Marjan Kamali brings the reader into the world of what it means to be female in Iran. As a young girl, Elaheh’s fortunes change when her father dies. But her mother insists they are descended from royalty.

After she meets Homa, a fierce committed girl, Elaheh moves to a new district, because her mom marries her husband’s brother and the girls lose touch, until high school. Homa declares, at this point, that she’s been determined to be in school with Elaheh again and to be close friends. At first embarrassed, Elaheh then embraces the friendship again. Her friends become Homa’s friends. By then, Elaheh has her eye on who she plans to marry. But Homa declares she will never marry. She’s planning to be an attorney and a judge. Homa’s big problem is that she’s also the daughter of a communist and believes in communism. Not only that, she is leading protests on campus at a time when the Shah’s control is weakening.

One night, and this is the weakest part of the story, Elaheh believes that Homa is making a move on the boy she loves, at a party. Distraught, she mentions Homa’s activities to an important man at the party. Homa is taken into custody.

Elaheh immediately feels guilty but she’s helpless. She marries but is not able to carry a pregnancy, which is a deep disappointment. And she follows Homa’s release from prison. Finally, she’s allowed to visit her and discovers she has a baby, a child of rape, and has married one of their friends from high school.

But Homa insists that they cannot be friends.

Years later, Elaheh and her husband have the chance to go to the U.S. Not long after, women’s right are severely curtailed in Iran under the Ayatollah. Only then does Homa, now widowed, reach out to her old friend. She wants her daughter to have a new life in the U.S. Elaheh is happy to help. At long last, she also confesses what she did that caused her old friend to be imprisoned – accidentally revealing her communist leanings. Homa still maintains that must be friends and returns to Iran to fight for women’s rights. The daughter settles in the U.S. and becomes part of the family Elaheh always wanted. A fascinating exploration of friendship and how it endures under a harsh regime.