Imperfect is the story of one woman's loss, courage, love, and perseverance before and during the Iranian Revolution. Based on the experiences of the author's mother, Vida Shamsa's life takes an unexpected and dramatic turn with the sudden death of her young husband in 1971. Struggling against the patriarchal customs of Iran, she is faced with fighting her husband's family for control of her children and her life. Never giving up fighting for her son and daughter, she challenges Iran's legal and personal injustices against the backdrop of political unrest during the Shah's regime, the rise of Khomeini, and the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. Imperfect engages the reader in a quest for equality for a single mother who rages against outdated traditions and her need to control her life in order to protect her children, whom she loves above all else.