Know Your Place
Ghahraman, GolrizThe title of this memoir signals the many strands of Golriz Ghahraman's life - knowing her place as a refugee, immigrant, a woman of colour, a human rights lawyer and as a member of parliament.
From her childhood in Iran and arrival in New Zealand aged nine, through to her experiences as an advocate in legal and political spheres, this is a confronting account of a multifaceted life and of the discrimination meted out to those who are perceived to be different.
Knowing one's place and finding one's voice ... in this compelling and inspiring story, the author has found both.
This title is also offered as part of the Narrative Muse Book Club.
View this title on the Narrative Muse website
Pages
305
305
Year
2020
2020
Reviews
29-04-2024
We regarded this book as important and informative. Now knowing something of Golriz's life to date, we feel some sympathy for her in her present position. There are some negatives about the book. Her writing was a little patchy and she repeated herself constantly. Altogether we thought it was a book that every New Zealander should read.
29-04-2024
We found this autobiography most interesting and leading to discussion about refugees, treatment of women in Parliament and, of course, what leads to shoplifting.
19-01-2024
Amazing young woman.
23-11-2023
Of great interest in election month - enjoyed by all members, lively discussion.
05-10-2023
We were in awe of this woman and her story was told so well. Highly recommended.
04-10-2023
Compelling read - inspiring and educational story. Very topical read with the general election approaching. Highly recommend.
27-09-2023
We found this autobiography fascinating, if not always an easy read. We were surprised and dismayed by the extent of some of the abuse Ghahraman received. All in all, the book gave much food for thought. We all felt great admiration for Golriz who had enormous challenges. Her parents too, elicited the admiration of the Group.
26-09-2023
Very timely read. Created a lot of conversation.
25-05-2023
There were mixed views in regard to the book although everyone agreed she is a talented woman with a unique story to tell. About half found the political information interesting while others found there was too much around the Green Party. Overall the group, of all women, felt this book is important to read in regard to how women and especially women of colour are treated in governing roles and how social media has exacerbated the misogyny.
28-03-2023
Very interesting book, thought provoking. Very informative about what had happened in Iran, and a fascinating reflection on New Zealand society from a refugee perspective.
01-12-2022
This book provoked a very good discussion. Very well-written and enlightening - highly recommended.
21-11-2022
A varied review from our group for 2 - 10 (out of ten). Two of our group had read it previously and had no wish to read it again. We all agreed the early years and departing Iran were very interesting. We all saluted her parents and felt it was they who had an amazing story to tell. It was repetitive and inevitably political. Some discussion arose about who qualifies as a refugee and the ease of entering our country. There is no doubt Golriz is a very talented young woman, but her anger and concentration on discrimination disappointed us.
13-10-2022
A must read for all New Zealanders!!! A real eye opener. An amazing story told with so much passion and hope for a better future for N.Z. for all of us.
23-09-2022
"Illuminating", but also a bit repetitive. However created a good discussion on a broad variety of topics especially racism.
27-07-2022
Golriz without a doubt is an impressive and admirable young woman. Her ideals and passions are on the frontline; if one was ever stuck in a refugee camp, Golriz is the one champion you would want on your side. The first chapter was fascinating; how she and her family came to live in NZ. Much of the early part of the book however could have been condensed into one, maybe two chapters- the text was laboured, and overly written. Golriz's experience is vastly different from most of us, and she has much to offer. This memoir, written in say 10 years' time, would have been richer and more rewarding.
27-06-2022
An interesting story.
22-06-2022
'Know Your Place' was easy to read, but not that interesting as a memoir to our group of veteran readers. We would not recommend it. That said, our meeting had one of our more lively discussions in recent years, as Ghahraman covered issues that were current and topical.
16-06-2022
Our group found this book interesting and relevant. It gave us hope for NZ/Aotearoa's future, if passionate, intelligent and different young people like her take up the helm.
13-06-2022
Wonderful book about a brave and interesting lady.
09-06-2022
We were generally pleased to have read this as it is good to know more about our parliamentary representatives, and Golriz is certainly a very competent woman who has accomplished a great deal. Although we felt her writing style was good, we found the book meandered and repeated on itself quite a lot, so that parts became quite tedious reading. We found the book to be more of a political memoir than a personal one.
11-05-2022
A very lively discussion was had, and everyone had a slightly different opinion on the story. All said they had learnt from the book, and admired Golriz as a writer and lawyer, and her strong stance. We also admired her parents for their single mindedness in getting out of Iran.
02-05-2022
An amazing read and very thought-provoking.
11-04-2022
Topical, of local interest, heartfelt. All enjoyed the telling of a tale of the migrant. No self-pity but plenty of clarity round the necessary relinquishing of one's cultural identity and the assumption of another. A good NZ read.
30-03-2022
What an amazing and passionate woman. One had to concentrate, and read every word - at times a little hard going. This generated a lot of discussion re: refugees and minority groups.
30-10-2021
Very positive comments from all our members. It raised many points for discussion as well as being well written.
23-08-2021
Enjoyed by majority of the group and made for lively discussion. Most readers admired the huge sacrifice that the author's family had made to give her the opportunities that would not have been open to her if they had remained in Iran. Sad that she carries so much guilt for the sacrifices of her parents, but that is what motivates her to give back to N.Z. A truly admirable woman!