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Moon at Nine

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Based on interviews with a young woman forced to flee Iran because of her sexual orientation, Moon at Nine is a tense and riveting novel that shines a light on an issue of social injustice that continues to this day.Fifteen-year-old Farrin has grown up with secrets: ten years after the overthrow of the Shah, her aristocratic mother is still working against Iran's conservative revolutionary government. But when Farrin befriends Sadira, the intriguing and outgoing new student at her school for gifted girls, her own new secret is even more dangerous. Because the girls discover their relationship is more than just a friendship—and in Iran, being gay is punishable by death.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 17, 2014
      “Her whole life was about living with lies,” writes Ellis (the Breadwinner series) of 15-year-old Farrin Kazemi’s situation in 1988 Tehran. At home, Farrin’s mother is secretly working to remove the Ayatollah Khomeini from power, while her father takes advantage of Afghan refugees in his construction business. At school, Farrin’s every act is scrutinized by an unforgiving principal and the vindictive class monitor. Farrin writes fantasy stories to escape her highly controlled life, and she finds another ray of hope in the friendship of musician and kindred spirit Sadira, who’s new at school. The girls become romantically involved, a crime punishable by death. Inspired by the life of an Iranian woman Ellis met (“This story is essentially hers,” she notes), the novel powerfully depicts lives pulled apart by outside forces and the warmth of falling in love. A firm grounding in Iranian history, along with the insight and empathy Ellis brings to the pain of those whose love is decreed to be immoral and unnatural, make this a smart, heartbreaking pairing with Sara Farizan’s recent If You Could Be Mine. Ages 14–up.

    • School Library Journal

      May 1, 2014

      Gr 9 Up-The daughter of wealthy Iranian parents, 15-year-old Farrin earns top scores at a prestigious school in 1988 Tehran. Her parents remain loyal to the ousted Shah, so Farrin knows the importance of keeping a low profile. One day, Farrin meets a new classmate, Sadira, who plays forbidden music on a prohibited instrument in a closet at school. Farrin and Sadira become fast friends who enjoy subversive literature and music despite the tough restrictions imposed by the Iranian government. Before long, Farrin and Sadira's friendship morphs into a romantic relationship, for which both girls could face death. Set during the reign of Ayatollah Khomeini, this title is based on real women who fell in love in a country where homosexuality is still against the law. Sparse and eloquently written, this short historical novel is both beautiful and heartbreaking. The subject matter and writing style will appeal most to older teens and adults who likely have a better understanding of the political history of Iran. Sadira and Farrin's relationship is believable, as is the girls' undying determination to stay together at all costs. While sexuality is important to the plot, the book is relatively tame, containing no profanity and nothing beyond hand-holding and a few kisses. A four-page Author's Note provides necessary historical background and insight into worldwide persecution of homosexuals today. Give this to fans of Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns (Riverhead, 2007) or Latifa's My Forbidden Face (Miramax, 2002).-Leigh Collazo, Ed Willkie Middle School, Fort Worth, TX

      Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Kirkus

      March 15, 2014
      In a novel based on a true story, two teen girls fall in love and face harsh political fallout in post-revolution Iran. Readers learn the basics of 1980s Iran's political situation from context and light exposition. Farrin's family is wealthy, and her mother hosts Bring Back the Shah teas and parties with illicit alcohol. Farrin's mother discourages her from making friends, out of both fear that Farrin will reveal her secrets and an almost cartoonishly exaggerated disdain for "low-class rabble." When Farrin meets Sadira, however, the two become fast friends, and their bond soon grows. Then, just after the war with Iraq has ended and the new regime is cracking down at home, an officious class monitor catches the two girls kissing and reports them. The consequences are both chilling and tragic. The author's hands-off approach means readers hear relatively few of Farrin's thoughts or feelings about having fallen in love with another girl. Nor are they given more than the bare minimum of tools to interpret the complex power dynamics of Farrin's relationship with Ahmad, the Afghan refugee who serves as her driver. However spare, though, the portrait painted of 1980s Iran's political climate--and in particular the situation of gay and lesbian people and political prisoners--is haunting. A harsh introduction to a disturbing moment in Iran's recent history. (Historical fiction. 14-18)

      COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Booklist

      April 15, 2014
      Grades 7-10 Fifteen-year-old Iranian Farrin lives with secrets. It is 1988, and Farrin's wealthy parents are conspiring to install the Shah's son to the throne. That is their secret; hers is even more dangerous. She is in love with Sadira, the new girl in school, who returns her feelings even though homosexuality is regarded as a crime punishable by death in Iran. When the Revolutionary Guard discovers them together, the girls are taken to prison and threatened with execution. How can they possibly survive? Though based on a true story, Ellis' version of it sometimes feels a bit melodramatic. Still, it is inarguably powerful, and readers will identify with the two star-crossed girls who are victims of what seems to be an inhumane government. In an appended author's note, Ellis chillingly reports that more than 4,000 lesbian and gay Iranians have been executed since 1979. A book study guide is included and will help encourage much needed discussion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

    • The Horn Book

      July 1, 2014
      In 1988 Iran, wealthy fifteen-year-old Farrin's burgeoning romance with new girl Sadira leads her to become more involved in the world around her, and eventually leads to the couple's discovery and persecution. Ellis skillfully introduces readers to the social and political backdrop, showing in troubling detail how fear, suspicion, and historical animosities fragment Farrin's world and limit her freedom.

      (Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

    • The Horn Book

      July 1, 2014
      In 1988 Iran, wealthy fifteen-year-old Farrin avoids anything that could draw attention to her family; she knows her mother's anti-Ayatollah political gatherings could bring trouble. However, Farrin's burgeoning friendship and then romance with new girl Sadira leads her to become more inquisitive and involved in the world around her, and eventually leads to the couple's discovery and persecution. Ellis skillfully introduces readers to the social and political backdrop, showing in troubling detail how fear, suspicion, and historical animosities fragment Farrin's world and limit her freedom. Though the central characters and romance are less finely drawn than those in Farizan's recent If You Could Be Mine (rev. 11/13), which also featured a young lesbian couple in Iran, the social struggle element is more hard-hitting, with a harrowing climax and a realistically bleak ending (both of which may also be a function of this title's earlier setting). Secondary characters provide fascinating windows into other perspectives and call attention to Iran's heterogeneity, creating a multidimensional portrait of corruption and cruelty, resistance and compassion. Set in the final days of the Iran-Iraq war and based on a true story, this novel sheds light on an important chapter in history and the people who experienced it firsthand. claire e. gross

      (Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:700
  • Text Difficulty:3

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