1)    Who is Anoosh? How does Marji feel about him? Why?

2)    Who is Fereydoon? What was his goal and how was he planning to accomplish it?

3)    How does Anoosh’s father react to his return after he has abandoned Fereydoon? Why?

4)    Why does Anoosh’s share his story with Marji?

5)    What gift does Anoosh give to Marji? What does it symbolize?

1)    What is the significance of the title?

2)    What do Ebi and Anoosh find so troubling about the revolution in Iran?

3)    What are the two possible consequences of the peoples ignorance?

4)    Why do Marji’s parents subject themselves to a political upheaval and refuse to leave Iran? What is their opinion of those who left?

5)    What news does the phone call bring? What is Anoosh’s response?

6)    Contrast Anoosh’s reaction on page 66 to his reaction to the previous news.

7)    Comment on the symbolism on page 69.

8)    Under what premise is Anoosh executed?

9)    Who comes to visit Marji after Anoosh’s death? What is Marji’s reaction?

1)    What consequences did women like Marji’s mom face if they fail to comply with the new fundamentalist guidelines?

2)    What was the rationale for making the veil obligatory?

3)    Comment on Marji’s statement, “There was a kind of justice, after all.”

4)    How did ordinary citizens respond to the new guidelines established by the regime?

5)     Who meets Marji’s family at the airport? What is the mood upon their return? Why?

1)     What is the nature of the war as reflected in the last panel on page 81?

2)     Why would it be impossible for Iran to retailiate effectively against Baghdad?

3)     Why is Marji angry at her father?

4)     Why was it so unusual to hear the national anthem? Why, did they learn, had it been played?

5)     What does Pardisse describe in her paper? How does Marji try to console her friend? What is Pardisse’s response? What does Marji learn from this experience?

1)     What is one of the ramifications of the nation’s political conflict?

2)     What criticism does Marji’s mom make of capitalism? What confusing thing does she suggest as they leave the store?

3)     How else are Iranians required to ration their supply? Why?

4)     Discuss the symbolism in the picture at the bottom of page 89.

5)     What happened to Mali’s family? How does Marji’s family react? What is your opinion of Mali’s family?

6)     What common attitude about refugees do the other shoppers express?

1) What might be the purpose of publishing Iran’s “martyrs”?

2) What is a nuptial chamber? What does it symbolize?

3) Comment on the picture on page 95.

4) What is one of the country’s rituals? What is its purpose?

5) How did the students try to ease the tension of a very serious situation?

6) Why was Marji’s generation so rebellious? What does the teacher blame?

7) Who is Mrs. Arsine? What does she receive from her son? What does it mean? How does she perceive this token?

8) Comment on the symbolism in the picture on the top of page 102.

1. Besides fearing for their own lives, what other thought plagued families?

2. How did the interior of their homes reflect the external changes that were occurring? What two things did they need to protect themselves against?

3. What forbidden items did the government find at the house of Timoosh’s dad? What was his punishment? 

4. Why did Marji’s family continue to hold parties despite the danger

5. What two violations is Marji’s dad guilty of at the traffic stop? How does his wife respond to the situation? What is a condition of their release?

6. What story does Marji’s grandmother use to stall the officers? What is she really planning to do? Ultimately, how did they get rid of the officer?

1) How long had the war been going on so far? What did the local news report? What does Marji realize about this information? How do you explain the discrepancy?

2) How would you describe the relationship between Marji and her mother? What language does Marji use to describe her mother and her tactics?

3) Describe the efforts made toward bringing an end to the war between Iran and Iraq. Why did peace fail?

4) What did the survival of the regime depend upon? What was the human cost of this survival?

5) How did the regime become more repressive?

6) What was Marji’s symbolic act of rebellion? Describe her interesting response.