Reading this book was a surreal experience; it's one of those moments when it's hard to believe Iran and the US occupy the same planet. Shirin Ebadi's courage is astounding, but I'm equally if not more amazed by her patience and persistence. So often I found myself getting frustrated, despairing, with each set-back she describes, and yet Ms. Ebadi continued on, doing what she could where she could. Her work fighting for human rights in Iran reminds readers that achieving any good, no matter how seemingly small or fleeting, is worth the effort and that it's the accumulation of these little kindnesses that improve the world. I hope this book makes it way onto future high school reading lists, especially for global history courses.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.