The Women of Deh Koh

Lives in an Iranian Village

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“Masterful . . . absorbing. This finely written book gives us a whole new sense of Iran.”—The Washington Post Book World
 
While doing research in the Iranian village of Deh Koh, Erika Friedl was able to quietly observe and record the cloistered lives of women in one of the strictest of all Muslim societies. In this fascinating book, Friedl recounts these women’s personal stories as they relate the strain of their daily activities, their intricate relationships with men, and their hopes, dreams, and fears. Women of Deh Koh is a rare and vivid look at what life is really like for the women of Iran.
 
“Her intimate understanding of the life and customs of the village has made her confident about conveying her view from the inside. To share this view with us, and to comment quietly and wisely on the scene, is the striking and illuminating achievement of Women of Deh Koh.”—The New York Times Book Review
Acknowledgments
Prologue
1. About Having a Late Child and How Perijan Dealt with This Embarrassment
2. About Space and How Maryan Got Back a Verandah
3. About Barrenness and What Tala Did about It
4. On Wealth and Poverty and How Gouhar and Aftab Had a Falling-out
5. About Telling It as It Is and How Golgol Left Her Husband and Went Back to Him
6. A Betrothal, a Rape, and a Guess about Turan's Fate
7. The Little Changes that Happened When Simin Became Avdal's Wife
8. Mamalus Is Telling a Story
9. Watching the World from Sarah's Loom
10. Setara, Six Proposals, Four Engagements, and Three Husbands the Wiser
11. About Crazy People and Butterfly's Silence
12. Huri on Beads, Stringing a Necklace of Embers
Epilogue

About

“Masterful . . . absorbing. This finely written book gives us a whole new sense of Iran.”—The Washington Post Book World
 
While doing research in the Iranian village of Deh Koh, Erika Friedl was able to quietly observe and record the cloistered lives of women in one of the strictest of all Muslim societies. In this fascinating book, Friedl recounts these women’s personal stories as they relate the strain of their daily activities, their intricate relationships with men, and their hopes, dreams, and fears. Women of Deh Koh is a rare and vivid look at what life is really like for the women of Iran.
 
“Her intimate understanding of the life and customs of the village has made her confident about conveying her view from the inside. To share this view with us, and to comment quietly and wisely on the scene, is the striking and illuminating achievement of Women of Deh Koh.”—The New York Times Book Review

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Prologue
1. About Having a Late Child and How Perijan Dealt with This Embarrassment
2. About Space and How Maryan Got Back a Verandah
3. About Barrenness and What Tala Did about It
4. On Wealth and Poverty and How Gouhar and Aftab Had a Falling-out
5. About Telling It as It Is and How Golgol Left Her Husband and Went Back to Him
6. A Betrothal, a Rape, and a Guess about Turan's Fate
7. The Little Changes that Happened When Simin Became Avdal's Wife
8. Mamalus Is Telling a Story
9. Watching the World from Sarah's Loom
10. Setara, Six Proposals, Four Engagements, and Three Husbands the Wiser
11. About Crazy People and Butterfly's Silence
12. Huri on Beads, Stringing a Necklace of Embers
Epilogue

Author

Books on the History, Politics, and People of Iran

Following the death of Mahsa Amini, young women have taken to the streets to lead anti-government protests. These demonstrations have been met with police violence, prompting a UN investigation into human rights abuses. These books explore the history and politics of Iran with a particular focus on Iranian women’s experiences.

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