Review of The One & Only Googoosh by Azadeh Westergaard

*The One & Only Googoosh* by Azadeh Westergarrd (2024). Published by Viking Books for Young Readers.

Something I have always been proud of, throughout my life, is my background. As an Iranian American, the child of an Iranian immigrant who was studying abroad in the United States when the Shah’s government fell and the Islamic Republic came to power, I grew up surrounded by Iranian and Persian culture despite my mother not being of the same heritage.

I never learned Farsi, though, being the daughter of a working class restaurant owner who spent most of his time at his business. It was how we survived. But as I grew up in a predominantly white part of Baltimore County, no one ever knew what Iran was. There weren’t many of us, and we all knew each other from the endless community parties.

There was also no representation during this time. Sure, Asghar Farhadi would be acknowledged for his contributions to cinema, or if you were really into movies, you knew the name Kiarostami. The few narratives that existed may have called us backwards terrorists, or depicted the harsh revolution that changed everything for Iranians.

I spend a lot of my time now writing and speaking about representation—the times are slowly changing, and Iranian Americans aren’t as scared anymore to speak out. This blog, and my career as a writer, has been an outlet for these kinds of stories.

So when I was reached out to and asked if I wanted to read an advance copy of The One & Only Googoosh, I knew I wanted to read it immediately. It’s the first time I’ve seen an Iranian, let alone Iranian American, kid’s book in English, and I am very familiar with Googoosh and her impact.

I don’t want to ramble too much in this introduction, so let’s get into the review!

The story of Googoosh and an Iran that no longer exists outside of memories.

For those who might not be familiar with Googoosh, she’s an icon. A lot of older Iranians love her because she was active in Iran before the revolution within film and the music world, but because the Islamic Republic (IR) banned live music and entertainment from women specifically, she spent quite a bit of time outside of the limelight. No one really knew what had happened to her.

When she left Iran in 2000, she resumed her career and began touring across North America and Europe. Wherever there are distinct Persian/Iranian populations, Googoosh is likely to come and sing for them. Even at the time of typing this, my community has. been hyped up for her upcoming concert in Washington.

This children’s book aims to tell the story of her impact for young readers. I think it’s really difficult to talk about the Iranian Revolution in general, but this little kid’s book skims over the basics of what went down through the framework of Googoosh’s life and career. As one page delicately puts it, so many people fled the country while Googoosh stayed.

A lot of the lines and imagery feel so Persian, whether it’s mentioning certain foods or what the classrooms were like to be in. It feels very much like a love letter at times with how authentic it feels; sometimes in literature I get the sense the author is distancing themselves from going all in with those forms of representation, but this book doesn’t try to hide.

It’s a different form of representation for this period of time. As an adult and a graduate student, I read quite a few experiences, memoirs, and novels by women in the literary and academic world, and many focus strictly on the politics of the time.

The narratives like this book offer a more human perspective, something that’s introducing a sad topic while showing that Googoosh overcame these barriers imposed on her in the end.

One of the most distinctive parts about this book is how it is illustrated. It has a mixed media style, which works really well visually throughout the storyline. At times it reminded me of a visual depiction of what puppetry could be, especially when it shows how Googoosh would be on stage.

Overall Thoughts

This is a story about hope—there are a lot of hidden messages packed into this little book. There is a lot of grief contained within the sections about the revolution, but as we slowly get towards the end of the book, it becomes a celebration and a living memory.

I liked this book a lot because of it. It’s a great way to introduce and keep these kinds of memories alive, hence why I used the phrase “living memory” in the previous paragraph. At the time of writing this, Googoosh is 74. The generation that lived through this are slowly getting older, their stories fading with them.

I would recommend this book even if you are not Iranian. You and your child may not be familiar with Googoosh and her story, but this is a great way to begin learning about her and Iranian history.

Much love to the publisher, Penguin Young Readers, for sending a copy my way! Purchase your copy through Penguin here.

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