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Reviews
Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War by Leymah Gbowee
girl_in_glasses's review
5.0
It's been a while since I've read such an beautiful and inspirational story.
Leymah Gbowee faced extraordinary odds during the long, seemingly endless civil war, by bringing women together to demand that their warlord president, Charles Taylor, and the many rebel groups throughout Liberia, end their fighting. Women for peace! they all shouted for months on end.
Gbowee's story is about how the common people, most importantly the oft forgotten and overlooked women, can change the nature and direction of their country and shape their future. What Gbowee and her fellow West African women accomplished, it's amazing.
While it's heartbreaking throughout, it's ultimately about the power we women have to inspire and the ability to make our voices heard and understood.
Leymah Gbowee faced extraordinary odds during the long, seemingly endless civil war, by bringing women together to demand that their warlord president, Charles Taylor, and the many rebel groups throughout Liberia, end their fighting. Women for peace! they all shouted for months on end.
Gbowee's story is about how the common people, most importantly the oft forgotten and overlooked women, can change the nature and direction of their country and shape their future. What Gbowee and her fellow West African women accomplished, it's amazing.
While it's heartbreaking throughout, it's ultimately about the power we women have to inspire and the ability to make our voices heard and understood.
rmlknisely's review
5.0
Mighty Be Our Powers is truly one of the most inspiring books I've ever read.
If you doubt the power of a female-only space, read this book.
If you are interested in conflict resolution, read this book.
If you wonder how one woman can inspire a nation to fight for peace, read this book.
I can not recommend this book highly enough. Leymah Gbowee is an amazing, real woman and one of my role models.
If you doubt the power of a female-only space, read this book.
If you are interested in conflict resolution, read this book.
If you wonder how one woman can inspire a nation to fight for peace, read this book.
I can not recommend this book highly enough. Leymah Gbowee is an amazing, real woman and one of my role models.
nshedrick's review
4.0
An "I can't put it down" story of change engineered by determined women tired of losing their men.
spuriousdiphthongs's review
3.0
A really interesting story. It's times like these that I'm really glad for the Read Harder Challenge as it pushes me more to read new things. Gbowee's story is compelling and this makes for a quick but fascinating book.
manaledi's review
3.0
This is classic testimonial literature - heavy on the history and politics as told through the voice of a remarkable activist. I learned a lot from Leymah's story, but mostly in the general overview of the war and her work. This book focuses on women and their struggle and their involvement in the Liberian peace process, but I kept having to remind myself that it's first person POV and not academic.
maplibrarian's review
4.0
A wonderful and inspiring story of how the power of women can change the world.
theravenkingx's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Very inspiring and empowering. The writing could have been better, tho.
Very inspiring and empowering. The writing could have been better, tho.
amymo73's review
3.0
Throw the word "sisterhood" in the title of something and I'm immediately intrigued. That's just how I roll. Oh, and add a segment on NPR and I'm probably really going to be interested in the book. Such was the case with Mighty Be Our Powers. With little knowledge of Liberia or the civil war there, I came to the book with an open mind. Leymah does a fantastic job of describing her country both before and during the conflict. Her personal story is one of choices she made and living with those consequences both personally and later professionally. She struck me as a woman who was confident and determined yet not without some regret. At times, I felt the book became weighed down in the politics of the acronym groups working in Liberia and the surrounding countries and the transitions between her descriptions of political events and her own personal story were at a times abrupt and jerky. But the substance of the book is powerful. It's a perfect example that even those with the best intentions need to remember that all conflicts and problems need local solutions and that women are a vital part of the peace and rebuilding process. With her personal story, Leymah illustrates that we are never really a slave to our past decisions or life circumstances unless we choose to be held there. I can't help but be moved, even in my own privileged circumstances, by her close lines in the book "You are a symbol of hope. And so you, too, must keep on. You are not at liberty to give up." A powerful call to do what you can where you are. That's what changes the world.
annemariewellswriter's review
5.0
I loved learning about Leymah's life. I learned about her in college when I was in the Vagina Monologues and campaigning for VDay. I follow her on social media and she is such an inspiration. It was interesting to learn that even though she is so inspiring and she won a nobel peace prize that she not only struggled in her country because of civil war, but she struggled internally with failed marriages, illness, and alcoholism. I loved learning about the true breadth of her perseverance.