Meet the Cast
Marjane
So You Think You Can Prophesize Marjane is ten years old in 1980 when the novel begins. She goes by the name Marji, and she's not your average girl. You might think of girls her age still playing w...
Marjane's Mother
Revolutionary Road The first thing we learn about Marji's mom is that she's pretty revolutionary: "Her photo was published in all the European newsletters" (1.15) after a political protest. Marjane...
Marjane's Father
No More HeroesMarjane's dad is a photographer, and he often finds himself in dangerous situations, photographing political protests. Although he's playing a small role in the revolution (someone ha...
Marjane's Grandma
Lavender and Ice WaterGrandma is a very influential figure in Marji's life. She lies to the soldiers about having diabetes so that they can dump all the wine in the toilet; she keeps her bra fresh...
Uncle Anoosh
Back in the U.S.S.R. Marji's Uncle Anoosh has had a crazy life. His uncle helped Azerbaijan declare its independence, and he himself was a revolutionary who escaped Iran for the Soviet Union.His pe...
Mehri
Something About MehriMehri is the family maid who started working for them when she was eight years old. She would have been Marji's friend if not for the fact that she's basically "the help". Desp...
Siamak Jari and Mohsen Shakiba
Torture? We Hardly Knew 'Er!These two guys were imprisoned for rebelling against the government, and their fates are not pretty. In prison, they were tortured: whipped, burned with irons, had their...
Mali
Flogging MaliMali is a friend of Marji's mom, and when her house is bombed, she comes to stay with the family for a while. Her arrival provides important insights into what is going on in Iran poli...
Uncle Taher
Tugging On Your Heart (Attack) StringsBeing Marji's uncle seems to be bad luck (be sure to read about Uncle Anoosh in this section), and Uncle Taher is no exception. He has a heart attack, and...
Lucia
Lucia LuciaLucia is Marjane's roommate at the boarding school in Vienna. Before meeting her, Marjane imagines that Lucia might look a little like Heidi. When they finally meet, there's a huge langu...
Julie and Momo
Mom(e)o and Julie(t)Marjane meets Julie at the school in Vienna, and Julie introduces her to Momo, Thierry, and Oliver. We don't really get to know any of them very much (Marjane doesn't talk about...
Frau Doctor Heller
A Horse is a Horse, Of Course Of CourseShe looks kind of like Ric Ocasek from the Cars. Her dog poops on Marjane's bed. She calls Marjane a prostitute for bringing her boyfriend home (and this in V...
Kia
Kia Soul Kia is one of Marjane's childhood friends. He helped her bully another kid with some homemade iron knuckles back in the day when torture seemed fun to a child, and he also served in the wa...
Reza
Prenuptial AgreementMarjane and Reza are less James Carville and Mary Matalin and more Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat. (Okay—that's what we call a '90s reference. Don't get it? Then replac...