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znvisser's review
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Infertility, Racism, Self harm, Blood, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Racial slurs
samuriah's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation
amyjo25's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
sapphire's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Self harm
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault
mondovertigo's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death and Racial slurs
emzireads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry
kirstym25's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Bullying and Drug abuse
bookdragon217's review against another edition
5.0
There are not enough words to describe the beauty that is found within the pages of How To Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair. She cracks herself open to show us the deep roots of her family trauma but still manages to hold the ones she loves tenderly with her poetic prose. Her words are captivating & in true poet form, she delivers magical sentences that dance off the page & stick with you. She interrogates the misogyny of the Rastafarian lifestyle her father subjected their family to while at the same time connecting it to the history of colonialism in Jamaica. She calls out the mental abuse she was subjected to but also gives greater context & explanation about how her father could also be viewed as vulnerable to a corrupt system that is fueled by patriarchy.
What struck me deeply was how Sinclair explores such deep themes through a child's perspective. She places us in her stream of conscience and allows us to see her observations and how she comes to make sense of her world in order to save herself. You see Sinclair develop an astute emotional intelligence that allowed her to survive her circumstances on a daily basis. Sinclair's mother offers poetry & literature as a form of liberation & this was so beautiful to see, especially since her own choices were limited by her own father. The books she read opened doors to understanding the world & provided the keys to free herself from her circumstances. This act of love from her mother is what ultimately helps her find her voice in the midst of chaos.
I can still feel the power of Sinclair's narrative voice. This memoir is not only a testimony but an indictment on the systems of oppression that enforce & perpetuate patriarchy. It also serves a reminder that the consequences of colonialism are still being felt today. Sinclair is an author to watch in the future.
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, and Classism
jenilen's review against another edition
5.0
Minor: Domestic abuse and Suicidal thoughts