Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

The sequel to Persepolis 1 takes off right where Marjane Satrapi finishes in her first graphic novel. Satrapi is an adolescent off on her own in Europe. The story shows her struggle with growing up and trying to find her identity despite the fact that she lives in a foreign world and, yet, she becomes a part of that world. It is almost as if she has one foot in Europe and another foot in Iran, but belongs to neither society. This is compounded by both societies rejecting some element of her. In Europe, she is looked upon as an "other"- she is Middle Eastern and the only one of her kind around. In Iran, she is looked upon as too liberal and western. Talking about sex openly shocks her friends and leads her to isolation. The author speaks about her inner demons and how she tried to cope, or not really cope, with her identity crisis.

In the end, the reader knows that somehow Satrapi managed to become the independent woman she is today. Unable to stretch to the limit in Iran, she heads back to Europe. Today, she is an author of many books, including children's books, and resides in France. Certainly, this author has taken a creative approach to open up readers to Iran's history and culture.
Apparently, Satrapi has another graphic novel out there called Chicken with Plums. The story is of the last days of her great uncle, who was a renowned musician. As he awaits death, there are flashbacks and flash-forwards of his life.