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tamaramo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, and Self harm
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, and Sexual harassment
jenniferw88's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Self harm, and Emotional abuse
imalahakhund's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
Not sure if it's the proper word to use but I kind of seem to have a thing for books about dysfunctional families. After "enjoying" Educated by Tara Westover and The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, this new memoir is about a Jamaican woman raised under a strick Rastafarian Father. I may have come across the word or may have heard some song of Bob Marley (prominent follower of the religion) at some point but I'll be honest before reading the goodreads description I didn't even know that Rastafari was a religion and also supposedly claimed to be an Abrahamic one.
People generally associate Dreadlocks, Cannabis and Reggae music with the community but Rastafari beliefs or Rastology, are based on specific reading of Bible and was developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. According to their beliefs God is referred to as Jah, Emperor Haile Selassie. There are three main sects of Rastafari, the Mansion of Nyabinghi, The Twelve Tribes of Israel and The Bobo Shanti, ranging on a full spectrum from the most conservative militantly Pan-Africanist group, believing in Haile Selassie as reincarnation of God or Black Messiah on earth and the prophecized Black Emperor of Ethiopia, believing in Black unification, liberation, and repatriation to Ethiopia to a more liberal Rastafari sect, welcoming wayward uptown Jamaican youth and white foreigners as members; they eat meat and believe in Jesus Christ to a more closed off, conservative group, adhering to Jewish Mosaic Laws from the Old Testament, including observing Sabbath, and special separation laws for menstruating women. Rastafari also have a spiritual concept of Livity, that is the righteous living, have specific dietary religious regulations called Ital (strict vegetarian diet free from additives, chemicals and meat), and have concepts of Babylon and Zion with the belief that Black African Diaspora are exiles living in Babylon, a term which applies to Western Society. For Rasta people, European colonialism and capitalism and Christianity are regarded as manifestation of Babylon, while police and soldiers are viewed as it's agents.
Contrary to popular perception, Rastafarian people are a persecuted minority in Jamaica, prohibited from roaming around beaches and resorts lest they spoil the image of the touristy sights by their unpleasant and unkempt appearances. Up until the 1960s, the anti-Rastafarian sentiments were so prevalent among the government and police that when a group of Rastas refused to relinquish the farmlands they lived on to government seizure, Alexander Bustamante, the white prime minister then, ordered the military to “Bring in all Rastas, dead or alive!” This triggered a devastating military operation where Rasta communes were burned island-wide in a weekend of terror, where more than 150 Rastas were dragged from their homes, imprisoned, and tortured, and an unknown number of Rastas were killed. Also search Coral Garden Massacre. The Rastafari, though shunned and outcast by their own people, became the living mascots and main cultural export of Jamaican tourism, with barely any profit to the Rasta community, their spiritual reggae music diluted and commercialized for the foreign masses while they were themselves painfully maligned at home.
As a teenager Safiya's father founded the Rastafari community after being let down by his own neglected, abusive upbringing and met Safiya's mother, who also had her own set of familial traumas and both had four kids between them, three daughters and a son, they however did not get married ever, because the Rastafari don't believe in marriage. Safiya's father was a reggae musician and guitarist who at some point had his own band but after being exploited and facing discrimination, started playing at these resorts for foreigners. Both of her parents, and particularly her mother prioritized education. Her mother taught her kids at home and simultaneously organized a teaching program to bring some additional income at home alongwith providing free education to the more underprivileged kids. At first you find yourself relating to the strong anti-colonial and anti-capitalist stance of Rastafari people but then after you read about the repressive attitudes of the some members of the community, particularly towards it's female members, you are forced to see it differently. As time went on, Safiya's father became plagued with a deep insecurity at his inability to properly provide for his family, paranoid from the outer world and corrupt forces of Baldheads and Babylon, he became increasingly obsessed with righteousness and purity of his children, particularly his daughters. The children were prohibited from befriending the other kids at school and girls were forbidden to wear jewellery, makeup, pants. Overtime harsh words transformed into physical abuse. While her father grew militant in his ways, her mother was mostly passive and nonconfrontational, her recurrent attitude was smoking a spliff everytime something odd happened at home, sometimes even in the face of abuse and cheating. Safiya had always been acutely aware of her different family since a very young age, this sense built around by bullying by her peers or her own curious nature or being secluded from the outside world, or a mixture of everthing, Safiya grew up to be quite different and opposite to her father and in turn had to bear the brunt of his words and physical violence. She gradually grew estranged from her community and detached and detestful of her father, to esacpe his world, she sought refuge in poetry and writings and went on to win awards and scholarships. While her mother finally came around and stood up for her, Safiya eventually severed her ties with the Rastafari community and symbolically cut off her dreadlocks at the age of nineteen years which she had been wearing for over a decade.
