Adventures of a Global Citizen - Laughing Without an Accent

Laughing Without an Accent is every bit as good as Funny in Farsi, her first book, with insights into the cultural differences faced by Mrs. Dumas.
This book was also read by friends and family and all loved it!

I liked everything about the book. It was beautifully written; at times I laughed out loud, at others I smiled, and at others I cried. Through it all I appreciated the work of a superb writer. It was enlightening to view the American culture through the eyes of another culture while learning about the author's culture. I look forward to reading her other books and to recommending "Laughing Without an Accent" to family members, friends, and acquaintances.

I actually read this for a final assignment in my Global Citizen class last semester and picked this because it already had great reviews and looked like a funny book. I was definitely not disappointed. The book was well written and an easy read.

Dumas is a great writer and has an interesting sense of humor. But if you have already read her first book "Funny In Farsi", you might not like this book as much. It is like hollywood sequel movies, they are rarely as good as the original one.

But still worth reading. It is funny.

Honesty and purity in story telling
Attractive fluent and humorous way of writing
Strong humanity message engulfed the chapters , recommended reading to all the Americans and Iranian Americans and Iranians who live in Iran.
I enjoyed reading it and learned from it !

Laughing Without an Accent is a collection of memoirs by Firoozeh Dumas, a woman who moved from Iran to America before the revolution. The book is by turns funny, serious, and inspirational.

“. . . to deny someone an education is not just a crime but a sin, because you are denying that person the opportunity to realize who he or she is meant to be.”

The stories are conversational in tone and vary from Dumas’s childhood recollections of life in Iran to attending school in the United States to her experiences as a mother. Reading the first chapter, I discovered that she’d published a prior set of memoirs which had been very successful in Iran, despite an entire chapter being censored. Laughing Without an Accent stands on it’s own, but I do really want to get a hold of her first book, Funny in Farsi.

So many of Dumas’s antecedents are hilarious. I love her descriptions of why all the men in her family wear navy blue velar jogging suits to the time when her French husband decided to cook Christmas dinner for her parents. I also love stories from her childhood, such as how she’d entertain herself by listening in on the shared phone line or how every evening her family would go out on the apartment’s balcony and watch the excitement at the neighboring police show, which once contained an entire wedding party who’d been arrested for excessive honking.

“My father always said that hatred is a waste and never an option. He learned this growing up in Ahwaz, Iran, in a Muslim household. I have tried my best to pass the same message to my children, born and raised in the United States. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter where we learn that lesson. It’s just important that we do.”

Although much of Laughing Without an Accent is funny, other points are more serious. Sometimes Dumas is sharing advice and wisdom that’s been important to her own life. Other times she’s talking about difficulties she’s faced. After the revolution in Iran and the beginnings of the hostage situation, Dumas’s father was unemployable and much of American was actively hostile and hateful to Iranians.

“It all happened so fast. It seemed like on Monday, everyone was asking us if our carpets really do fly. Then on Friday, those same people were putting “I Play Cowboys and Iranians” bumper stickers on their cars. I was fourteen, and all this sudden hatred really got me thinking. What type of person would make bumper stickers announcing hatred?”

I definitely recommend Laughing Without an Accent. It’s different from the normal sort of book I read, but I am very glad I picked it up. Even when she’s describing difficulties in her life, there’s just so much humanity in the way she writes. If you ever come across a copy of Laughing Without an Accent, I would encourage you to pick it up.

Brilliant! Simply sensational! “Laughing without an Accent” is truly one of the best books I’ve ever read. It had it all – humor, wisdom, pathos, life lessons, laugh-out-loud anecdotes. It was a pure pleasure to read this wonderful work of art, and I have no hesitation recommending it to anyone.

I suppose one of the reasons the book appealed to me to the extent it does is that I see similar strains between my life and that of the author in terms of our immigrant backgrounds, views on American culture in particular, and life in general. Although I believe the author is younger than me, some things are timeless: the younger generation’s upbringing in another land versus that of the older generation and the battles that might ensue, the attitudes toward what constitutes “food” among different peoples, the hilarity of culture clashes, etc.

Although this review is short, this in no way symbolizes how little I cared for this book. Rather, it’s the exact opposite – Firoozeh Dumas has written such a delightful book, one meant to be read, rather than reviews of said book itself. So what are you waiting for? Get your copy of it without delay!

