Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

2 reviews

katewhite77's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

A simply beautiful memoir

Safia Sinclair is a poet, and it shows in her wonderful prose style. Though the writing  style is beautifully poetic, the content is hard to read to read. Don't go into this expecting an easy ride, especially because the writing  is visceral. 

Safia grew up in Montego Bay Jamaica with her mother, father, and three younger siblings, who are all rastafari. This is, for the most part, a peaceful religion that believes Jamaica should be free from white colonial rule, also known as Babylon.

Over time however Safia"s father is over taken by religious furver and starts to follow a sect that believes in a very narrow interpretation of rastafaranism, particularly in regard to the role of women. This leads to him exerting tighter and tighter control over the females in the family. 

Safia finds an escape route out through education and poetry.  The book is dedicated to her mother, and it is easy to see why because she is amazing.

I fully expect this book to feature in my best books of the year, not least because it references the best band in the world. The Mighy Cranberries. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

creativerunnings's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...