Genie Dartnell, Ashley’s mother
Ashley Dartnell’s mother was a glamorous American, her British father dashing and handsome. Each was trying to shed their past and transform themselves in the more romantic and exotic setting of Iran.
As the story starts, Ashley was eight years old and living in Tehran in the Sixties: the Shah was in power, life for Westerners was rich and privileged. But somehow it didn’t all add up to a fairytale. There were bankruptcies and prisons, betrayals and lovers, lies and evasions. And throughout it all, Ashley’s passionate and strong-willed mother, Genie.
Stories of mothers and daughters are some of the most powerful in contemporary memoir, from The Liars’ Club and The Glass Castle to Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight and Bad Blood. Farangi Girl would be honoured to be in their company. An honest and compelling portrait of a mother by a daughter who loved her, in spite of everything.
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Read the feature on Farangi Girl in You magazine, here
A link to the Bryn Mawr website article
We love the South Coast Register‘s review of Farangi Girl! Click on the image to the right to take a look.
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Click on the image above to read The Lady’s review of Farangi Girl
Susan Elderkin, author of ‘Sunset over Chocolate Mountains’ and ‘The Voices’ A fascinating and heartbreaking insight into a childhood interrupted – gripping. Cosmopolitan _ ___Crazy, colourful, shocking, compelling. You’ll read it straight through once you start.
Maura Dooley, author of ‘Life Under Water’ _ _. . . evokes 1960s Iran in all its beauty and turmoil and conjures a wilful, passionate, fascinating woman in its depiction of her mother. This is a vivid, compelling story woven from both politics and desire.
Maggie Gee, author of ‘The White Family’ _A vivid, gripping memoir of childhood in little-known pre-revolutionary Iran.
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ASHLEY DARTNELL was raised in 1960s Tehran by an American mother and a British father. Educated in Tehran and the US, she later graduated from Bryn Mawr and earned her MBA from Harvard Business School. She lives in London with her husband and three children. This is her first book.
Follow Ashley on Twitter @AshleyDartnell
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EVENT SCHEDULE
For more information on any of the below, please be in touch with us at enquiries@tworoadsbooks.com
19 April: St John’s Wood Women’s Club
20 April: John Harvard Library
24 April: Vania Book Group
30 April: Anne Fass Book Group
1 May: Remy Shah Book Group
8 May: Nancy Zeffman Book Group
14 May: Lizzie Carrington Book Group
16 May: American Women’s Club
21 May: Anna Tierney Book Group
23 May: Sophia Lofthouse Book Group
24 May: Annie Sparr Book Group
20 June: Kensington and Chelsea Women’s Club
25 June: Gray’s Inn Book Club
Ashley talking to Bryn Mawr alumni at Albany
Ashley is also visiting book groups that are interested in reading Farangi Girl. To book Ashley for your book group, please be in touch with us at enquiries@tworoadsbooks.com
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ASHLEY’S FAMILY PHOTOS
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Ashley’s father , Malin
Ashley’s mother, Genie
Ashley’s parents at tea in Pakistan
Ashley with her mother
Ashley on the runway in Iran, earning money for college
I really liked your blurb! looking forward to reading your book
Excited to read your story.
Beautiful jacket, Ashley! Congratulations to all in the art department for that one.
Congratulations, this is really enticing. And wasn’t your mother stunning? Looking forward to reading the book.
Looks amazing-can’t wait to read it!!
What a fascinating story! I can’t wait to read your book.
Well done Ashley. It looks good, can’t wait to read it.
Congratulations and looking forward to reading the book! Love the cover. Your parents look so glamorous in the photos – like movie stars from a bygone era – mother impossibly beautiful and father incredibly handsome.
Congratulations – looking forward to reading the book.
Looking forward to reading your book Ashley!
Congratulations!!!!!! I am so looking forward to reading this book ! You did it!!!!!!
Can’t wait to read it, Ash – and I don’t know how you can say you don’t look like your mother! Your Dad looks like he’s just stepped off the set of Mad Men, too. Feeling very excited about the launch.
Dearest Ashley,
How satisfying to hand it over… you will miss your baby, I am sure! This will definitely one of my Cape Town book club books as soon as I can locate a copy. Can’t wait to read it.
