Chicken with Plums tells the heartrending story of a celebrated Iranian musician who gives up his life for music and love.
When Nasser Ali Khan, Marjane Satrapi’s great-uncle, discovers that his beloved instrument is irreparably damaged, he takes to his bed, renouncing the world and all its pleasures. 
Over the course of the week that follows, we are treated to vivid scenes of his encounters with family and friends, flashbacks to his childhood, and flash-forwards to his children’s future. And as the pieces of his story fall into place, we begin to understand the breadth of his decision to let go of life.
And it’s then that we get to see a surprising cameo from Marjane herself with her beloved mother in 1998:
I’m still not over those two astonishing women.
Also, there were a lot of parts that really hit home for me:
This one made me erupte into a truly impolite laugh. When will farting jokes stop being funny to me…?
And this next part with Azrael, the Angel of Death, was astounding:
I was starting to get attached to Nasser Ali and his intricate life…. but then it ended so abruptly. And I was left with my jaw on the floor.
It seems like I’ll never get enough of Marjane Satrapi’s writing, which I’m more than okay with. I’m already looking forward to reading The Sigh.
4/5 stars
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