The story in this book is compelling, and I enjoyed the writing a lot. This was a definite success as a novel. However, I think it fails as a graphic novel. There is little or no interplay between the drawings and the text - the drawings are simply illustrations of the text, and rarely add depth. Additionally, the very simple drawings are evocative of the simple language of the child portrayed, but they fail to distinguish between the dozens of dark-haired darkly-dressed men and women of the story, meaning that I was always confused as to which of the multitude of relatives was being portrayed.
Nonetheless, I think it's a great story and a rare glimpse into the hearts of Iranians. It's also a good reminder of the very real cost of standing up to a totalitarian government, and what that means in terms of your ability to survive or for your family to survive. I think in the U.S. we tend to be dismissive of those costs, and fail to understand why people don't just stage revolutions. This book is a great portrayal of the courage of quiet people.
Nonetheless, I think it's a great story and a rare glimpse into the hearts of Iranians. It's also a good reminder of the very real cost of standing up to a totalitarian government, and what that means in terms of your ability to survive or for your family to survive. I think in the U.S. we tend to be dismissive of those costs, and fail to understand why people don't just stage revolutions. This book is a great portrayal of the courage of quiet people.
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