It Ain't So Awful, Falafel

In English class, the teacher asks Zomorod to explain what’s happening in Iran and who Ayatollah Khomeini is. Zomorod says she isn’t sure, and the teacher asks her to do an extra credit presentation. She asks the class if that would be interesting, and only Carolyn says that it would be. Zomorod agrees, but she is not excited to talk in front of the class.

All night, people keep calling Zomorod’s parents. Dr. Klein stops over and asks what’s happening. He understands that Ayatollah Khomeini was behind the revolution and asks what’s going on. Zomorod’s father goes over the history of Iran. He explains how between 1951 and 1953, there was a democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, and that the US and Britain overthrew him for oil profits, putting the shah in power. In 1964, the shah exiled Ayatollah Khomeini from the country. At that time, the shah was working to modernize Iran, using oil money for transportation, water, and power. Women also received more freedom. The gap between the wealthy and the poor also widened.

Many Muslims called this “corruption,” and Ayatollah Khomeini spoke out against the shah, who in turn forced the ayatollah out of Iran. However, people still opposed the corruption, leading to present events.

On Tuesday, Zomorod gives her report to the class. She begins by showing the country on the globe and explains that where she is from, Abadan, is known for gasoline. One student makes a joke about her having gas, and the teacher chastises them.

Then Zomorod explains the difference between the governments in Iran and in the United States. She adds that there is no such thing as freedom of speech and that the shah exiled Ayatollah Khomeini. However, Khomeini’s followers protested, which caused the shah to flee.

Several students keep chiming in, causing the teacher to add more words to their vocabulary list. She apologizes to Zomorod for the interruptions and says that she can continue next week, but Zomorod says that she was done even though she wasn’t.

Rachel invites Zomorod to her bat mitzvah, and Zomorod’s mom gives her a bracelet from Iran to give to Rachel. Rachel’s dad teaches Zomorod that shalom means “peace” in Hebrew but can also be used to greet people or as a goodbye. Zomorod tells him that salam means “peace” in Arabic and is used to say hello in Persian. He also tells her that many Polish Jews fled to Iran during World War II, which Zomorod did not know.

Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran from exile, and within two weeks, he ousts Bakhtiar from office because he does not agree with him. Bakhtiar believes that democracy should be separate from religion while Khomeini does not see a difference between religion and government.

At 5:00 am on February 11, 1979, Zomorod goes into her parents’ room, where her dad tells her that the monarchy in Iran is done. There has been a revolution. Americans are leaving Iran.

Zomorod reels because there has always been the shah as the ruler. No one knows what will happen in Iran.

Everyone starts to ask Zomorod and her family about Iran. They don’t know what will happen and they’re worried.

Zomorod’s Girl Scout troop volunteers at a Goodwill factory. There, the tour guide explains how everyone deserves to be treated with dignity. For Goodwill, this has meant hiring people with Downs Syndrome so that they can earn money and engage with society.

At lunch, the girls eat in the cafeteria, where some of the folks who have Downs Syndrome are the cooks and servers. Some of the other girls say disparaging things about them, but Zomorod makes a point to emphasize how good her food is. The workers thank them and compliment them, though some of the girls in Zomorod’s troop continue to be mean.

When Zomorod gets home, she tells her parents about dignity and her experience. It is the first time they’ve been able to take their minds off what’s happening in Iran.

Ayatollah Khomeini has ruled that women can’t be judges anymore in Iran and that all women have to wear a hijab. Zomorod used to be proud that Iran gave women rights, and so she doesn’t like Khomeini.

As Zomorod and her father unload groceries from the car, Dr. Klein comes up to talk about what’s happening in Iran. Mo says he feels like his country is moving in reverse. He goes on to say that all the women in his family wore Western clothes when he lived in Iran and that only religious women wore hijabs. By making everyone wear one, he feels like the ayatollah is removing meaning from the hijab.

Dr. Klein also brings up how the new government is killing anyone who was associated with the shah. Zomorod has not heard about this, but her father is worried about anyone wealthy and successful, including two of his brothers. Many people are fleeing Iran. Zomorod worries that their lives could be in danger if they return to Iran.

Iranian New Year, or Nowruz, is happening right before spring break. In Compton, they celebrated three times, and her mom cried when they called her sisters. Zomorod and her dad hoped that it would make her happy to talk to them, but it makes her sad. Each year since, Zomorod’s mom has cried in her room, and they haven’t been able to make it better.

At school, Zomorod explains to her friends how Nowruz begins with the spring equinox. It is not a religious holiday, so everyone in the country celebrates. They visit with relatives and eat sweets. However, this year, all of Zomorod’s relatives are scared.

Carolyn asserts that Zomorod is never going back to Iran, but Zomorod says she misses her family and will indeed go back. She wishes that everyone she loves were in the same place.

