Until We Are Free

Reading this in March 2018 I've been filled with such a jumble of emotions: awe at the strength and Ebadi's stamina, at her perseverance in the face of overwhelming forces; disappointment that people are still so easily manipulated by toxic religion; gratitude for the checks and balances still present in the US, for the sane and brave civil servants still protecting those, for the millions of citizens coming together to #resist tyranny; terror that the horrors in this book may be closer to us today than we want to think.

What I feel most powerfully—and it distresses me to admit this—is fury. Reading this book, even hours after finishing it, I'm filled with boiling anger at the fact that monsters exist in this world. I want to prevent them from causing further suffering; I want to do so using techniques that are not worthy of a compassionate soul. Why are such creatures allowed to live? Why do people not recognize them and dismiss them? Why, why, why?

Enough bellyaching, let's talk books: this is an important one. Well written with what I feel is a blunt humility, a matter-of-fact tone closer to a legal opinion than an autobiography but with enough personal touch to make it a deeply human story. As someone who fled a corrupt and incompetent country (admittedly nowhere even close to as bad as hers), I cannot understand Ebadi's zeal for remaining in Iran. I also cannot understand her devotion to an idiotic religion. But, disarmingly, she often hints that she doesn't understand it herself; she shows great understanding for those who bail. She's just wired differently, and as I said above I am in awe of her courage and strength. I can't imagine undergoing a fraction of the abuse she has experienced; even less can I imagine continuing to deal with monsters the way she has.

It's not just human rights outrages and persecutions. Ebadi also provides valuable insight into Iranian history, daily life, and mindset. For someone like me, ignorant of so many cultures, this form of presentation helps improve my ever-developing understanding of the world.

In short: adventure, monsters, torture, love, hate, murder, birth, hopelessness and hope. Prepare for a wild ride.