Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik

Review by: Meagan Dashcund

The short
A narrative account of the 1950’s Iranian Emily Dickinson

The long
Author Jasmin Darznik writes from the perspective of Forugh Farrokhzad, the iconoclast female poet and activist of 20th Century Iran. While not pulling punches on Iran’s controversial view of women, Darznik gracefully presents the country’s history, culture, and daily life in Iran before and after the 1979 Revolution. Between elegant prose, inspiring character development, and a lot of adventure and scandal, this book beautifully captures the birth of feminism in Iran.

To read or not to read?

Read if you’re in the mood for a revolution or if you want to spend an afternoon yelling, “Yes, Queen!” and “Omg I can’t believe this is happening,” in the same five minute span. And if we’re being honest, who doesn’t want to spend an afternoon like that?