Zomorod changes the subject of her departure by revealing that the government is now listening in on long-distance phone calls, so her parents can’t ask too many questions when they call.

On Nowruz, Zomorod’s dad gives her $5, and Zomorod decides to save it for college. Her mom also gives her a small porcelain cat, saying that Zomorod can look at it and think of her.

Zomorod and her dad go to purchase camping equipment for Zomorod’s upcoming Girl Scout trip. They go to the Last Chance Clearance aisle at Woolworth’s. They find a sleeping bag though it is missing its bag. They buy all of the items on sale and not the ones on the supply list that are not.

At the last two Girl Scout meetings, the troop leaders talked about survival skills, and Zomorod “can’t believe they encourage eleven-year-old girls to do this in America!” (178). No one in her family has been camping.

Carolyn, Howie, Rachel, and Zomorod share a tent with twins, Kris and Colleen. In their tent that night, Carolyn suggests that everyone take turns describing their first kiss, but it turns out that no one has been kissed before. Colleen says that they’re not “wild” like other girls dating boys, and Carolyn says instead that they’re “mild” (180).

In the morning, they have breakfast and then go to workshops to earn badges. Zomorod learns three things: that food is tastier when camping, how to avoid poison ivy, and to avoid the clearance aisle when preparing for camping.

Khomeini announces that the new name for Iran is the “Islamic Republic of Iran” (183). Mo does not think they’ll get a democracy. Zomorod’s mom is clearly worried.

At the Williamses’ home on Sunday, they ask Zomorod about what’s happening in Iran. She is finding it difficult to explain. Carolyn’s brother asks her about Islam, and Zomorod explains that her father sees religion as kindness and that “[b]eing Muslim means different things to different people” (184). Mrs. Williams agrees. Carolyn then asks if everyone in Iran is now Muslim. Zomorod says that there are also Jews, Christians, Baha’i, and Zoroastrians. When Carolyn asks about the last two groups, Zomorod explains that Baha’is are a peaceful religious group and Zoroastrianism was Iran’s religion before the Arabs invaded in the 600s, bringing Islam with them.

Mrs. Williams says that that makes her realize how young the United States is compared to Iran. Mr. Williams says he’s concerned about the ayatollah killing people.

The next day at school, Miss DeAngelo asks Zomorod if her family will return to Iran. She wants to know if Zomorod will be safe. Zomorod says that her father wasn’t associated with the shah, and they weren’t rich. She will have to wear a hijab. Her teacher explains that that’s hard for her to picture since she’s dressed “so all-American” (187). Zomorod admits that she can’t picture it either.

Khomeini outlaws alcohol, nightclubs, and gambling. People are also not allowed to listen to Western music.

At school, plans have begun for a Hawaiian-themed end-of-the-year dance. Carolyn, Rachel, Howie, and Zomorod go together. When they get to the dance, Zomorod feels nervous because she’s never danced with a boy before. They wait to be asked to dance, and Zomorod grows frustrated as several songs are played without boys talking to them.

When the DJ takes a break, Howie and Zomorod go to the snack table. Howie says she never gets asked to dance because she’s so tall and hopes that God will give her a tall husband. Zomorod is surprised to hear her say this because she didn’t think that American girls thought about their future husbands. Zomorod says that her aunt finds husbands for people. Howie replies that perhaps God works through Zomorod’s aunt, and Zomorod recounts how she prayed to St. Anthony to find the pool key and how the neighbor found it. Howie suggests that God was working through her neighbor, and Zomorod thinks about how she wouldn’t have pictured God working through Skip.

For Zomorod’s 12th birthday, she wants to have a pool party with Carolyn, Rachel, Kris, Colleen, and Howie. She gets permission from the condo association and plans a hamburger bar. Her mom wants to make kabobs, but Zomorod insists. They also get a pre-made cake from the bakery section that says “Congratulations” (197). Zomorod tells them that it’s not a birthday cake but concedes.

The party goes well, and Zomorod opens her gifts from her friends. She receives a pom-pom belt, lip balm that she’s excited about, Clue, and a paint-by-numbers set. That night, Zomorod asks her parents if she can go to Camp White’s Landing, a Girl Scout camp on Catalina Island, which is the gift she wants from them. They are reluctant but eventually agree.

The girls leave for camp. They take a ferry out of Long Beach Harbor. They see dolphins and fish, amazing Zomorod. When they arrive, they have to choose camp names for themselves. Carolyn chooses Sommer, after Jaime Sommers. Rachel chooses Cleo, and Zomorod chooses Lentil.

Zomorod chooses sailing, snorkeling, and canoeing as her three activities. The camp counselor, Rainy, is surprised to learn that she is from Iran and heard that Iran is not a good place for women. Zomorod feels embarrassed and emphasizes that it wasn’t like that when she lived there. Her counselor thinks she should not return to Iran. Zomorod thinks that it feels very strange to be able to be in a bathing suit and shorts while girls in Iran are being punished for even showing their hair. She tells her counselor that she likes being in America. Rainy then suggests she come back as a counselor-in-training next summer, an idea that Zomorod likes. She loves sailing, feeling like she’s far away from her mom’s melancholy and the bad news in Iran.

