Marjane Satrapi's honest and compelling memoir of her young adult (15-22)years--continues the story where Persepolis left off. A 15 year old Setrapi arrives alone in Austria only to find herself a virtual refugee in a country she has never visited and does not speak the language. Lonely and frightened, and later depressed, Satrapi uses various coping mechanisms--lying, drugs, cynicism--that leave her feeling unhappy and further isolated. At 19, she flees Austria to return to Teheran, only to find herself a refugee (of sorts) in her own country. And things have changed in Iran; politcal repression and war have taken their toll; Even her parents seen to be cynical and have lost much hope. Where in the West she was defined entirely as an Iranian, in Iran she was defined almost entirely as a Westerner and her angst continues. A coming of age story filled with angst; a young woman trying to find her way under a repressive Islamic fundamentalist regime. Painfully honest and thought provoking, we hurt for Satrapi as she tries to discover what is important and who she wants to be. **must be paired with Persepolis I for full impact. I loved it.
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