"Parsipur should be admired both as a courageous woman who endured jail and tortureand as a writer and innovator."-Aznar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran

This complex epic captures the changing fortunes of Iranian women in the twentieth century from the eras of colonialism to the rule of two shahs to the Islamic revolution of 1980. Touba's long life intersects with many memorable characters and refutes Western stereotypes of Iranian women.

The best-selling author of eleven books of fiction and memoir, including Women Without Men, Sharnush Parsipur now lives in exile in the United States.