secretbookcase 's review for:

Memoirs from the Women's Prison by Nawal El Saadawi
4.0
challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

 This is a compelling memoir by Egyptian writer and women's rights advocate Nawal el Saadawi of her time as a political prisoner under the regime of Anwar Sadat. In it she forcefully argues against the arbitrariness of the repression under Sadat and shoots darts at those who relinquish their freedom of speech and integrity in order to curry favour from a deeply unjust ruling clique. But beyond her politics, the memoir also offers a glimpse into the relationships built between the female prisoners and how this sustains prison life. Sadaawi's compassion towards her fellow female prisoners is apparent throughout the book, foreshadowing her feminist novel Woman at Point Zero.