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Persianality
Public flirtation is a crime in Iran, with predictable consequences. Jamileh Delkash has a teen crush, and she’s only fifteen (almost fifteen). She can only dodge the Basij (Moral Police) for so long, and she’s already floundering in Islamic propriety.
Her budding independence stems from visits to the Monkey Bar, where local teens gamble on monkey bicycle races. Here, she attempts to fan the flames of love with Armand Ducasse, the son of Iran’s Ambassador to France.
Being good and being happy proves difficult to reconcile. The ever-watchful Basij and Armand’s call to war, triggers their flight to Paris. But so-called friends, caprice, and Afghan slavers threatens their midnight escapade.
PERSIANALITY was written to be a fun read, but given today’s dark and explosive political atmosphere, every father should buy this bildungsroman for his daughter, to explore life’s perilous questions before confronting them.
Her budding independence stems from visits to the Monkey Bar, where local teens gamble on monkey bicycle races. Here, she attempts to fan the flames of love with Armand Ducasse, the son of Iran’s Ambassador to France.
Being good and being happy proves difficult to reconcile. The ever-watchful Basij and Armand’s call to war, triggers their flight to Paris. But so-called friends, caprice, and Afghan slavers threatens their midnight escapade.
PERSIANALITY was written to be a fun read, but given today’s dark and explosive political atmosphere, every father should buy this bildungsroman for his daughter, to explore life’s perilous questions before confronting them.
220 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2019
813 people want to read
About the author
Michael Ben Zehabe
11 books80 followersAuthored: Zonked Out/Young Adult; Persianality/Young Adult; Unassimilated/New Adult; Commentary on Esther/Non-fiction; The Mathematical Structure of Ecclesiastes/Non-fiction; Semitic Tales/Middle-School; a commentary on Jonah/Non-fiction; The Meaning of Hebrew Letters/Non-fiction; Unanswered Questions in the Sunday News/Homeschool Education.
Syndicated Column: Plug In To The Universe
Guest Speaker: Wedding Related Gatherings; Homeschools; Hebrew Classes; Translation Committees; and Book Clubs.
https://www.benzehabe.com
Syndicated Column: Plug In To The Universe
Guest Speaker: Wedding Related Gatherings; Homeschools; Hebrew Classes; Translation Committees; and Book Clubs.
https://www.benzehabe.com
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 15, 2019
A ready-made gift for any teen. But, this is so much more than a coming-of-age novel. It's hilarious, yet, heart wrenching. Deals with life's big issues without taking a position or lecturing. The protagonist is destined to be a classic personality-type; all the charm of a bomb. Every page a new experience. Every page quotable.
I intend to read this to my niece, and if she doesn't sit still, I'll kick her ass. Do the same favor for your teens!
I intend to read this to my niece, and if she doesn't sit still, I'll kick her ass. Do the same favor for your teens!
May 16, 2019
Ever finish a book and start re-reading immediately? This novel did it for me. This was not the book I expected . . . at all! I mean that in a good way. You just can't predict what's around the corner.
Benzehabe has created a marvelous character, Jamileh. This little chatterbox is as memorable as Scarlet O'Hara (Gone With the Wind), Alice (In Wonderland), Villanelle (Killing Eve). I'll give the author this: he has mastered the art of pulling you from one chapter to the next. The result? I read Persianality in one day. Couldn't stop myself.
Benzehabe has created a marvelous character, Jamileh. This little chatterbox is as memorable as Scarlet O'Hara (Gone With the Wind), Alice (In Wonderland), Villanelle (Killing Eve). I'll give the author this: he has mastered the art of pulling you from one chapter to the next. The result? I read Persianality in one day. Couldn't stop myself.
May 12, 2019
To start with, this is funny. I didn't think it would be, but it's funny. Persianality is funny, ironic, and clever. Really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to anyone, adult or young adult.
April 30, 2019
Funny, funny, funny. The rest will break your heart (but, even that is funny).
May 12, 2019
Such a little bitch! I love Jamileh. She has no idea what impact she has on others. This is so real-to-life that I had to stop and re-examine myself. Guilty. I was once a little too much like Jamileh. I suspect, we all were. Best book I've read all year. And that's saying a lot.
May 1, 2019
Small book, but full of heavy scenes. For me, the father/daughter relationship was riveting. Never realized how complex that was. Powerful. Great read.
September 18, 2019
Reviewed by Faryal Jabbar (age 17) for Reader Views (8/19)
“Persianality,” by Michael Benzehabe lives up to its description as a thrilling and jarring bildungsroman or coming-of-age novel through its truly unique main character: Jamileh. She’s young, bold, and naive with her head in the sky and her heart on her sleeve. Battling an overwhelming crush on the son of Iran’s Ambassador to France, and the confines of her culture, Jamilah longs for her romanticized view of Paris as she spends her days talking to bicycle riding monkeys and plotting her escape.