When Zomorod returns from camp, she discovers that the protests in Iran have interrupted the export of oil, causing the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to raise gas prices in the United States and forcing people to wait for hours to get gas.

Zomorod calls Carolyn and tells her about OPEC. Carolyn doesn’t seem interested, but Zomorod tells her that it’s important if she wants to be a journalist. Carolyn then invites her to go see Rocky II.

Skip is walking his dog while Zomorod is washing the family car. He says that he’s heard from Brock that she’s good at math and wishes his son would be more like her. Zomorod says that Brock is good at things she isn’t. He leaves soon after.

Zomorod starts seventh grade feeling good since she now has friends and because none of her classes seem hard.

One day, while at Carolyn’s after school, Zomorod talks with Carolyn’s brother Matt about learning languages. Matt thinks she should take Spanish to help with the vocabulary on the SATs, but Zomorod, not having known about the SAT, says that she’s planning on taking French, like many people do in Iran. Zomorod then says that maybe she should take Spanish, since people often think she’s from Mexico rather than Iran.

Carolyn is coming over for dinner for the first time so that she can interview Mo for extra credit. Zomorod is happy to be doing something for her.

When they start, Mo explains how having 10% of the world’s oil reserves has been both good and bad for the country. He wishes that more had been invested in educating people since people are a country’s greatest resource. However, because oil is so valuable, a lot of money is at stake, bringing out corruption and bad actions from people and governments. He then goes through the history of oil in Iran, and Zomorod thinks that Carolyn is a good actor for pretending to be interested.

When Carolyn is done, Mo asks to add one thing. He says that if he had a son and a daughter and could only send one to school, he would choose his daughter because education gives her power. Zomorod feels very lucky.

Since being forced out of Iran, the shah has lived in Egypt, Morocco, the Bahamas, and Mexico. Mo muses, “Who would have thought that a person could be so powerful, then so completely powerless, all in the same lifetime?” (219).

Zomorod goes trick-or-treating with her friends. She is dressed as a tourist, wearing one of her mom’s sweatshirts that says, “I LUV NEWPORT BEACH” (220). People keep asking Howie if they’re too old for trick-or-treating because she’s so tall, and Zomorod is glad that she is short since she’ll be able to trick-or-treat for many years.

Zomorod and her family are watching the news and learn that a group of Iranian students has attacked the American embassy, taking hostages. Most Americans have left the country, except for those staying at the embassy. The protesters are mad because the United States supported the shah. As Zomorod discusses the events with Carolyn on the phone, Mo says that he believes they’ll release the hostages.

Mo is wrong, and Khomeini says that he supports hostage-taking. Zomorod wonders how someone who is religious can back such violence.

Zomorod comes home from school and discovers that her dad is home, which is unusual because he is typically at work when she gets back. His project has been suspended because nothing is happening at the oil refinery until the hostages are set free.

The next day, Zomorod feels bothered by her furniture, feeling like its frilliness is over the top. She asks her dad if she can sell it, and, in a melancholy mood, he says she can do whatever. She places an ad in the newspaper, and the next day, a girl calls about it. She and her family come to the house to pick it up, and her dad speaks to Zomorod in Spanish. Zomorod says that she doesn’t speak Spanish, and the girl acts as her family’s translator, just as Zomorod often does for her parents.

On Monday, Brock and his friends throw tomatoes at Zomorod during lunch. He is doing it because the Iranians have taken Americans hostage. Carolyn says that she’s seen reports on the news that Americans have been assaulting Iranians. Carolyn, Rachel, and Zomorod agree that it’s a circle of violence because the president has now allowed the shah into the US, making Iranians at home made at Americans in Iran, which in turn makes Americans in the US mad at Iranians there. They wonder how the violence will end.

A few days later, Mo discovers that the sanitation company did not pick up their trash bins because they were overfilled. Someone has put their trash in the Yousefzadehs’ cans, and Zomorod has to call the condo association. The person in charge is Original Cindy’s mom, who is unsympathetic and says that they’ll have to pay a fee to get an additional trash can. She says that “[t]here are rules for living in America and they need to be followed” (231).

Zomorod and her dad clean up, agreeing not to tell her mom.

A week after Mo was put on furlough, he is summoned to the office for a meeting. Everyone is happy, and he is confident that the project is going to start up again.

When Zomorod returns from school that day, her father is at home next to a box of his stuff from the office, including a half-dead red fern. He was fired since America and Iran are not doing business together.

That night, he cuts up the credit cards, announcing that they will have to live off of their savings.