Alice in Mullah Land by Amir H Taheri follows Alice Rivers, who, after a car accident on her birthday, wakes up in a country governed by religious law where citizens live with animal faces that show authority and submission. She is identified as a foreigner and taken into custody through official channels, prompting her father, John Rivers, a Western diplomat, to enter into negotiations with the regime that now controls her fate. Alice is not hidden or lost. She is kept visible inside a system that treats people as instruments of order. As she is taken through public institutions designed to enforce beliefs, she learns that the masks are compulsory roles and that compliance is expected to look voluntary. Trapped between a state that claims moral certainty and a father who bargains in her name, Alice must decide how much of herself can be surrendered before nothing remains to reclaim.

Amir H Taheri’s Alice in Mullah Land is clearly not just a place where Alice is trapped, but is also a moralistic nod to a territory ruled by clerical power. Here, Alice’s familiar logic no longer applies, and belief systems rule people's daily conduct. Alice is a young and likable main character, trying to stick firmly to her guns. All the characters are unique, and the animal masks, aside from being creative, help distinguish who is who in the parade of individuals Alice meets. To me, Eli is the most fascinating character in his role as a civilian guide who protects Alice, whereas the antagonist, a cleric named Dick, is terrifying in exposing the gap between public piety and private conduct. The approach to describing ideologies is sometimes heavy-handed. But that aside, with near cinematic landscapes and a strong message, this book will suit readers drawn to speculative political worlds, allegorical systems, and the examination of belief systems under rule.

Alice in Mullah Land by Amir H. Taheri is a terrifying yet eye-opening story of oppression, unfair rule, and the underhanded tactics corrupt rulers and religious leaders use to instill fear in their citizens. When Alice awakens from a disturbing dream involving her father, she can’t help but feel as though it is a warning. The absence she felt when her father worked in the Middle East as a diplomat has created a distance between them that nothing can bridge, not even the numerous attempts Alice has made to understand him. As Alice and her best friend, Mona, get ready to celebrate Alice’s birthday, Mona, whose grandfather fought to end the Shah’s dictatorship, decides to share her knowledge of the Middle East. However, the things Mona says leave Alice reeling from shock at the cruelty of human beings. But what Alice learns is just the tip of the iceberg, as Alice is about to embark on a life-changing journey of hardship, oppression, the true meaning of dictatorship, cruel rule, and what it takes to be a good leader. Alice is about to experience Mullah Land.

Graphic and unapologetic, Alice in Mullah Land exposes truths that are often hidden from the public by the government and media outlets. Amir H. Taheri sheds light on extreme darkness, doing so artfully and creatively. I loved how Amir used animals to represent the characters in Mullah Land; the foxes represented the conniving government and religious leaders, and the pigs represented the police, which I found brilliant and ironic! The age-old battle between predator and prey was highlighted perfectly, and I applaud Amir for his tactfulness and skillful writing. I was so immersed in Alice’s narrative and the beautiful jungle that I found myself cheering and weeping at every attempt Alice and her brave friends made to overthrow the government. The subject matter is extremely dark, but I have learned a lot and experienced my own awakening. I recommend Alice in Mullah Land to those ready to see beyond the veil.

Alice in Mullah Land by Amir H. Taheri is a thought-provoking tale of the struggle for identity and freedom amid political and religious oppression. On her twenty-first birthday, Alice wakes up from a strange dream in which she sees her father as a lion encroaching on her space. She and her dad have a strained relationship that she thinks stems from his time as a diplomat in the Middle East, which she believes affected his personality. Later that day, Alice and her friends were in a car accident, and she woke up alone in Mullah Land. In this strange land filled with mullahs, the masses are people with rabbit heads. They are kept subservient to the Grand Mullah through fear. Despite many failed protests, can the people awaken as fearsome lions and cause a revolution?

I enjoyed Alice in Mullah Land by Amir H. Taheri. I appreciate how Taheri acknowledges the Alice in Wonderland connection by making it Jennie’s (Alice's mother) favorite book. The cast of characters is so well written that I was quickly able to become emotionally invested in even minor characters, such as Sheik Ali’s wife. Some violent and sad scenes made me cry. On the other hand, I really enjoyed Alice’s sense of humor and had some genuine laughs. Taheri does an excellent job of pacing his work. This helped to drive home the theme of the struggle and slow progress that is bringing about a political and religious revolution. I strongly recommend that everyone read Alice in Mullah Land by Amir H. Taheri.