The memoir though interesting and well-written, it was way too long and repetitive for me, it could be probably cut 100 pages short. It was fascinating reading about this relatively unknown community but it wasn't as mind-blowing to me as the other two memoirs I have mentioned above. The books has strong themes of physical abuse, suicidal ideation and self-harm so beware of triggers.
People generally associate Dreadlocks, Cannabis and Reggae music with the community but Rastafari beliefs or Rastology, are based on specific reading of Bible and was developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. According to their beliefs God is referred to as Jah, Emperor Haile Selassie. There are three main sects of Rastafari, the Mansion of Nyabinghi, The Twelve Tribes of Israel and The Bobo Shanti, ranging on a full spectrum from the most conservative militantly Pan-Africanist group, believing in Haile Selassie as reincarnation of God or Black Messiah on earth and the prophecized Black Emperor of Ethiopia, believing in Black unification, liberation, and repatriation to Ethiopia to a more liberal Rastafari sect, welcoming wayward uptown Jamaican youth and white foreigners as members; they eat meat and believe in Jesus Christ to a more closed off, conservative group, adhering to Jewish Mosaic Laws from the Old Testament, including observing Sabbath, and special separation laws for menstruating women. Rastafari also have a spiritual concept of Livity, that is the righteous living, have specific dietary religious regulations called Ital (strict vegetarian diet free from additives, chemicals and meat), and have concepts of Babylon and Zion with the belief that Black African Diaspora are exiles living in Babylon, a term which applies to Western Society. For Rasta people, European colonialism and capitalism and Christianity are regarded as manifestation of Babylon, while police and soldiers are viewed as it's agents.
Contrary to popular perception, Rastafarian people are a persecuted minority in Jamaica, prohibited from roaming around beaches and resorts lest they spoil the image of the touristy sights by their unpleasant and unkempt appearances. Up until the 1960s, the anti-Rastafarian sentiments were so prevalent among the government and police that when a group of Rastas refused to relinquish the farmlands they lived on to government seizure, Alexander Bustamante, the white prime minister then, ordered the military to “Bring in all Rastas, dead or alive!” This triggered a devastating military operation where Rasta communes were burned island-wide in a weekend of terror, where more than 150 Rastas were dragged from their homes, imprisoned, and tortured, and an unknown number of Rastas were killed. Also search Coral Garden Massacre. The Rastafari, though shunned and outcast by their own people, became the living mascots and main cultural export of Jamaican tourism, with barely any profit to the Rasta community, their spiritual reggae music diluted and commercialized for the foreign masses while they were themselves painfully maligned at home.
As a teenager Safiya's father founded the Rastafari community after being let down by his own neglected, abusive upbringing and met Safiya's mother, who also had her own set of familial traumas and both had four kids between them, three daughters and a son, they however did not get married ever, because the Rastafari don't believe in marriage. Safiya's father was a reggae musician and guitarist who at some point had his own band but after being exploited and facing discrimination, started playing at these resorts for foreigners. Both of her parents, and particularly her mother prioritized education. Her mother taught her kids at home and simultaneously organized a teaching program to bring some additional income at home alongwith providing free education to the more underprivileged kids. At first you find yourself relating to the strong anti-colonial and anti-capitalist stance of Rastafari people but then after you read about the repressive attitudes of the some members of the community, particularly towards it's female members, you are forced to see it differently. As time went on, Safiya's father became plagued with a deep insecurity at his inability to properly provide for his family, paranoid from the outer world and corrupt forces of Baldheads and Babylon, he became increasingly obsessed with righteousness and purity of his children, particularly his daughters. The children were prohibited from befriending the other kids at school and girls were forbidden to wear jewellery, makeup, pants. Overtime harsh words transformed into physical abuse. While her father grew militant in his ways, her mother was mostly passive and nonconfrontational, her recurrent attitude was smoking a spliff everytime something odd happened at home, sometimes even in the face of abuse and cheating. Safiya had always been acutely aware of her different family since a very young age, this sense built around by bullying by her peers or her own curious nature or being secluded from the outside world, or a mixture of everthing, Safiya grew up to be quite different and opposite to her father and in turn had to bear the brunt of his words and physical violence. She gradually grew estranged from her community and detached and detestful of her father, to esacpe his world, she sought refuge in poetry and writings and went on to win awards and scholarships. While her mother finally came around and stood up for her, Safiya eventually severed her ties with the Rastafari community and symbolically cut off her dreadlocks at the age of nineteen years which she had been wearing for over a decade.
