Khomeini, sade and me

Tehran, 1983. Six-year-old Abnousse Shalmani rebels for the first time against the Ayatollah Khomeini by running naked through the school playground. Frank, provocative, intelligent, and lively: this is a woman who refuses to be veiled or silenced. Leaving Iran is the only option for her family: but once in exile, she soon discovers that Paris has its very own ‘Beards’ and ‘Crows’ to deal with. Following the publication of Salman Rushdie´s Satanic Verses the veil is at the centre of all debates. Reading is her rebellion, and as she grows up, she ardently pursues her freedom through French literature, empowered by the writings of the Marquis de Sade. Freedom comes with recognising the power of the written word. From Colette to Victor Hugo, from Simone de Beauvoir to Pierre Louÿs, this is an extraordinary book about books, a story of resistance to oppression, and a passionate call for the right to sexual and intellectual freedom.