Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

How to Say Babylon: A Jamaican Memoir by Safiya Sinclair

85 reviews

bookishevy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I breathed the biggest sigh of relief after reading the last sentence of this stunning memoir. 

Sinclair details her upbringing by an unstable musician father who adhered to a strict, read: misogynistic sect of Rastafari. He was obsessed with his daughters' purity and believed they would be corrupted by the Western world, referred to as Babylon. He forbade them from wearing pants, jewelry, or makeup, and they weren't allowed to have friends or opinions. 

I was going to rant about his hypocrisy and how he was everything he hated: an oppressor. Because he was especially harsh toward the author, as she was expected to be an example of the proper Rastawoman for her younger sisters, while their brother had more freedom. When she pushed back, her father became unhinged. 

Out of respect for Sinclair, I will bite my tongue and instead focus on her mother, with whom I am enamored. There were times when this man wasn't booking gigs, and he refused to work for Babylon, saying, "Jah will provide." Meanwhile, it was their mother who foraged for food so they could eat. She never complained, but she wanted better for her children than this life of instability, so she gave them the gift of books. 

But an education can only get you so far. Sinclair’s schooling had stalled. She was trapped by her parents' financial constraints, which is sadly true for a lot of bright, underprivileged individuals. Her journey was especially harrowing because she'd been under her father's many roofs far longer than her siblings. Sometimes, it takes more than intelligence to be successful. It takes opportunity, and her mother was always the one behind the scenes doing God's work and finding ways to get her eldest from under her father's eye. 

Sinclair’s story is also an example of how the arts help us cope with hardships. Through poetry, she was able to process her trauma. And what a poet. The words practically leap off the pages. Words of sadness. Words of hope that one day, her father would take accountability and accept her as she is.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

chrisiant's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Beautiful beautiful words about some terrible experiences. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts

el_be_readin's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Misogyny and Fire/Fire injury

qqjj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

amberinpieces's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Drug use, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

jcqln112's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

00phantom's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Vomit

texreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.5

I will never look at dreadlocks the same way again. The author’s father is Rastafarian in Jamaica and raised his family to follow his strictures—his own interpretation of being a Rasta. While young, life was fine as a Rasta with its concomitant dreadlocks, but as the author matured, the father’s rules became increasingly harsher. Rastafarianism is a misogynistic and ascetic religion, for women. The author literally had to escape this life, and cutting her dreadlocks (see the cover) off was among the final acts of defiance and separation from this life-deadening religion. The author is one of Jamaica’s star poets, and this is her memoir. Highly recommended.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Violence

_aurora_'s review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

aleyajo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

4.25

It’s fascinating what elements of culture counter-culture groups choose to keep / implement - the patriarchy is dangerous wherever it exists.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail