Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

20 reviews

rosegoes3's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative tense slow-paced

3.0


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clairebartholomew549's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Woof, this book was a lot, in the best possible way. I don't usually read a lot of nonfiction, but a really good memoir is an exception, and this is a really, really good memoir. Sinclair's story is about being raised in a strict, patriarchal household, and although the specifics of having a Rastafari father and upbringing may not resonate with everyone (and certainly one hopes the violence and abuse Sinclair, her siblings, her mother experienced is not everyone's experience), the themes are universal. Societies putting different expectations and restrictions on girls and boys, sexualizing girls at a young age, policing their bodies and beings, and blaming them for any sexual violence men inflict upon them. Patriarchs of a family expecting their wives and daughters to be both wives and daughters: having no needs at all, never criticizing or demanding respect from the "man of the household," and their lives revolving around satisfying the man. Chafing at the strictures of the life and world you are raised in and trying to escape with any means possible. A family attempting to heal horrible, devastating ruptures in their very fabric and laying the groundwork for healthier families in the future. Sinclair captures all of this absolutely breathtakingly, with immense compassion for her younger self (and with more compassion than I could ever muster in her situation for her father) and a voice that is so grounded and evocative. Despite this book being heavy at times, I was glued to it and couldn't stop reading. There is something hopeful about this story: Sinclair and her family do eventually break free of their traumatic upbringing, and they strive to do better for future generations. This is a beautiful, unflinching, triumphant story, and I highly recommend it to everyone. 

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lisettemarie's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad

5.0


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crybabybea's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad

4.5

Beautifully written, if a bit long-winded at times. I was really taken aback by how similar stories of abuse are, even though the circumstances vary from person to person. I connected it with my own life a lot, and I saw the resemblance to similar memoirs such as Educated

I also appreciated that Safiya Sinclair included information about Rastafari and Jamaican history, so we would have proper context as we read.

Safiya is clearly an incredible writer, and she does a wonderful job weaving together the complex emotions that come from experiencing abuse. On top of that, the complexity is deepened even further by the generational trauma of colonization and poverty. I found it to be a very well-rounded memoir with a great balance of personal experience and historical research.

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mamaofperfectpayton's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

4.0


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qqjj's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.0


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_aurora_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

4.75


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aleyajo's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

4.25

It’s fascinating what elements of culture counter-culture groups choose to keep / implement - the patriarchy is dangerous wherever it exists.


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readandfindout's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

4.75

Style/writing: 5 stars
Themes: 4.5 stars
Perspective: 4.5 stars

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himpersonal's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Oh wow. Speechless. Ending was not what I expected. So much intergenerational anguish and fighting for survival. And I loved all the poetry too. Hoping to read more of her works after having finished this one.

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