I finished the book last night. The thing that is really interesting about this book is that it gives an inside look to the people of Iran. It shows how the women used to have more rights and how those rights were taken away from them. It also shows the desire that many people have to simply just be happy but how they had to put those desires aside because they weren't revolutionary.

The woman writing the book was focussing on the secret book club that she held in her home. She had been a professor at the university but was rebelling against wearing the veil. So of course she lost her job, but she was so enthusiastic about teaching literature that she carried on secretly. It was amazing to see how she influenced her students, even the ones who were radically into the revolution and whom she thought were against her teachings.

In the end when she decided to go back to the States and had to leave her students she grieved for those that had to stay. Others decided to leave their country also. Some were unable to obtain visas because they were being held hostage in Iran, but they escaped through Turkey. There was even a comment made about the book, Not Without my Daughter by one of the other students.

Most of this womans students in the secret club were women but one man wanted so desperately to belong that he did the reading and studying on his own, turning in any written work outside of the meeting times. He couldn't be part of the club because of the very strict rules against mixing the sexes. The women during the club meetings would remove their chadors and veils. If they had been caught with a man in the room they would have gone to prison or worse. Some of the girls had already spent time in prison for very simple offenses. Some didn't come back but were executed.

This book left me with a very profound sadness for the people of Iran, especially the women.