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A review by chareadsss
How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Physical abuse