The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

From the best-selling author of the stationery shop, a heartfelt epic new novel of friendship, betrayal and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.
In 1950s Tehran, 7-Year-Old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father forcing her and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother's grievances, Ellie dreams of having a friend. Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate girl with an irrepressible spirit. The two girls play games, learn to cook, wander through the Grand Bazaar and share their ambitions for becoming "lion women". But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie returns uptown.  As Ellie enjoys new popularity in high school, her memories of her old friend fade until Homa makes a sudden reappearance. 
New, soft cover.