Kathryn Torres
Many congratulations, Ashley! Can’t wait to read – am very much looking forward to getting my hands on a copy. (Your parents were so glam!)
Congratulations Ashley – it looks beautiful. I look forward to reading it!
Cant wait to get my hands on this book – I already know it will be a brilliant and fascinating read
I also want to reserve 3 more copies please for family and friends! PS Can we have your autograph now?
Excited to read you book. Best of luck! x
It looks wonderful. This will definitely the most anticipated book of my summer. I’ll see you at the launch.
Ashley, this is going to be a very interesting read. i can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Well done!!!
Dear Ash,
Many congratulations! Your story seems fascinating and am really looking forward to
reading it .Your parents look like film stars! Have you been asked to make a film of the
book? I’m sure that will be next!
What fantastic pictures Ashley, thank you for shaing them! Sorry we can’t make the launch, but hope it goes superbly!
Can’t wait to read it…your parents are so glamorous! Two of my very favorite people of a lifetime of hundreds of friends….
Congratulations! I’m so excited about reading Farangi Girl…two of my favorite people in a lifetime cast of thousands….
Many congratulations Ashley and thank you for sharing your story and memories. The photographs are fantastic and speak volumes…. am so looking forward to reading ‘Farangi Girl’ -
only 10 days to go !!
Mary Anne was right when she said you capture the struggle and passion of what you all lived through in this crazy, fascinating country. Plus I admire the struggle and passion that went into writing your memoir. Your parents might not appreciate the “dirty laundry” exposed, but they would have to admire your skill, honesty and devotion. It’s a wonderful, evocative portrait of an unforgettable family in a unique time and place. – Yosy
Congratulations! and wish you the very best on the launch of the book and your writing career!!!
I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of your first book — very glam! and to learn some things from that part of the world which I’m not at all familiar with.
Wow Ashley!! Congratulations! Your book looks amazing and I can’t wait to read it. I had no idea you grew up in Iran. Best wishes for great success with Farangi Girl!
Very excited about the book Ashley, congrats to you! Have already put in a request that it be purchased for the collection at the library where I work! Looking forward to reading it…..again, congratulations!
I read The Glass Castle and then read Farangi Girl and could not put it down! My daughter went in to have her wisdom teeth out and when the sister on duty was checking on her to see if she was okay and not in amy discomfort,she looked at me and said “do you like reading? you havent put that book down since you arrived!”.
Just loved it,your writing is brilliant.I got the map out and would actually even like to go see where you lived!
Cant wait until your next book!
A wild ride, splendidly told. Congratulations, Ashley. It’s a very compelling read; you have great style yourself. Seems to pass down through that maternal line.
Hi Ashley,
This is gita, a persian, living in Istanbul-Turkey. I finally managed to find your book in wh smith book shop in London. There was only one copy left and I was so glad to finally have it in my hand. The reason that I decided to write to you, was to congratulate you because I read this book in bed, at breakfast table and in hairdressers and in the bus. I carried it everywhere and ı finished it in four days. I got so much carried away. I really appreciated your writing style. I felt sad at times and then felt happy and at other times ı laughed aloud. This book made me feel stronger in a strange mystic way. Once again I want to thank you for this marvellous book and I really felt so much honesty inside this book which made me hopeful about people. I send you my best wishes and I look forward to another book by you…..love gita
Hi gita! thanks so much for posting this wonderful comment. I am completely thrilled that you liked the book so much. It is so great to meet people through the book who have engaged so deeply. You must be a really generous person to write me such a lovely letter. I thank you very much! ashley
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Well – I have read Farangi Girl and what an amazing story it is.
I shall be recommending it to my book club. Many congratulations.
Ann
Thanks so much Ann! That is lovely. If you or anyone else in London would like me to come to your book group, I would be delighted. If you are outside London, I would be happy to Skype. So happy you enjoyed the book and thanks for recommending it. Ashley
Anassa kata, Ashley!
back atcha Freddie!
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Hello Ashley,
Tomorrow you’re coming to our school for a talk about ‘Farangi Girl’ and I hope to be able to go! I’m an Iranian and I have seen a lot reviews about the book and about the situations involved in it. I personally don’t know much about life then (…Reza Shah and the Revolution) but my parents do and I’ve heard snippets.But, I can’t wait to see how your story unfolds!!