A review by abby_bookworm
How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

"How to Say Babylon"by Safiya Sinclair, 5/5 

I've been meaning to read "How to Say Babylon" since I saw it on a bookshelf earlier this year. I was really drawn to the focus on religious trauma, but this book provided that and so much more! 

Sinclair is first and foremost a poet, and that much is obvious from the first sentence. Her language weaves beautiful images without beating you over the head with details, and I could picture every scene she described. Sinclair's love for her home country (Jamaica) is evident in every word, and I loved getting to learn more about Jamaican culture through this memoir. 

Sinclair describes her experiences with Rastafarianism with nuance and understanding, making it clear that her negative experiences with the religion do not negate the positives it can bring. As someone who only knew vaguely about Rastafari because of Bob Marley, it was really fun to learn about this religion through Sinclair's storytelling. As someone with religious trauma of my own, I enjoyed the ways that I could relate to Sinclair's experiences, despite growing up under very different circumstances. 

I would highly highly recommend this memoir, although I would suggest checking out trigger warnings beforehand!