Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - How to Say Babylon

I picked up this book expecting to enjoy it. Unpacking childhood as it relates to identity is my favorite memoir niche. What I did not expect, however, was to be swept away and enthralled by how breathtakingly gorgeous the writing is.

Sinclair’s talent for poetry and devoted daily practice of reading the dictionary shines in the lush prose - each descriptor dripping with expressive intent. Every sentence a reckoning.

Some books are meant to be devoured, others savored. This memoir is the latter.

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lngoldstein's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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chareadsss's review against another edition

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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.

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corinth113's review against another edition

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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.

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honeyvoiced's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.5

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erickaonpaper's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

"Anything else you'd like to add?" Storygraph asks, unknowing that I may have many, many things to add re this memoir...

part love letter to jamaica, part good-bye letter to her rastafarian upbringing, part forgiveness letter to her parents (particularly to her father), part prayer, part poem, this memoir from safiya sinclair moved me to tears multiple times over the course of journeying through everything mentioned earlier. every time i finish a memoir, i'm grateful for the writer who delivered, and this time is no different. although i refuse to rate a memoir, i will effusively thrust this one into many readers' hands. bear in mind: some of the writing is so obviously coming from a lauded poet, and if poetry isn't your jam, some of the long, meandering sentences and narrative throughlines may ward you off. but do not let that deter you from wading through churlish moments, as safiya herself did not. to face your upbringing, to face your oppression in this way... what a gift. what a gift!!!

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zarrazine's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.75

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