Persepolis is a French graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, published in 2000. The book depicts Satrapi’s early life and late childhood growing up during the Iranian revolution.

To me, this book changed the trajectory of my life and shaped who I am today. Marjane’s middle-class life in Iran exposed her to various books, radio, music, and ideas, which fueled her leaning toward Western political thoughts. Her uncle Anoosh’s imprisonment in Iran for being a communist deepened her interest in politics and revolution. After his execution, Marjane rejects her faith and close relationship with God, believing that God didn’t do anything to prevent this heartbreak.

The war and revolution are depicted accurately. You see her life and her family struggling to navigate through it all. The reactions to the strict government Luxuries as overlooked and underappreciated as cassette tapes, television, denim jackets, and Western media became forbidden. In one of the chapters, we see Marjane’s father sneak a Kim Wilde poster into the lining of his trenchcoat that her mother stitched herself to bypass airport security. Things that are so minuscule and regular to us Americans are taken for granted. This book changed my outlook on life, and every page is more impactful than the last.