A Lulllaby in the Desert by author Mojgan Azar
Thank you to author Mojgan Azar for providing me with a copy of A Lullaby in the Desert in exchange for this honest review.
A Lullaby in the Desert is the story of Susan, a woman in Tehran suffering from being a woman in Tehran. She has the desire to become independent and think for herself but her father and her arranged marriage say otherwise.
She decides to find illegal passage to Europe in order to live a better life. This is a very risky and costly decision but she decides to risk it for the slight chance that she could escape. The book follows her intense journey out of the Middle East warzones and hopefully on to a much better life.
It is clear that a lot of author Azar’s personal history and beliefs are present on these pages. It’s a powerful testimony of what it’s actually like to live as a woman in such a dangerous part of the world. A part where women are less than second class citizens, where Iranian women especially are at constant threat of being raped, attacked, or murdered with zero consequences to the offender.
A Lullaby in the Desert is a staunchly feminist novel that shines a harsh light on what it means to be a member of Middle Eastern and zealous Muslim society. It is not only about the men who join in the violence but also the women who turn over their sisters to them. Azar has her eyes fully open for her perspective in this book. She does not play the culture warrior game of respecting tradition and cultural values when those values include shaming women simply for being born a woman.
I was so enthralled reading A Lullaby in the Desert I did what many of us do when something captivates us, I went to the internet to discuss it. This was a mistake, I got shut down by American women claiming that it is wrong to say a hijab or burka is a sexist prison. That saying women who wear a hijab might be a little brainwashed by thier culture and their religion. That you must respect their “choice” to wear it.
Well I’m here for Azar’s perspective, as an Iranian woman who lived through the oppression and fear. Not these internet virtue signalers who don’t seem to understand that a woman “chooses” to wear a hijab so that she won’t be violently and sexually assaulted. That’s not a choice in my book.
Anyway, never engage on the internet, it’s bad for the blood pressure.
A Lullaby in the Desert is well written and powerfully told. It contains graphic scenes of violence but certainly no worse than many Iranians and other war zone citizens have to see regularly. It’s important to get these stories from those who have actually lived it. That’s one of the best reasons to read in general, to broaden your view of the world and humanity.
Azar’s story is one of hope, optimism, determination, and strength. Susan is a strong protagonist and Azar is a strong writer. Please read her story and really listen to what she has to say.
5/5 women forced to cover themselves 🧕🏾🧕🏾🧕🏾🧕🏾🧕🏾
If you like A Lullaby in the Desert you might also like The Sheriff of Babylon
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Buy it here: A Lullaby in the Desert
Your review makes me want to read it. Sounds like the kind of book that I love to read. thank you for bringing this book to my consciousness.