Story Circle Network

Austin Chapter
Reader's Guide

February 2004

Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America
by Firoozeh Dumas

This lighthearted memoir chronicles the author's move from Iran to America in 1971 at age seven, the antics of her extended family and her eventual marriage to a Frenchman. The best parts will make readers laugh out loud, as when she arrives in Newport Beach, Calif., "a place where one's tan is a legitimate topic of conversation...

  1. Why do you think Dumas chose humor as the vehicle for her memoir? Did it work?

  2. Dumas gives many comparisons between Iran and the US--food, safety, etc. What did you learn about us through her comparisons?

  3. When she writes about her father, she includes stories (entering the bowling contest, Disneyland, obsession with his ability to teach swimming, etc.) that would not lead you to think he was a Fulbright Scholar. What does this say to you about her relationship with her father?

  4. Dumas only briefly touches on their treatment by Americans after the hostage situation in Iran. Does she do this because she is trying to keep the book light, or because she was not affected by it that much?

  5. Compare this memoir both in style and what is revealed about the author to some of the recent memoirs we have read (Speaking Truth to Power, Black White and Jewish and In Search of Grace).

The Story Circle Network is a national not-for-profit membership organization made up of women who want to explore their lives and their souls by exploring their personal stories. If you would like to learn more about the Network and its activities, please sign up for our free email newsletters!