Humor isn't usually the first thing that comes to mind when talking about Iranian Americans, but Firoozeh Dumas may just change that! Each vignette highlights the craziness both of her family and of various culture: American, Iranian and French. She writes with such conversational ease, as if telling you a funny story over a cup of tea. Each family member is drawn with clarity, as if you've known them all along. Her family is like a favorite sitcom family - familiar, funny and slightly over the top. The reader can imagine them getting into all kinds of wacky situations and can't wait to tune in for more.

Part of Dumas' great writing skill lies in the simplicity of her descriptions. She is able to set a scene with few words, but provide such keen observation that she cuts right to humor of the moment. She illuminates the humor of cultures and personalities with lightheartedness and respect. She seems to find idiosyncrasies to be both precious and maddening. She clearly loves her family very much, and is able expose the absurdity of their everyday lives. Her command of humor makes even the most mundane of subjects like oversized desks, 10 lb. bags of rice and the "Midnight Chocolate Buffet" on a cruise, a cause for chuckles.

Laughing Without an Accent has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments for readers of any accent. Dumas' keen observations expose the silliness of herself and those around her with an endearing grace and genuineness, causing the reader to embrace her every word and yearn for just one more story.

Armchair Interviews says: Humor lies all around this talented writer.

In this charming and heartfelt memoir, Iranian (pronounced "E-ranian," as Dumas might point out) author Firoozeh Dumas captures the spirit of her immigration experience moving from Iran to Southern California. Laughing Without an Accent is filled with funny anecdotes, pop culture references and awkward "lost in translation" cultural exchanges, but don't let these light and playful vignettes fool you. Dumas effortlessly seams together threads from her youth--her desire for a pet monkey, overdosing on French Fries, and her discovery of the public library system, dating at college--with the common immigrant experience of what it's like to "float between worlds but never fully land." As Dumas recounts that "like many immigrants before us, we found not only what we wanted but a few things we didn't even know we were looking for: Girl Scouts, freedom of speech, affordable community colleges, guacamole, public libraries, clean bathrooms, the pursuit of happiness and Loehman's. Of course we also found things we didn't like: marshmallows, the Hilton sisters and all their friends, pants that ride too low..." Students are sure to resonate (Feel It!) with Dumas' common American experience through hopeful Iranian eyes.

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Funny in Farsi. I recommend it to everybody, all the time; it's probably one of my favorite books of all time. So, I was really looking forward to reading Laughing Without an Accent. Unfortunately, it doesn't deliver. It just doesn't compare. Not nearly as funny, and Dumas actually comes across as somewhat preachy in this book.

Maybe I just expected too much after Funny in Farsi?

I did finish reading the Laughing Without and Accent, and I won't say that it was a complete waste of time or that I regret reading it. There were some funny parts. But, there was just something missing. I guess this is just a warning to readers to temper their expectations.

This is a laugh-out-loud book about the experience of Iranian immigrants to the US... you will laugh if you know anything about American culture, anything about Middle Eastern culture, anything about being a misfit in any society... anything about family life... it's a great book!

Because it's just a collection of stories with no particular linkage between one and the other, there are some strange jumps where you don't know what happened to cause the change (e.g. she did not used to drink alcohol, but then she was drinking it; we don't know how she married her husband, even though we know about how they first met... things like that! But it's not meant to be a fully-fledged memoir, I guess)

I had not read the author's previous book - but I am looking forward to that now!

Laughing Without an Accent, By Firoozeh Dumas

Reading Laughing Without an Accent recently written by Firoozeh Dumas is the most entertaining thing I can think of. I have laughed and cried many times reading each chapter of this book. The chapter I laughed and cried most when reading it is "Seyyed Abdullah Jazayeri", which I think is for this same reason.

The book has stories from early 60's to the present time, ranging geographically over Iran, Europe and America. The reader is taken to restaurants with exotic foods, funeral ceremonies that celebrate life, homes with maids that climb up trees instead of attending to their duties or fall in love and get married to pregnant maids. It ends with a beautiful story of reconciliation; the friendship of the author with a former hostage.

