Customer Reviews

Prisoner Of Tehran

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For Christmas 2009, my daughter in Whitehorse recorded a series of CBC podcasts, because she knows I like to stay connected to Canada when I ply the freeways of Europe. My first reaction to the title "Prisoner of Tehran" was a groan. Oh no! I won't hear about Spadina Avenue or Stanley Park, but get more negative stuff out of the Middle East than I care for after listening to the news every day.

I popped it in anyway. From the first line, I was hooked. It starts "There is an ancient Persian proverb that says, "The sky is the same colour wherever you go." But the Canadian sky was different from the one I remembered from Iran, it was a deeper shade of blue and seemed endless, as if challenging the horizon".

Not only is this a sublimely poetic start to a gripping story; it matched my own experiences as immigrant to Canada from hazy Europe. From there on, I hung on the narrator's every word, as the story unfolds of terrible fear and pain in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, and the ultimate victory of decency. I have since bought the book at a dozen or more times, both in English and in German, and given it to friends and family.

After I finished listening I did something I had never done before. I wrote an email to the author and thanked her for the story. I didn't really expect a reply. At best, something along the lines of "Thanks for your kind words, Gabriel". But I was wrong. Ms. Nemat replied in detail to my comments. And from this, a beautiful friendship has evolved spanning two continents. Ms.Nemat's humility and warmth just blew me away.

On Amazon Germany, Prisoner of Tehran has 19 ratings as of November 2011, almost all top 5 stars. The only other Canadian book I have encountered in Germany so far with higher ratings is "Anne of Green Gables" - probably the most famous piece of literature ever to flow out of a Canadian quill. Prisoner of Tehran was published in 28 countries. In Germany, it comes with a sticker "The Bestseller".

Not only has Prisoner of Tehran become the voice of all victims of political torture and persecution - the book has also succeeded in communicating Canadian values and literature throughout the world. Canada could not ask for a better ambassador overseas.

Prisoner of Tehran has a phenomenal emotional impact and makes me proud to live in Europe with a Canadian passport.

Thank you to the author for sharing her story on love and bravery in the face of injustice. Stories like these need to be told. It does not bother me that some of the details were fabricated - there is disclosure of this at the beginning of the book. I would assume that the content in the book is as truthful as that in the media, if not more so. I recommend the book to all. It is an easy read - though heart wrenching - and I could not put it down.

The story helped me understand many of my Iranian friends in Canada what many must have experienced through this dark times in their own country.

This book was authentic, touching, and I read it in record time. Having met the author, it was that much more interesting. What I particularly enjoyed was the honesty she revealed when talking about her own family and her in-laws. She could have so easily demonized everyone but her even-handedness made the book all the more moving.

Hi !
I bought this book because I wanted to know more about these people who lives a different life. Thet have their own laws, a different culture, etc...I enjoy it a lot and I recommend this book to anyone who is curious about these far away contries that are wrongly knowns.
H. Lussier

I live in Montreal North, Quebec, and although I have yet to receive the Prisoner of Tehran book to date, I know that it has been shipped about a month earlier before my move from the Saint-Laurent area in the west of Montreal to where I live now since March 31st. Although I cannot review the Prisoner of Tehran as well as I am able to since I have not had the pleasure of reading it yet, but because of the fact that I have heard good reviews and have had the pleasure of watching the Marilyn Dennis show where the author was being interviewed by the host, I know that I will just love it!

There are bound to be haters, and since the James Frey controversy, there are going to be people questioning the truth of every single memoir that comes out. Ignore them.

Nemat's story is a sad one. She's taken to Evim prison because of attending rallies and speaking out during high school. Once there she is subjected to torture, forced marriage, and loneliness.

I don't want to give a whole lot away, but for me, the book never got boring, I read it in one sitting.

Don't let other reviewers put a bad taste in your mouth, read the book and decide for yourself.

I should note that although people have come out and said that parts of this book have been fabricated, there are others who have come out and backed up Nemat's story.

Nemat's memoir is about love, faith, courage, desire and bravery. The book illustrated an eye opening adventure in to a historical era. The words painted a vivid delineation of life in Evin prison from a stand point of a petrified and rattled young girl. The remarks and words in this book aroused and galvaniced every emotion in ones body and showed bravery and determination. It illustrated a picture of violence against innocent people, it is the voice of all the faultless and immaculate people who suffered and are still suffering in Evin and other prisons. The books showed how far courage and faith could take a perosn and it inspired me to appreciate life as it is.

This book was beyond a mere biography or a simple tale of series of tragic events in the life of an innocent teenage girl. It beautifully illustrates the capacity of humans to revive, to see through the darkness and change course. Its a tremendous read. I think the author is a brave woman who refuses to see the world in black and white.

I am sickened by some of the negative reviews people have posted on this page. For one, even if much of this story was made up, ONE innocent prisoner beaten is one too many. For people who think this story is fabricated, they are naive to the horror humans are capable of doing to one another and/or they are sadly missing the entire message. Stories like this MUST be told. Because of fear and threat that victims feel, evil is able to thrive. And people who choose to deny the occurrance of events such as those told by Marina, are second-handedly contributing to the silence. These stories MUST be told! I support anyone who is courageous enough to speak out.