Laughing Without an Accent - NEW REVIEW

Author: Firoozeh Dumas

In this charming and heartfelt memoir, Iranian (pronounced “E-ranian,” as Dumas might point out) author Firoozeh Dumas captures the spirit of her immigration experience moving from Iran to Southern California. Laughing Without an Accent is filled with funny anecdotes, pop culture references and awkward “lost in translation” cultural exchanges, but don’t let these light and playful vignettes fool you. Dumas effortlessly seams together threads from her youth—her desire for a pet monkey, overdosing on French Fries, and her discovery of the public library system, dating at college—with the common immigrant experience of what it’s like to “float between worlds but never fully land.” As Dumas recounts that “like many immigrants before us, we found not only what we wanted but a few things we didn’t even know we were looking for: Girl Scouts, freedom of speech, affordable community colleges, guacamole, public libraries, clean bathrooms, the pursuit of happiness and Loehman’s. Of course we also found things we didn’t like: marshmallows, the Hilton sisters and all their friends, pants that ride too low…” Students are sure to resonate (Feel It!) with Dumas’ common American experience through hopeful Iranian eyes.

Year Released: 2008
Grades 10-Adult

Laughing Without an Accent: Adventures of a Global Citizen