It is a well written book, with few minor typos. I have read the book two times, so far, and have enjoyed it more the second time. Such a wonderful book deserves to be read many times. Her beautiful stories can be enjoyed again and again. The reader will really appreciate all the wonderful effects Firoozeh's writing has, as a bridge builder, in introducing the Iranian culture not only to Americans but also to the world.

I recommended her first book Funny in Farsi to all friends and relatives and gave at least half a dozen copies to some of them as gifts. They all loved it and said that by reading it they died from laughing. Now, it is her second book, "Laughing Without an Accent", truly a masterpiece, that the readers should read and enjoy much more than the first.

Javad H. Zadeh, Ph.D.

This book is jam packed with hilarious, sad, hopeful and inspiring short stories which I really enjoyed. My favorite one is when she spoke before a bunch of evangelicals at Palm Spring. Honestly, I can't think of many writers that can describe an experience as neat as her....
This book is addictive! You just can't put it down until the short story ends and then next one is even better than the last ones.....so, I was caught reading "Laughing without an accent" skipping my lunch and laughing hysterically in my office!!
What a fantastic follow-up to "Funny in Farsi"....Can't wait for another marvelous book by Firoozeh....

I would rate this book 10 stars, if possible.
Clever, engaging, delightful, and that's just Firoozeh's father.
If you enjoy stories about family life, especially coming to the U.S. This story has a happy beginning, middle and end.

I just purchased this book and read it while commuting on the NY subway. It made my commuting experience a pleasure.

Both books are very human and also very funny. Almost every paragraph has a surprise. She is finely attuned to the differences between Iranian and American culture. She does succeed in having us "laugh with her." I have read both of her books and highly recommend them.

I have zero sympathy with the Iranian regime, but we do need more "cultural ambassadors" like Ms. Dumas who can maintain perspective and a sense of humor, and fewer Reading Lolita in Tehran's.

I learned about Funni in Farsi when my children had to read the book as part of their school work in Junior High School. They laughed so much, at first I thought they were playing a prank on me. But when Mom and I read it too, we knew we had found something special. This was the only book that the whole family enjoyed reading and re-reading together. We often joke about things that happen and remind us of that book.

So it was with great anticipation when we got Ms. Dumas' new book "Laughing without an accent". This book too is a masterpiece. We all loved it and we were fighting about who should be reading it at any time. Ms. Dumas, you have brought great joy and understanding to our family and we thank you for it.

I recommend this book to all. It is easy reading, enjoyable, and awakens something deep inside you about our humanity. Way to go Ms. Dumas.

We can't wait for the next book!

"Laughing without an accent" is just as funny as her first book, "Funny in Farsi." After reading her first book I looked her up and was happy to see that she had a second. I really enjoy reading her books; she describes lives situations with an attitude of "Oh well!" This book is basically a Part 2 of her first. Look forward to reading Part 3. (Mrs. Dumas, that was a hint.)

One needn't have read Mrs. Dumas' first book, Funny In Farsi, to enjoy this take on the ethnic translation into American culture, but it would certainly help to get you into the mood. Knowing a bit of the family and its ways means you can start smiling, even chuckling, before the stories unfold. An occasional outburst of pure laughter also happen. Mrs. Dumas, in this sequel, shifts the terrain a bit, with a heavier focus on Iranian ethnic life amidst the bits and pieces of American life. An occasional downward spin on some of our habits and mores is fair game, but doesn't spoil this never-ending story of confused Iranians coping with the "New World." After all, this "New World" is now Mrs. Dumas' as well.

I learned about Funni in Farsi when my children had to read the book as part of their school work in Junior High School. They laughed so much, at first I thought they were playing a prank on me. But when Mom and I read it too, we knew we had found something special. This was the only book that the whole family enjoyed reading and re-reading together. We often joke about things that happen and remind us of that book.

So it was with great anticipation when we got Ms. Dumas' new book "Laughing without an accent". This book too is a masterpiece. We all loved it and we were fighting about who should be reading it at any time. Ms. Dumas, you have brought great joy and understanding to our family and we thank you for it.

I recommend this book to all. It is easy reading, enjoyable, and awakens something deep inside you about our humanity. Way to go Ms. Dumas.

We can't wait for the next book!

"Laughing without an accent" is just as funny as her first book, "Funny in Farsi." After reading her first book I looked her up and was happy to see that she had a second. I really enjoy reading her books; she describes lives situations with an attitude of "Oh well!" This book is basically a Part 2 of her first. Look forward to reading Part 3. (Mrs. Dumas, that was a hint.)

