I have to admit that before reading this book, my only familiarity with Iran came from reading the fantastic [b:The Complete Persepolis|991197|The Complete Persepolis (Persepolis, #1-4)|Marjane Satrapi|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327876995s/991197.jpg|13344769] graphic novel. While Persepolis gives you a great sense of a family in turmoil as the Islamic Revolution changes the Iran that they know, Ramita Navai gives a complete street level view of Iranian life after the Revolution. Navai splits the book into eight chapters on ordinary Iranians: an exile who had left when the Revolution began and came back as an anti-regime assassin, a young girl who is forced to divorce her husband and face the fallout that comes from that, the son of dissidents who were killed by a regime judge who now wants to beg for forgiveness, a surprisingly sympathetic meth dealer, a porn star who began as a prostitute, an Islamic militia member who struggles to reconcile his sexuality with his fundamentalist beliefs, an old-school gangster who has the cutest old person love story ever and an aristocrat alienated by the now fundamentalist country she loves.

Navai spent years in Iran as a journalist and uses the stories she heard from people in south Tehran and her own experiences to give an absolutely fascinating view of the web of lies and intrigue that perfectly ordinary Iranians go through every day. It really demolishes the idea that all Iranians are a bunch of crazy, evil Islamic fundamentalists. Yet Navai clearly shows that the oppressive regime in Iran can make life there utterly terrifying if you don't conform. It's both uplifting and scary depending on which side of Iran Navai is revealing and it's just so very human which I loved. One of the best things about this book, for me as a history geek, is that Navai provides summaries for her sources for each chapter and a glossary so you can learn more if you want. The stories certainly made me want to learn more about Iran's history. At its heart, City of Lies is a study of people and it shows the author's love of her home country without being afraid to show its scars and grime. It's an absolutely stunning book that I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone.