Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas

This book was picked upon Arun's mentioning it. It is a delightful read about a positively charming woman's experience of growing up as an Iranian in the US. As the author says, it is not necessary to have been a celebrity to pen a memoir. And she pokes fun about everyone including herself so smoothly that you get the feeling of being in the company of one of those cousins whose visits you look forward to, when you are kids, waiting to be regaled by their stories. Her love for her father whose sometimes hilarious sometimes poignant tales populate the book, shines through the book. And I think it is necessary to read such books, about someone from an extremely rich culture. This is my 2nd book by an author of Iranian origin. Look forward to savouring more. As the author argues, just because a few people give the Middle East a bad name, doesn't mean you lose your head and treat everyone just the same. If you listen to her interview on the Commonwealth Club podcast, you almost want to hug her.

Strongly recommended especially for aspiring authors.

I need to figure out a way to get the author to have coffee with me. She seems like someone who might agree to join me, considering she lives somewhere in the Bay Area. Such cool company can brighten up your entire day