I listened to this as an audiobook and I’m SO glad I did!! Bob did an amazing job bringing this story to life. I saw another PB user (Storyteller) call this a “living biography” and I love that description.

Each of the characters felt so real and unique, Bob did an excellent job of bringing them all to life. I learned so much throughout this book and enjoyed how it handled the intersecting identities of various characters race, queerness, religion (or lack there of), disability, history and circumstances. The chance to meet the people who gave up so much for you, without knowing you, was a phenomenal way to tell a story. Especially this story!!

Music was such an important part of this story, I can’t recommend the songs at the end enough to anyone who read the book!! Ending this book with those songs made the whole story feel very complete.

I’m so glad I read this book for Pride 2026 Readalong, it was a truly wonderful audiobook experience to start off Pride 🏳️‍🌈

“Freedom has no musts.”

I’m so glad I read this book!! It was an extremely powerful read and I couldn’t put it down. I completely fell in love with the characters. The representation of girlhood and female friendship was complex but lovely!

Kamali showed different perspectives growing up in Iran, between Ellie and Homa we saw young girls optimism develop over time with the complex situations the women found themselves facing. The changes in Iran impacted more than the main characters, and it was a great look at how a wide variety of women in Iran were impacted by these changes.

I loved the complexity and love in the mother-daughter relationships! The parallels between generations was fascinating. There were also powerful male characters who were true allies to the women around them, plenty who weren’t but I knew that going in. I’m so glad I read this book as a part of the summer read along and can’t recommend it enough!!