Crowning Anguish
by Taj Al-Saltanah

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Book Reviews of Crowning Anguish

Book Review: In the name of Iran
Summary: 5 Stars

Summary of Crowning Anguish

Now almost one hundred years later Taj's memoirs are relevant and qualify her not only as a feminist by her society's standards but also in comparison with feminists of her generation in Europe and America. Beyond her fascination for the material glamour of the West at the turn of the twentieth century--fashion, architecture, furniture, the motorcar--she was also influenced by Western culture's painting, music, history, literature and language. And yet throughout this time she kept her bond with her own literary and cultural heritage and what she calls her "Persianness."

Despite her troubled life of agony--an unloving and harsh mother; a benevolent but self-indulgent father; an adolescent, bisexual husband; separation from her children; financial difficulties; the stigma of leading a libertine lifestyle and the infamy of removing her veil--Taj's is a genuine voice for women's social grievances in late 20th-century Iran, and one that reveals a remarkable woman in her own right.

"A Thousand and One Nights meets Raise the Red Lantern in this tale of growing up among royal wives and concubines in what is now Iran. . . . Taj saw and recorded a changing society, dissected the role of women in it, and questioned its conventions." (Booklist)

"In this startlingly frank account of life in a Qajar harem, Taj al-Saltana exposes herself and the royal Persian court to public scrutiny. . . . This she does candidly, not only revealing her innermost thoughts and feelings, but also expressing often uncomplimentary views on her country and countrymen. Her account reveals exceptional political awareness among the women in the harem. . . . A treasure-trove of photos of a now bygone era embellish, enhance, and round out this portrait of a fascinating moment in Iran's long and troubled history." (Middle East Journal)

"Taj's account of her childhood in the royal harem is the only account so far by an insider." (Los Angeles Times)

"While the feminist sentiments of the young woman appear modern, it is the simplicity and directness of Taj's personality that makes the work memorable." (Library Journal)

"Taj al-Saltana's memoirs bring home the intense conflicts of a life straddling the harem and modernism. The publishers have succeeded in producing a handsome volume, well stocked with plates and illustrations. Amanat's useful historical sketch enables the book to be appreciated by the general reader as well as the student, reminding us yet again, of the inevitable need to make one well-known, aspect of a Middle Eastern culture familiar to the West." (Times Literary Supplement)

General Books

• Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National
• Leaders & Notable People > Royalty > General
• Specific Groups > Women
• General
• History > Asia > General
• Middle East > Iran