Camelia

A vivid look inside post-revolutionary Iran, this book is the memoir of Iranian journalist Camelia Entekhabi-Fard, sent to prison because of her bold coverage of current affairs for reformist newspapers. She narrates her surreal experience growing up in the turmoil of the revolution and the Iran/Iraq war, punctuated by her comic disposition as a mischievous child and by the tragic losses of family members who fall victim to the political climate of fear, revenge, and extremism. As a teenager drawn to writing and poetry, she awakens to a desire to play an active role in the intellectual life of her country. This ultimately leads to her violent arrest. Faced with a harsh, violent daily existence and the uncertainty of survival, she is struck by the realization that only by convincing herself that she is in love with the chief interrogator does she have any hope of escape.--From publisher description.