Persepolis

Sartrapi, M. (2004). Persepolis. NY: Pantheon
A memoir of Marjane (Marji) Satrapi growing up in Iran during the overthrow of the Shah and the war with Iraq.  Marji's westernized thinking and well-off parents value her French education and encourage her to freely think and act, in a place where that was not the norm.  Marji tells various stories about friends and family caught up in the political happenings of the time. Stories of suffering, torture, angst, and fear are speckled with flat humor, as Marji recounts different events in her young life.  Eventually the bombing of Tehran (where Marji lives) takes out a family she knows and leads her to find her voice (outside of her home) about the injustice.  Marji's mom and dad realize how unsafe Iran would be for their daughter and who she is becoming, and make plans for her to move to Vienna, Austria.  This graphic novel opens the eyes to readers outside of this area and how just because people are being told to live a specific way, doesn't mean they all want to.  The level tone of the story is serious, yet somewhat humorous (as are the graphics, which obviously add to the details of the stories) which makes the material entertaining.  Here is a book trailer for this graphic novel memoir.