Reading this book was an educational experience for me. Her discussion of literature has helped me to see Lolita and The Great Gatsby in a new light. What I learned most about was the social and political climate in Iran. I had tears in my eyes when reading about the horrible lengths people go to in the name of an ideology. This memoir is a testament to the power of the imagination. It imparts that imagination is needed for empathy and compassion. The villain in a novel, as in life, is the one who lacks imagination enough to empathize with others.