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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I hate giving these kinds of books low ratings but the writing was less than stellar. The story itself I will not rate because this is someone's life and that seems inappropriate to me.
Well told story of the atrocities during the war in Sierra Leonne, but I would have like more depth about the characters.
Didn't know anything about Sierra Leone before reading this book. Can't believe the rebellion that happened there. Completely inspired by this story of triumph against all odds.
This is such an intriguing book. The prose/writing is on the simple side, and while the events portrayed are heartbreaking and horrific, it is told in an almost detached, unemotional voice. As I am reading it, I honestly am struggling to comprehend the horrors that are skimmed over. As someone who was raised and has led a privileged life, I will never understand what it is like to live through and experience the events depicted in this memoir. I can do my best to empathize, but to be honest and genuine, I will never really understand what Mariatu, her family, and her country people have experienced, and lived through.
I do think this is an important text, especially if you are seeking to understand the world from multiple global perspectives. There is a lot to unpack here, and on the surface, this may seem like a brief, somewhat reserved look at the horrors of war, but the more time you spend with it, and discuss the contents, the more it pulls you in and forces you to look deeper. Why does the book have an almost detached tone? Isn't that the right of Mariatu Kamara? To tell the story the way she wants, the way she remembers? Am I just complaining about the lack of vivid imagery and detail because I am a lazy, spoiled Western reader who wants to be shown and told? Do I need the author to pander to my tastes and fulfill that part of my mind that is so conditioned to graphic description and overstimulation? I'm thinking mostly, yes. So, as a reader, I tried to sit back and give the story some space and time, and I think that allowed me to appreciate this memoir on a deeper level.
I do think this is an important text, especially if you are seeking to understand the world from multiple global perspectives. There is a lot to unpack here, and on the surface, this may seem like a brief, somewhat reserved look at the horrors of war, but the more time you spend with it, and discuss the contents, the more it pulls you in and forces you to look deeper. Why does the book have an almost detached tone? Isn't that the right of Mariatu Kamara? To tell the story the way she wants, the way she remembers? Am I just complaining about the lack of vivid imagery and detail because I am a lazy, spoiled Western reader who wants to be shown and told? Do I need the author to pander to my tastes and fulfill that part of my mind that is so conditioned to graphic description and overstimulation? I'm thinking mostly, yes. So, as a reader, I tried to sit back and give the story some space and time, and I think that allowed me to appreciate this memoir on a deeper level.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
It is a heart-wrenching story, but the overall message that we can do more and do better for those in need makes it bearable.
super super good book. as someone with no knowledge of the war in sierra leone, i found this story very interesting. one of those books that really broadens your world view. the wording of book can be confusing at times, and since it’s a retelling with little to no factual evidence some of her claims are a bit outlandish. nonetheless i believe ever word of her story, and the countless others she shares in her book. highly recommend
Mariatu's story is compelling -- as a 12 year old she was raped and impregnated, then had her hands cut off by child soldiers during Sierra Leone's chaotic civil war. While living in a refugee center, she gained media attention and was eventually sponsored and brought to Canada for a new life of education and opportunity. I wasn't particularly impressed by the book itself; Mariatu's voice was so matter-of-fact that the drama of her story didn't come through as much as it might have. I also felt she lacked the depth of appreciation for her extraordinary change in circumstances that she should have had. Perhaps, though, she has become more like the rest of us - "rich" Westerners who feel entitled to live in plenty while much of the world starves and suffers.