The Lion Women of Tehran

The novel is shaped by the complex friendship between the two protagonists, Ellie and Homa. Though their relationship goes through phases of closeness and separation, both physically and emotionally, their love for each other endures. These bonds suggest that friendship can be as important, and enduring, as the bonds of family or marriage.

The powerful friendship between Ellie and Homa seems almost predestined, with Homa appearing like an answer to Ellie’s prayer for family and companionship. Their bond is cemented not only through the shared experience of school and childhood games but also by how their contrasting lives complement one another. Ellie provides a balance to Homa’s high spirits and a friendly rival to Homa’s competitive spirit. Homa enriches Ellie’s life by enfolding Ellie into her family, providing a sense of belonging Ellie longs for. The nurturing power of their friendship is expressed through Ellie’s joy at learning to cook and the simple magic she perceives in chopping an onion: Friendship is an alchemy that transforms Ellie, just as food is transformed through cooking.

Ellie, unlike Homa, doesn’t initially understand the lasting power of young adult friendships. She sees her relationship with Homa as something that must fade as they leave childhood.