Throughout the fast-paced book, you’ll feel frustration, sympathy, and care toward Jamileh. Unlike some protagonists, she finds herself as the cause for discourse and has to confront realities she was previously blind to: we can all relate to learning from our mistakes. I like how Jamileh is not a perfect hero, but simply a young girl learning from her mistakes and misinterpretations in a radical environment. In addition, Benzehabe has created a very real and heartbreaking relationship between Jamileh and her father that captures the disconnect that often occurs between a daughter and father, two very different familial roles. All of this is set against the backdrop of Iran with the glimmering Caspian Sea and violent conflicts of the country.
The writing style of the book is beautiful and there are many poetic quotes embedded in the book. One of the quotes that I liked was, “Blame love for your most beautiful dreams and your ugliest nightmares.” Benzehabe seems to purposely weave in morals and life lessons throughout the novel. Readers are sure to be first-hand witnesses to Jamileh’s self-discovery about life and the effect people have on each other.
This novel is a quick read and as each page is filled with plot. I felt that sometimes the book moved forward hurriedly with slight disconnect, however, the thrill is guaranteed. I would recommend this book to young adults ages 14 and up because a deeper understanding is needed and there are mature subjects such as rape and war. In addition, there are religious views and statements of the characters that some readers may disagree with.
My favorite part about the book was that a pivotal character in the novel was a monkey. Benzehabe was somehow able to portray irony and emotion through a family of monkeys, and something seemingly strange was written naturally. In the beginning, I had preconceived Jamileh’s personality to be of a girl with a heart of gold hopelessly in love, based on the roles of many other protagonists. As a result, Jamileh’s realness that at times included vanity and selfishness surprised me. However, her character represents aspects of real people and has only made her personal journey much more meaningful. All in all, “Persianality” by Michael Benzehabe wonderfully captures the struggle to understand others and grow past a single viewpoint in an exciting way.
“Persianality,” by Michael Benzehabe lives up to its description as a thrilling and jarring bildungsroman or coming-of-age novel through its truly unique main character: Jamileh. She’s young, bold, and naive with her head in the sky and her heart on her sleeve. Battling an overwhelming crush on the son of Iran’s Ambassador to France, and the confines of her culture, Jamilah longs for her romanticized view of Paris as she spends her days talking to bicycle riding monkeys and plotting her escape.
Throughout the fast-paced book, you’ll feel frustration, sympathy, and care toward Jamileh. Unlike some protagonists, she finds herself as the cause for discourse and has to confront realities she was previously blind to: we can all relate to learning from our mistakes. I like how Jamileh is not a perfect hero, but simply a young girl learning from her mistakes and misinterpretations in a radical environment. In addition, Benzehabe has created a very real and heartbreaking relationship between Jamileh and her father that captures the disconnect that often occurs between a daughter and father, two very different familial roles. All of this is set against the backdrop of Iran with the glimmering Caspian Sea and violent conflicts of the country.
The writing style of the book is beautiful and there are many poetic quotes embedded in the book. One of the quotes that I liked was, “Blame love for your most beautiful dreams and your ugliest nightmares.” Benzehabe seems to purposely weave in morals and life lessons throughout the novel. Readers are sure to be first-hand witnesses to Jamileh’s self-discovery about life and the effect people have on each other.
This novel is a quick read and as each page is filled with plot. I felt that sometimes the book moved forward hurriedly with slight disconnect, however, the thrill is guaranteed. I would recommend this book to young adults ages 14 and up because a deeper understanding is needed and there are mature subjects such as rape and war. In addition, there are religious views and statements of the characters that some readers may disagree with.
My favorite part about the book was that a pivotal character in the novel was a monkey. Benzehabe was somehow able to portray irony and emotion through a family of monkeys, and something seemingly strange was written naturally. In the beginning, I had preconceived Jamileh’s personality to be of a girl with a heart of gold hopelessly in love, based on the roles of many other protagonists. As a result, Jamileh’s realness that at times included vanity and selfishness surprised me. However, her character represents aspects of real people and has only made her personal journey much more meaningful. All in all, “Persianality” by Michael Benzehabe wonderfully captures the struggle to understand others and grow past a single viewpoint in an exciting way.
