Reviews tagging 'Classism'

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

15 reviews

roohanin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

 

 An intense, emotional rollercoaster that reveals the harrowing consequences of prioritizing religion over humanity. Safia Sinclair's poetic prowess and compelling narrative make this memoir an unforgettable read. 

Reading "How to Say Babylon" by Safia Sinclair was an intense and emotional journey that required multiple breaks to process. The memoir is a gripping rollercoaster of emotions, making me cry, and sharing in her anger and despair. Sinclair’s story starkly illustrates the consequences of prioritizing religion over humanity.

Before diving into this book, I was unfamiliar with Rastafarianism. The extensive backstory provided, even before her birth, was enlightening. However, it became clear that her family's extreme practice of religion should not be seen as a definitive representation of Rastafarianism. I suspect there is much more to the faith than what was depicted in her father's household, encompassing both positive and negative aspects.

I rarely use the word "hate" due to its intensity, but I genuinely hated her father throughout the book. His actions were profoundly disturbing. Despite the darkness, I was relieved to see Sinclair eventually finding a support system for her brother and mother.

Safia Sinclair masterfully crafts a coherent and compelling story arc in her memoir. While I typically do not enjoy poetry, as I often struggle to understand it, her poetic prowess shines through her prose. Although some of her poetic language puzzled me, I could still grasp the overarching meanings and emotions she conveyed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Bullying, Classism, Gaslighting, Cursing, Child abuse, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Child abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Religious bigotry and Classism

darcygabe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Child abuse, Racism, and Self harm

Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Bullying, Classism, and Colonisation

internationalreads's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage

solenodon's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Racism, Bullying, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Grief, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, and Misogyny

Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Colonisation

Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Miscarriage

asiadb's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Child abuse, Classism, and Self harm

lizzyreadz's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Wow! I had no idea of Rastafarian religion and it was incredible to learn from the powerful voice & journey of the narrator Safiya Sinclair.

Her words painted a thick picture of family, struggle, strength, fear, and forgiveness. She writes so beautifully it makes your heart cry.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexism, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Classism

creativerunnings's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Violence, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Slavery

Minor: Cancer

thecriticalreader's review against another edition

dark inspiring slow-paced

4.5

Context: I chose How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair as an add-on to my Book of the Month box in October 2023. 

 

Review:

 

Safiya Sinclair delivers a beautifully written and powerful memoir of her life growing up under the tyranny of her abusive father, who uses his interpretation of the Rastafari faith to control Safiya, her siblings, and her mother. Although Sinclair got her start as a poet and frequently uses metaphor and figurative language in How to Say Babylon, her memoir is immensely readable and pulls the reader in with its literary quality. Sinclair is a master of language, but her memoir also reveals her mastery of storytelling structure, as each chapter feels like a cohesive whole that seamlessly builds upon the story of her life, her family, and her roots. Her retrospective on her upbringing demonstrates a keen awareness of the forces and personalities that shaped her life—nurturing and destructive, fleeting and abiding. She reminds us that above all else, courage and empathy are necessary to free ourselves from people and situations that work to keep us silent. 

 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Drug use, Sexism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Child abuse, Classism, Racism, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, and Bullying

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Colonisation

Minor: Miscarriage, Abortion, Cancer, and Deportation

karenleagermain's review against another edition

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

5.0

Wow. I finished the audio book a few days ago and Safiya Sinclair's memoir will not leave my mind. Sinclair shares her life growing up in a Rastafari family in Jamaica. This rigid religion puts her father as the ultimate authority in their household, where he demands total obedience from his wife and children. Sinclair is raised in a very conservative and isolated environment. She is brilliant in school, but her religion, shown outwardly by her dreadlocks, signals her as an outcast in Jamaica, where many are Christian. 

Sinclair desires to be a writer and shows a great deal of talent, but her family's poverty and her father's values threaten to keep her from achieving her dream. As she grows older, Sinclair realizes that both her goals and the life that she wants to pursue are in contrast to the way she was raised. 

Sinclair's memoir has similar themes to Tara Westover's Educated. Both memoirs are brilliant and eye-opening.

Many times while listening, I paused and resisted to sections of Sinclair's writing. She is such a talented writer. Her prose is gorgeous and she has unique phrasing. Her story is powerful, but made more so by her writing talents. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, and Bullying

Moderate: Abandonment and Sexual harassment

The story is filled with domestic violence, including both physical and verbal abuse. Sinclair has a mentor ( older male, when she is a teen) who makes suggestive comments to her and touches her inappropriately.