The Moon Behind the Clouds by Vasilis Taouxis

The Moon Behind the Clouds by Vasilis Taouxis is a heartbreaking feminist novel set in Iran after the Islamic Revolution. Since her mother and brother’s sudden death, Azadeh’s father has spiraled down into depression and has stopped caring for her. When Azadeh becomes a victim of rape, the trauma triggers an early onset of her bipolar disorder, and her position in her radicalized community becomes extremely fragile. Inspired by a true story, Taouxis’ novel is a brutal, honest, and vivid account of the horrors and injustices suffered by a young girl believed to be guilty simply because she’s a woman, offering a tragic but intensely affecting portrait of the continuing fight against oppression, whether in Iran or worldwide.