Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return (Pantheon Graphic Library)

The fascinating continuation of the best-selling Persepolis, “one of the freshest and most original memoirs of our day” (Los Angeles Times). Marjane Satrapi dazzles with her heartrending graphic memoir about growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

In 1984, Marjane flees fundamentalism and the war with Iraq to begin a new life in Vienna. Once there, she faces the trials of adolescence far from her friends and family, and while she soon carves out a place for herself among a group of fellow outsiders, she continues to struggle for a sense of belonging.

Finding that she misses her home more than she can stand, Marjane returns to Iran after graduation. Her difficult homecoming forces her to confront the changes both she and her country have undergone in her absence and her shame at what she perceives as her failure in Austria. Marjane allows her past to weigh heavily on her until she finds some like-minded friends, falls in love, and begins studying art at a university. However, the repression and state-sanctioned chauvinism eventually lead her to question whether she can have a future in Iran.

As funny and poignant as its predecessor, Persepolis 2 is another clear-eyed and searing condemnation of the human cost of fundamentalism. In its depiction of the struggles of growing up—here compounded by Marjane’s status as an outsider both abroad and at home—it is raw, honest, and incredibly illuminating.

MARJANE SATRAPI (1969–2026) was an Iranian-born French graphic novelist, filmmaker, and artist, best known for her internationally celebrated graphic memoir, Persepolis. She is also the author of Persepolis 2, Embroideries, Chicken with Plums, and several children's books and was a contributor to Woman, Life, Freedom. Satrapi cowrote and codirected the animated feature film version of Persepolis, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and directed several live-action films including Chicken with Plums and The Voices.