(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Be part of an exciting conversation with internationally acclaimed author Marjan Kamali on her New York Times bestselling novel, The Lion Women of Tehran, during a virtual author talk on Thursday, May 7, 2026. The event presented by the Ocean County Library begins at 7:00pm.
In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Ellie befriends Homa, sharing their ambitions of becoming “lion women.” But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life.
Now a popular student at the best girls’ high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives. Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences.
Marjan Kamali is the New York Times bestselling author of The Stationery Shop and Together Tea. She is the 2022 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Award. Her books have been translated into over 30 languages.
Registration is required for this free program. To register, visit tinyurl.com/KamaliOCL, call 732-349-6200, or stop by your local OCL branch.
The Lion Women of Tehran is available in multiple formats for free to Ocean County Library cardholders. Visit tinyurl.com/LionWomenOCL, or call or stop by your local OCL branch to request a copy today.
