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Tears Of The Desert: One Woman's True Story Of Surviving The Horrors Of Darfur by Halima Bashir
pamefisher's review against another edition
4.0
An eloquent recounting of the author's childhood and education in Darfur (Sudan) and her horrific personal experiences during the Sudan government's war on Darfur which led her to exile in England.
maddie_quinn's review against another edition
5.0
This book was absolutely gutting. The author's story is so brutal it's hard to comprehend at times, but it is so beautifully written that you can't put it down. Of the many Genocide books I've read, this story of Darfur is my favorite. It's eye-opening and humbling, and the author's bravery is inspiring. The brutality in Darfur is ongoing TODAY and the very, very least you can do is learn about it. I highly recommend this one.
bermudaonion's review against another edition
5.0
Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur by Halima Bashir is a very emotional and riveting book. I found this book very painful to read at times, yet I couldn’t put it down, even though I was sobbing at some points. I was lucky enough to receive this Random House publication from the Library Thing Early Reviewer Program.
It seemed that Halima Bashir was born lucky. She is from Darfur, a region of Sudan, and a member of the Zaghawa tribe, and was born into a family that was wealthier than most. For the most part, she had a happy childhood. She was the oldest child of an enlightened and progressive father. He recognized her intelligence early and had big dreams for her. She was sent to a city school because the village schools were not very good. It was there that she faced prejudices and social injustices for the first time . Even so, she excelled at school and went on to university and became a medical doctor.
It was after she was finished with school that violence really took over her beloved country. Janjaweed, armed by the Sudanese government began attacking black Africans. Rebel groups were formed to fight back. Halima’s willingness to treat these rebels got her in trouble with the government. She was forced to escape from her country and is fighting the injustice from afar.
The terror and destruction these people have to live with is unimaginable. You need to read this book in order to comprehend it. One thing that struck me is the role that China has played and continues to play in the genocide that is taking place in Darfur. That gives me one more reason to avoid buying Chinese made products.
It seemed that Halima Bashir was born lucky. She is from Darfur, a region of Sudan, and a member of the Zaghawa tribe, and was born into a family that was wealthier than most. For the most part, she had a happy childhood. She was the oldest child of an enlightened and progressive father. He recognized her intelligence early and had big dreams for her. She was sent to a city school because the village schools were not very good. It was there that she faced prejudices and social injustices for the first time . Even so, she excelled at school and went on to university and became a medical doctor.
It was after she was finished with school that violence really took over her beloved country. Janjaweed, armed by the Sudanese government began attacking black Africans. Rebel groups were formed to fight back. Halima’s willingness to treat these rebels got her in trouble with the government. She was forced to escape from her country and is fighting the injustice from afar.
The terror and destruction these people have to live with is unimaginable. You need to read this book in order to comprehend it. One thing that struck me is the role that China has played and continues to play in the genocide that is taking place in Darfur. That gives me one more reason to avoid buying Chinese made products.
slimdot's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Rape
kmrose's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
somelesbianwriter's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Incest, and Colonisation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Deportation
alyxy0's review against another edition
I got about halfway through but had to return the interlibrary loan before I could finish :( I hope to finish it someday!
annayareads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
My heart is definitely with the Sudanese people. It is horrific to think that so much of what Halima describes is still true with the RSF troops to this day. I also want to say that I was struck by how familiar anti-Blackness was in her life story. Obviously, we grew up thousands of miles apart and in different decades, but the racism she experienced was familiar. The colorism, texturism, etc felt so familiar to me. I know the "Black community" is a contentious term for pretty good reason (we're not a monolith etc etc). However, I can't ignore how our struggles are different and yet ultimately the same no matter where we are.
fjette's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I’m not going to rate a memoir like this - it feels cheap. Overall, a beautiful portrait of life in Sudan and the ongoing conflict there. Was especially wrenching to read after having read “Who Gets Believed” and having a glimpse of how asylum decisions are made. I thought this was an excellent, warm, moving story. The only qualm I had was that the way broad groups were stereotyped - Arab and Somali people, specifically - was troubling. I can’t imagine what Bashir has gone through and won’t pretend to understand, but dehumanizing entire populations is a concerning thing to legitimize.