June 5, 2019
Persianality by Michael Benzehabe takes the reader on a journey of an immature, young woman, desperately “in love”, who finds her way to learning what true love and sacrifice means. The author puts you smack in the mind of a most quintessential unreliable narrator, Jemilah, the heart of a worthy and brave Bosco, the steadfastness of a haunted father, and the tender wisdom of a human “angel.” My favorite line, of which there are many memorable ones: “Sometimes you have to travel back in time, skirting the worst parts, in order to love someone.”
August 30, 2019
Excellent book!!!
November 27, 2020
"Maybe you don't feel the way I do, because I lead a one- dimensional life, with only one destination. Marriage" - Persianality.
This book made me introspect on the emotional walls I have built around me to protect myself growing up. The world could be a terrible place, and creating healthy boundaries sometimes seem essential. When you’re as young as Jamileh, you tend to rebel, chase your dreams and feel your parents are your worst enemy. But are they really? Now that I am older, I know my parent’s safety net wasn’t there to bind me from going out late at nightwith strangers I barely met twice or stop me from having a good time but keeping me safe from the evils of the world that could mean fatal or something even worse for me.
What initially felt like another YA Teenage forbidden love story ended up big a subtle message of how all that glitters isn’t gold.
This book made me introspect on the emotional walls I have built around me to protect myself growing up. The world could be a terrible place, and creating healthy boundaries sometimes seem essential. When you’re as young as Jamileh, you tend to rebel, chase your dreams and feel your parents are your worst enemy. But are they really? Now that I am older, I know my parent’s safety net wasn’t there to bind me from going out late at nightwith strangers I barely met twice or stop me from having a good time but keeping me safe from the evils of the world that could mean fatal or something even worse for me.
What initially felt like another YA Teenage forbidden love story ended up big a subtle message of how all that glitters isn’t gold.
May 17, 2019
I bought this as a gift for my daughter (teenager). I read it first, because, you never know. I loved it. Does this mean there are other YA books out there I should read? Whether this is so, or not, Persianality has an intelligence factor baked into Benzehabe's style. You can't read his stuff without learning--a lot!
So glad Benzehabe addressed the Father/Daughter relationship. This is tops for that. If you have a teen, buy this book.
So glad Benzehabe addressed the Father/Daughter relationship. This is tops for that. If you have a teen, buy this book.
December 3, 2019
I thought this was a good book. It was funny and had all the angst of typical teenage life no matter what country you are from. It was also very insightful about life in Iran. It was an eye-opener for me.
January 6, 2020
I think Michael's writing is top-notch. His sense of surroundings and atmosphere is amazing, and I will look for his future work.
The book itself was a roller coaster; hilarious moments that reminded me of being a teen "in love" and not grasping what the concept really means and heartbreaking moments of her father mourning the love of his life. With that being said, there are some other aspects of this book that really hit me the wrong way and they are tied together.
Jamiela, how she talks and her internal dialogue though beautiful is really jarring. I don't think that I have ever heard a teen speak the way she does regardless of intellect or background. There is a point in the book where Michael talks about the poetic nature of the Middle East but even with that said, Jamiela's dialogue had her sounding more like a 40 year old woman than a 14 year old. Also in line with this is the pages and pages AND PAGES of dialogue without letting us really get a sense of place or relationships or...anything really. I get it, we are supposed to see how selfish and immature Jamiela is through her one sided conversations with Zoe and her idealitized concept of Paris but seriously, with so much useless dialogue I ended up skipping pages of the book because I knew that there was not going to be any plot specific information I needed to know.
Here is the thing though, like I stated above I think that Michael has a great sense of story and story telling and for a small YA book, this one is not half bad. What I am really grateful though is a chance to discover this writer and I am really excited what stories he will weave in the future.
The book itself was a roller coaster; hilarious moments that reminded me of being a teen "in love" and not grasping what the concept really means and heartbreaking moments of her father mourning the love of his life. With that being said, there are some other aspects of this book that really hit me the wrong way and they are tied together.
Jamiela, how she talks and her internal dialogue though beautiful is really jarring. I don't think that I have ever heard a teen speak the way she does regardless of intellect or background. There is a point in the book where Michael talks about the poetic nature of the Middle East but even with that said, Jamiela's dialogue had her sounding more like a 40 year old woman than a 14 year old. Also in line with this is the pages and pages AND PAGES of dialogue without letting us really get a sense of place or relationships or...anything really. I get it, we are supposed to see how selfish and immature Jamiela is through her one sided conversations with Zoe and her idealitized concept of Paris but seriously, with so much useless dialogue I ended up skipping pages of the book because I knew that there was not going to be any plot specific information I needed to know.
Here is the thing though, like I stated above I think that Michael has a great sense of story and story telling and for a small YA book, this one is not half bad. What I am really grateful though is a chance to discover this writer and I am really excited what stories he will weave in the future.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews