Michelle P. (MichellePostOffice) reviewed on 4/1/2012 + 74 more book reviews

Lipstick Jihad is a wonderful introduction to the conflicted culture that is Iran today, and how women carry the burdens of that conflict. Azadeh Moaveni is a clear and excellent writer, and she loves Iran and its people, even as she is endlessly frustrated and angered by its restrictions on women.
She shows us that many Iranians want good relations with the rest of the world, and many deeply religious people would prefer a secular government. This was one of the first books that helped me see Iran in its full humanity, rather than through the lens of politics and "U.S. interests." The reader comes to share some of Moaveni's admiration for the culture, and some of her anger as well. But mostly one comes away seeing that the people of Iran are grappling with their own destiny; that there are forces for democracy working hard there; and that it is a complex country that will determine its own future intelligently if allowed to do so.

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