Banned shortly after publication for its depiction of female freedom, Women Without Men creates an evocative and powerfully drawn allegory of life in contemporary Iran. Using the techniques of both the fabulist and the polemicist, Parsipur continues her protest against traditional Persian gender relations in this charming, powerful novella. --Publishers Weekly This modern literary masterpiece follows the interwoven destinies of five women--including a wealthy middle-aged housewife, a prostitute, and a schoolteacher--as they arrive by different paths to live together in an abundant garden on the outskirts of Tehran. Drawing on elements of Islamic mysticism and recent Iranian history, this unforgettable novel depicts women escaping the narrow confines of family and society, and imagines their future living in a world without men.