Reviews tagging 'Racism'

They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom by Dena Takruri, Ahed Tamimi

22 reviews

silodear's review

adventurous emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

This book was so good. A really useful and accessible window into one Palestinian girl’s experience of life under apartheid. Highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual content, and Gun violence

aliireads's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Great book! Well-written and very relevant and informative. Ahed tells her story and the story of her family/people. The book is sad and hard to read at times, but also inspiring with the stories of resistance and resilience. I would recommend this one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Confinement, Murder, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Child death, Grief, Hate crime, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Violence, and War

lianne_rooney's review

informative inspiring tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Physical abuse, Torture, Racism, Violence, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization

brynalexa's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Palestine will be free. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Colonisation, Police brutality, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, War, Violence, Gun violence, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual harassment

kimreads14's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad

Tamimi's story is one of thousands that you will hear if you take the time to listen to Palestinian voices. Her recounting of what she went through during her teenage years inside Israeli prison system. 

Ahed is truly a freedom fighter and the fact that she willingly shared her traumatic experience is incredible. She is inspiring and I truly hope that anyone who reads or listens to this book will realize what Palestinian children have to endure daily. 🍉 🫒

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, and Hate crime

Moderate: Sexism, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Torture

megnut's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Torture, Child abuse, Grief, Islamophobia, Colonisation, Death, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Child death

decie's review

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, Racism, Gun violence, and Forced institutionalization

abbie_'s review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.5

A powerful memoir from a girl who’s lived through, and continues to live through, something no teenager, no child, no person ever should. Ahed Tamimi is a young Palestinian girl from Nabi Saleh, a village which is surrounded by illegal settlements and which became famous for its weekly nonviolent protests against the Jewish-only settlement blocking access to the village’s community spring. She was later arrested at a mere 16 years old for slapping an Israeli soldier for trespassing on their family’s land. 

Ahed’s story is not about us, not about the west, but you can’t help but think - what was I doing at 16? Worrying about GCSEs, complaining about chores, absolutely benign stuff. Certainly not having your rights violated as a minor in an Israeli prison. Ahed is crystal clear throughout that she does not wish to be viewed, or have any Palestinian viewed, as a victim, even as the occupation inflicts horror after horror upon the indigenous population. She is a freedom fighter, resisting the occupation any way she can, and her steadfastness and devotion to the Palestinian cause is incredible to witness. She’s outspoken and unafraid to challenge authority.

I knew in theory that Israel is an apartheid state, but some of Ahed’s examples and experiences really hammer it home in case you were still (how?) unconvinced. Things like Palestinians being forced to carry ID cards of a different colour to Israelis, and Palestinian cars, distinguishable by their white registration plates to Israelis’ yellow, not being allowed to drive on certain roads designated for Israeli use only. 

The most powerful part of this memoir is how, despite the horrific violence and injustices Palestinians witness every day, they are taught by their parents and grandparents not to let fear control them. Their resistance is not fuelled by hatred. They resist the occupation because they love life, and deserve to live a life of freedom on their own land. 

I’d say it’s more a personal memoir with some political context given, but definitely seek out other works, like the 100 Year War on Palestine for one, for a broader context. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Genocide, Violence, Colonisation, and Racism

aquakirst's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Torture, Racism, Murder, Gun violence, War, Violence, Genocide, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Police brutality, and Physical abuse

fireinherveinzz's review

dark emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Profound informative read . Nothing is sanitized for your comfort the truth is there for you to read and now watch take it or leave it . The time is now to act and stand for a free Palestine and end to this continued genocide. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, War, Xenophobia, Torture, Genocide, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Religious bigotry, and Hate crime