One needn't have read Mrs. Dumas' first book, Funny In Farsi, to enjoy this take on the ethnic translation into American culture, but it would certainly help to get you into the mood. Knowing a bit of the family and its ways means you can start smiling, even chuckling, before the stories unfold. An occasional outburst of pure laughter also happen. Mrs. Dumas, in this sequel, shifts the terrain a bit, with a heavier focus on Iranian ethnic life amidst the bits and pieces of American life. An occasional downward spin on some of our habits and mores is fair game, but doesn't spoil this never-ending story of confused Iranians coping with the "New World." After all, this "New World" is now Mrs. Dumas' as well.

Laughing without an accent was an absolutely lovely and moving memoir. And instead of the tragedy typical of many memoirs, Ms. Dumas takes the higher and harder road of showing us how life and cultural differences can be funny and charming. With everything going on in the world today, I would highly recommend ordering this book for someone with a tough or hectic holiday. It will make their holidays shine.

I really enjoyed this book- I have the audiobook through Audible. I like that she did her own reading, because it made the stories and voices better. Some people do not like her voice but I had no problem with it.

Otherwise, the stories are funny and address many of the same sort of things everyone faces. I'm not an expat, but I've spent a ton of time in Germany and can attest to good "cultural difference" stories!

Excellent read! I thoroughly enjoyed her honesty and sense of humor. I laughed out loud many times and shared many passages with my husband. She also had some real nuggets of wisdom that Iwrote down to ponder and remember. I can't wait to read her first book.

i really like the balance and overview of this book as it grabs you and takes you throughout. the timing and pacing of this book is a journey within a trip all unto itself. very well written and detailed and the encounters are all good and strong. i could go back and read this book again and again a very good book.

Another great book. After reading Funny in Farsi, I was so excited to get my hands on this book. It was a treasure. Although funny, but real and touching and I love the fact that we can share the book with my kids and all of us find a point in there that touchs us and/or makes us laugh. I cann't wait to see more of Firoozeh's work and why not on the screen.

While not laugh-out-loud funny it is amusing, enjoyable book. So many of us can see pieces of our own family dynamics in her stories of gifts that you pretend to like, food you serve they won't eat, and those incidents you laugh at only in hind-sight. Her last chapter where she spends time with one of the Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days is wonderfully poignant.

I just had the privilege of meeting Firoozeh Dumas and her stories are so real. Laughing without an Accent is a great follow up to Funny in Farsi; it's a bit more serious and brings us to into Firoozeh's family in recent years. She is a master storyteller, sharing her thoughts, her perceptions and most importantly, her feelings about life, family and the American way. Reading Laughing is like spending a few hours with the author. It leaves you wanting more.

I read and loved this book. It was, however, less funny generally than Funny in Farsi, but more introspective and critical of US culture.

What I found absent was the warm fuzzy feeling I experienced at the end of Funny in Farsi. This afterglow emanated, I believe, from the central theme of Farsi, which celebrated the US cultural salad. I found a central theme missing from Laughing.

Call it what you want, but Firoozeh Dumas' second book, Laughing Without an Accent,is a fantastic follow up to Funny in Farsi. Her style of writing is so fluid and real, it's hard to believe you are reading something written by a stranger. Offering no apologies for being smart and sensitive, she writes about her awkward college years so honestly, you can't help but root for her to come out on top. And it looks like she has! I can't wait for the next book.

I really like Dumas' writing style and think this was a worthwhile read, but I hungered for a take-home lesson at the end. I found it vacant of a unifying theme, unlike Funny in Farsi. It wasn't quite as humorous as Funny in Farsi (though the opening few chapters were very funny), but had some poignant moments and meaningful insights. I just wished she could have tied it all together at the end.

I heard the author on NPR and immediately wanted to read her book. She did not disappoint. She provided a much-needed antidote to the current stereotype of people from Iran. She is smart, sensible, and very amusing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how her family has successfully adjusted to living in the United States.

This book is hilarious. As an Iranian-American with a large family who immigrated from Iran, i found myself reading them passages so they could laugh with me. I have re-gifted this book again and again so that my entire extended family can join in. I absolutely loved it and know that you will too!