Watching Iranians re-negotiate everything - Rated 
Covering Iran for New York Times since 1979, Sciolino is full of stories and rich in Iranian friends. She is sometimes enchanted, other times horrified, but generally just fascinated by all the action. She finds Iran a deeply divided, rapidly changing country. In public debate or private conversation with women, she finds strong people who are trying to re-negotiate everything. Here's my favorite tidbit:
"Even the most minor changes in law are difficult to attain. For several days in 1996, I watched a rancorous debate in Parliament about whether the wife's mehriyeh [or bride wealth, which a wife brings to her new family but can reclaim in case of divorce] should be adjusted for inflation. Those deputies who opposed the move argued that it would set an inflationary precedent for all debts and thus create widespread economic instability. At one point, Abbas Abbassi, a conservative male member of Parliament, said: `A woman who gets married at a young age is highly valuable to her husband. And as she becomes older, her value depreciates. So it is not right to adjust upward for inflation because she is worth less.'
The female menbers of Parliament were outraged. `He believes that women are created to be used by men, that they are just second-hand goods that should be at men's service,' Soheyla Jelowdarzadeh, who is also an engineer, shot back. `This is against the Koran!' Eventually the female deputies prevailed and the measure passed by a comfortable majority. They considered it a major victory." (p. 126)
Elaine Sciolino. Persian mirrors The elusive face of Iran. - Rated
Iran had always been the country I wanted to see. As a Lithuanian, I have always had a passion for this country and I have always been keen to explore this country in details. Being around Iranians and following the news daily, I was tempted to discover the life behind the walls, driven by today's media - a real face of Iran.
This book is what I've been looking for. It fully pictures the lifestyle of the Iranian people as it is, disclosing any codes of privacy of the people, rising up topicalities of social and political life by showing what they really are and how common people manage to make their way through the rigid regime and norms of social behaviour, but stay authentic in the end. To me, as a person who has never been there but spent many years of her life around Iranians, this book is a masterpiece of how nice, colourful, rich with history and traditions and at the same time controversial or rigid this country might be. It is definitely one of the best books I have ever read.
THIS BOOK PREPARED ME FOR MY JOURNEY THERE!!! - Rated
"When I first came to Iran, black clad women all seemed the same. Scary unsmiling servants of the Ayatollas" Having visited the Islamic Republic of Iran in June, I was better prepared for that vast country portrayed by Elaine Sciolino in her book Persian Mirrors. I am more than grateful for this book, which alerted me to the diversity of cultures, and the general way of life so absolutely different from the Western world.
Elaine Sciolino made me so very aware of the perfect social world of the Iranians and also I am thrilled to say that once you make a friend of an Iranian, you have a friend for life.
My most treasured memories of Iran will never leave me and I thank Ms Sciolino for preparing me for that journey.
A detailed personal account of post revolution Iran. - Rated
It is clear that Elaine Sciolino has spent a long time in Iran! This book provides a transparent but slightly biased (only in a few parts) account of post revolution Iran. It is a very up to date account of Iran with detailed chapters about almost all the main issues that Iran faces today. The book shows Iran through the eyes of a non-Iranian, which is very important for both Iranians and non-Iranians. Important for Iranians because it shows how a non-Iranian perceives their country; and important for non-Iranians, especially Americans, because they can see Iran through the eyes of a person with similar cultural interpretations and perceptions, as themselves. It must however be noted that the author has developed an excellent understanding of Iranian culture. My favourite is when she states that if you are offered something, or and invitation in Iran, it is custom to refuse politely a few times before accepting!!
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