The matter-of-fact telling of Ebadi's story does not need dramatic language to make it gripping. Ebadi fights for change within her country for the first half of the book and then from exile in the second half with a steeliness that is staggering. Although her writing is restrained, she doesn't shy away from talking about both the larger elements at stake as well as the very personal effects on herself and her family. The book illustrates the ways that political change is made up of many small acts over time; it's somehow both inspiring and discouraging all at once.