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katewhite77's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Child abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Religious bigotry and Classism
carmina_r's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Beautiful, lush and poetic prose; stunning story. Hard to read at times but completely worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Child abuse
narrnaul's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Misogyny, Child abuse, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault
thelucyfan's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Her writing is beautiful. She asks some important questions and explores what the world, the past, the violence does to us as children who bear the brunt of it all when we are too little to comprehend or process it. No wonder we walk around so damaged.
amy_park's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This book really solidified my love for poetic prose. I loved this book. I listened to it via audio which was lyrical and heart wrenching. A memoir about childhood within a Jamaican rastafari family. Going in I hardly knew anything about the rastafari religion and I learnt alot about this through Safiya's memoir. The misogynistic and strict household she lived in whilst growing up, especially her relationship with her father was hard to read at times, but the power of her words and expereince were so vivid, you couldn't help but connect with her.
I would definetly recommend to read via audiobook as you hear the authors words driectly from her which enhances the listening experience with her emotion and poetic voice.
I would definetly recommend to read via audiobook as you hear the authors words driectly from her which enhances the listening experience with her emotion and poetic voice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Self harm
Moderate: Racism
elenipe's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
bookishmornings's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
mskog's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
On content alone, this book probably would've been a pretty high rating for me just from learning about Rastafarianism and gaining an understanding of the author's life. That aside though, I really think that I could read a 400-page book by Sinclair about paint drying and give it a 5 - her writing is beautiful and purposeful.
bethanllystawel's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0