuine eye-opener--an intriguing glimpse inside the social and political mind of a nation.

The book is a memoir covering two years in the life of an American-Iranian journalist sent to Iran by Time magazine to cover its politics and culture. The book starts in the late Spring of 2005, when the Iranian presidential elections were in full swing. Over the next two years, the book covers the rise of Iranian President Ahmadinejad and the successes and failures of his administration in the eyes of the populace. In the background, and with equal insight into the social and cultural pulse of the nation, Moaveni covers her own personal life. During this period, Moaveni navigates the Islamic cultural minefields of falling in love, moving in with her boyfriend, getting pregnant, and getting married in that order. All the while, she must deal with her creepy and intimidating government "political handler," Mr. X--the man assigned by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence to make sure that Moaveni's political reporting doesn't stray too far into areas that the government might find damaging. Eventually, Moaveni tests Mr. X beyond his breaking point and the book turns into a true-to-life thriller.

If you want to learn about the enigma that is life in modern Iran, this book would be a great start. However, be forewarned: the book assumes that the reader has a modest knowledge about contemporary Iranian political history. If you are not interested in politics and have little idea what has been happening in Iran over the past 35 years, then this book may not be appropriate. But if you've been following the political history of Iran in the news, this book will answer many of the questions you may have lurking behind the headlines. It is well-written, told from the heart, and unveils much that will give you hope and concern about the direction that Iran may take in the future.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Tehranese Memior I've Read Lately , February 3, 2009

By	Sara M "A Reader" (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This book is a truly excellent memoir. If you're looking for a memoir that details the struggles and censorship that modern Iranians (particularly women) are facing, it delivers. It is chock full of complicated patriotism, scathing social observations and balanced political commentary. But if contemporary romance is your thing, it has that too. The novel spans two years as President Ahmadinejad rises to power, and the author meets the love of her life. I won't spoil the ridiculous and creative ways in which she is oppressed and frankly harassed, but to say it isn't easy to start a family in Tehran.

It's obviously well-written, as Moaveni is an accomplished journalist and author. And for me, the best parts of Azadeh Moaveni's Honeymoon in Tehran are when her journalistic approach to her tale slips, and we are treated to her voice as a woman and a mom delivering the story's most powerful moments. Highly recommended!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing book, March 27, 2009

By	Kenneth Goldberg - See all my reviews

Honeymoon in Tehran brings life to history I was only vaguely familiar with before. I never truly trust the media spin on international events, wondering what things are really like in faraway places. By weaving her personal narrative into these critical events of our times, Moaveni has helped me I better understand Iran's Muslim and Persian cultures, while letting me by privy to an inside view of how things unfold in a totalitarian state. Excellent read.