The memoir though interesting and well-written, it was way too long and repetitive for me, it could be probably cut 100 pages short. It was fascinating reading about this relatively unknown community but it wasn't as mind-blowing to me as the other two memoirs I have mentioned above. The books has strong themes of physical abuse, suicidal ideation and self-harm so beware of triggers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Domestic abuse
mugsandmanuscripts's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Animal cruelty
asiadb's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Child abuse, Classism, and Self harm
lngoldstein's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Self harm, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault
chareadsss's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I honestly haven't read anything like this that's written in such a poetic and elegant way. Sinclair's poetry influence shone through in this, and my dictionary app stayed open because she was educating me with new words left, right and centre 😁 A lot of the time, it didn't feel like I was reading non-fiction, and Sinclair's storytelling and poetic flare really made for a captivating read.
The reader gets an insight into Rastafari, and what it can be like for women of Rastafari, which was not something I was very well versed in. This memoir was an eye opener for me and, whilst a lot could be said for Sinclair's father and his extreme views, I have a lot of respect for how she dealt with things and am glad she got to speak her truth.
I loved seeing (or reading, I guess) Sinclair take more control and agency, become more empowered, and embrace becoming a woman unapologetically. The same for her mother as it was also heart warming to see her grow into a different version of herself that she was never allowed to be.
I normally don't care for books being split into parts as it often seems quite pointless and doesn't always serve much of a purpose. However, I think it worked well here and each part felt like it had a clear purpose in highlighting the different stages in Sinclair's life/journey as well as the shifts in the relationship with her father.
I did struggle with the length at times but that could've also been down to the fact that life was life-ing (as it does 😅) around the same time. Everytime I picked this back up though, I became so engrossed and invested in Sinclair's story, and wanted to learn/read more. Such a great and powerful read that had me feeling A LOT. I could say so much more but if you haven't read it already, BUY IT. READ IT. That is all.
The reader gets an insight into Rastafari, and what it can be like for women of Rastafari, which was not something I was very well versed in. This memoir was an eye opener for me and, whilst a lot could be said for Sinclair's father and his extreme views, I have a lot of respect for how she dealt with things and am glad she got to speak her truth.
I loved seeing (or reading, I guess) Sinclair take more control and agency, become more empowered, and embrace becoming a woman unapologetically. The same for her mother as it was also heart warming to see her grow into a different version of herself that she was never allowed to be.
I normally don't care for books being split into parts as it often seems quite pointless and doesn't always serve much of a purpose. However, I think it worked well here and each part felt like it had a clear purpose in highlighting the different stages in Sinclair's life/journey as well as the shifts in the relationship with her father.
I did struggle with the length at times but that could've also been down to the fact that life was life-ing (as it does 😅) around the same time. Everytime I picked this back up though, I became so engrossed and invested in Sinclair's story, and wanted to learn/read more. Such a great and powerful read that had me feeling A LOT. I could say so much more but if you haven't read it already, BUY IT. READ IT. That is all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Physical abuse
corinth113's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Heartbreaking, poignant, and lovely. Raw, painful, bleak, abundant, a song, and a prayer. Beautiful prose, poetic and lyrical beats, this woman’s family’s story pushes and pulls at something deep inside of anyone who has ever had to deal with unsettling family dynamics and the way we wrestle forever with forgiveness and reconciliation—not just with others, but with who we become because of our parents and who we want to be despite them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Bullying and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Self harm, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Drug use, and Sexual assault
hultqur's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Bullying, Self harm, and Emotional abuse
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.
Her words painted a thick picture of family, struggle, strength, fear, and forgiveness. She writes so beautifully it makes your heart cry.
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