Veils, iron curtain, underground schools, war, veiled women with guns ('Nuns with guns' was the most famous caption for these women) ... these are the images of Iran that come to mind. Iran is indeed an elusive Islamic republic! But I realised there's more to this tiny country. The book Persian Mirrors written by an Italian scribe exposes the fallacies of Iran's rulers and clergymen who ruled Iran for decades and in the name of Islam's tenets, how they instilled fear among women, so much so they all got closeted within the four doors of a household/gym/private parties!! Whether it is Khamanei, Khomenei, or Mohammad Khatami: authority has not managed to put down the Iranian women. They all seem to have carved their own niche in society; they run their own business, are doctors, lawyers and even sportswomen. Some women featured in the book have shown remarkable courage in speaking out openly against authority, have courted arrest. One of the women's newspaper even faced shutdown thrice. Yet she continued her fight for women's rights unrelentlessly!
At the end of it all, the book manages to shatter many myths and perceptions about Iran! The USPs of this book: the author's narrative abilities! What totally appealed to me is Elaine's courage to have gone to Iran and reported events over 3 decades - sometimes even putting her own life in danger (covering the hostage crisis and the Iran-Iraq war) - the signs of a true journalist!
This is one of the best books that I've read and strongly recommend to everyone out there... :)
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