Ten Best Things

1. “There is an ancient Persian proverb that says, ‘The sky stays the same colour wherever you

go.’ But the Canadian sky was different from the one I remembered from Iran; it was a different

shade of blue and seemed endless, as if challenging the horizon.” pg. 1

Marina Nemat has a beautiful sense of style in this book. Her exquisite writing and

vivacious voice became apart of me as I read her memoir. She created tasteful ties between

different religions and ethnicities. Through her clear eyes, I experienced a completely new world.

Marina Nemat’s writing was fairly complex to read, however her style seemed effortless and

poetic. The way she wrote her words on the page was filled with endless emotion and care. Her

striking story was like a picturesque painting full of detail and colour.

2. “The cottage…” pg. 59

I enjoyed reading about the cottage on the Caspian Sea. It reminded me of my childhood

adventures Up North playing on the blue, lake waters. It was interesting to see how in two

different time periods and countries children are able to imagine and explore in the same

wonderful way. Children always see things in a fresh, innocent perspective and are protected

from all evil. Marina was brought up in an environment full of nature, religion and contentment.

Her sweet stories were enjoyable to read because you could see the small seed of her

personality blossoming into a magnificent flower. The simplicity and peacefulness at her cottage

was the perfect introduction of her past.

3. “The government had ordered women to cover their hair and had issued edicts against music,

makeup, paintings of unveiled women, and Western novels, which had been declared satanic and

therefore illegal.”

I was captivated by the severe Islamic rules in this surreal story. Intriguing illustrations

flashed through my eyes at lightning speed as I absorbed the dynamic differences between the

Islamic republic and Canadian democracy. Marina’s words expanded my horizons as I read about

the rules against make-up, nail polish, vibrant colours, music, and Western novels. The

government of Iran stripped the personal qualities of their people. The memoir put me behind the

author’s dark chador and showed me the disheartening state of their country. I truly appreciated

learning about a new culture because it gave me a greater admiration towards Marina Nemat.

4. “We were about to be executed. The cold feeling inside my chest paralyzed me.” pg.38

Death is something unplanned and unpredictable that runs on its own clock. You live

each day as it comes and goes never analyzing the chance of you losing your life. Reading the

petrifying pages of Marina’s near death experience made my heart pound like a ton of bricks. It

was difficult to process this image because she was only sixteen. After I read her chilling words, I

realized that death comes like a thief in the night. Death came with no warning and left Marina

numb with the unimaginable truth. This part of the story is incredible because she shows the

reader that every breath is a gift of life that you must treasure.

5. “Evin reminded me the campus of the University of Tehran on Enghelab Avenue. The main

other difference between the two was that Evin had more open spaces. The other difference was

that a see-through metal fence encircled the University of Tehran, but Evin was surrounded by tall

brick walls, lookout towers, and armed guards.” pg.157

The setting of this story was mysterious and ominous. An eerie feeling crept up the

prisoners’ spines as they travelled blindly through the jail hallways. The many spiteful sounds that

echoed through the building created a chilling atmosphere in the captive’s mind. When Marina

was free to take off her blindfold she was presented with a surprising image. The petrifying prison

looked merely like a university. I loved this part of Marina’s memoir because it showed me how

one simple structure can hold so much pain and grief. She portrayed the saying “never judge a

book by its cover” in a noteworthy way.

6. “’I want you to marry me, Marina, and I promise to be a good husband and to take good care of

you. Don’t answer me now. I want you to think about it,’ he said.” pg.136

True love is a beautiful, delicate emotion that brings every individual to a state of

euphoria. Classic children stories paint the youth a picture of this magical, perfect fairy tale.

Marina Nemat experienced an absolute nightmare when her interrogator proposed to her. She

was a young girl who was forced to marry a man she did not love to protect her family. Pity swept

over me like a heat wave in the air. No childhood story could have prepared Marina for this

nauseating event. I adore the main character in this book because she displayed an astounding

amount of courage and strength that no Disney princess every showed me. Marina Nemat is a

powerful woman that is a hero for every girl.

7. “’Now listen carefully. Something terrible is happening in this country; I can smell it in the air,

and it smells of blood and disaster.’” pg. 77

Aunt Zenia was a very opinionated and strong character in this novel. She could taste the

revolution in the air and shared her views on the political events with a fiery passion. Zenia was

quick as a whip and did not miss one trick. She kept a close eye on her niece and warned her of

the storm that was soon to come. This foreshadowing section was a very heavy moment for

Marina because she was given a large amount of intimidating information to consume. Her

childhood began to disappear and she was forced to realize that the ground of her country was

crumbling. I love how the aunt was the one to stir the pot and gave Marina a push into reality.

8. “’I’ve lost many friends, I’ve lost my husband, and I’ve lost my baby, and you think I’ve won?’” pg. 239

This line of the book was very poignant. When Marina was finally release from Evin, she

was still psychologically scarred from living in a hopeless hell. She was forced to live in a place

where her friends were being executed around her, her loveless marriage was destroyed before

her eyes, and the baby she nurtured for many months was killed due to the violence of the

government. Marina was finally physically free from suffering and sadness. However, her memory

was crystal clear. The macabre memories were etched into her brain and kept her in handcuffs.

This is a phenomenal part of her memoir because even though she was not completely free she

did not give up. Marina kept reaching for the stars that were twinkling with hope.

9. The Epilogue pg. 274

The epilogue filled my heart with joy because Marina finally immigrated to Canada. The

young woman never stopped reaching for her goals and was determined to fight against many

difficult battles. Marina was bruised up badly during her fatiguing journey, however she ended her

adventure with honour and dignity. She gave hope to her son who would be brought up in a

country full of stunning nature, peace and diversity. All that pain that Marina endured was worth it

because now many more of her generations will be able to enjoy the pride and happiness of

being a Canadian.

10. Pictures

The pictures were a lovely touch to the memoir. To see the characters I painted in my

imagination come alive on the pages was exciting. The photos were like a puzzle. Each one

represented a significant part of the story and all together they created a clear picture. The black,

white and bright colours showed off the country and story in a brilliant way. The visual really

sparked a light in me and made me even more curious about Marina’s life. The pictures added a

great amount of depth to the book and created a story that felt even more real.