Reviews tagging 'War'

They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom by Dena Takruri, Ahed Tamimi

49 reviews

brynalexa's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Palestine will be free. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War

zgreyz's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Mass/school shootings

ednam0dewannabe's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

I have already documented myself about the ongoing g but reading about the first hand experiences and trauma Palestinians are experiencing was something I needed to truly see the truth about the West (no longer proud of being an european).
From the river to the sea!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, and Colonisation

Moderate: Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and War

Minor: Death, Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

cleot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Excellent mix of personal and cultural history. Evocative and devastating. Highly recommend for people looking to enrich their knowledge of the Palestinian struggle. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Sexual harassment

Minor: Genocide

yourbookishbff's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Ahed Tamimi's memoir is a must-read for anyone committed to learning more about those advocating for Palestinian freedom. They Called Me a Lioness recounts the traumatic experiences of her childhood growing up under Israeli military occupation and witnessing the abuse, torture and murder of various family members as a young kid and then teen. As Ahed begins participating in protest marches and demonstrations organized by her parents, she becomes a visible figure in the Palestinian resistance movement for her continued presence and activism. She ultimately serves more than eight months in Israeli prison at 16 and 17 years old on charges of *assaulting an Israeli soldier (*slapping an armed soldier who had - the same day - shot her cousin in the face).  

The portions of her memoir that recount her time in prison, detailing the day-to-day life of women and children in Israeli prison for various political crimes (including many who are under "administrative detention" with no charges), are compelling reminders that Ahed is a child in prison. She's a teenager attempting to finish high school, reading romance novels to her cellmates as they make up their faces with the colored pencils provided to them by The Red Cross, laughing over toothpaste pranks and silly seances. She's a child, so feared by the Israeli government that they interrogate her multiple times and imprison her family members in attempts to compel her cooperation.

Ahed's memoir ends in hopeful advocacy and reflections on the globalization of the Palestinian cause. It's this hope and belief in a future free of apartheid that is most devastating for today's reader witnessing the atrocities in Gaza. As a pacifist Quaker, I believe Ahed's reflections on resistance are vital to all of those who stand against apartheid and state violence, and for all of those who ask themselves, as Ahed does, how we can resist violent systems of oppression.

I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by co-author Dena Takruri.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Violence, Grief, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Murder, Sexual harassment, and War

abbie_'s review

emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.5

A powerful memoir from a girl who’s lived through, and continues to live through, something no teenager, no child, no person ever should. Ahed Tamimi is a young Palestinian girl from Nabi Saleh, a village which is surrounded by illegal settlements and which became famous for its weekly nonviolent protests against the Jewish-only settlement blocking access to the village’s community spring. She was later arrested at a mere 16 years old for slapping an Israeli soldier for trespassing on their family’s land. 

Ahed’s story is not about us, not about the west, but you can’t help but think - what was I doing at 16? Worrying about GCSEs, complaining about chores, absolutely benign stuff. Certainly not having your rights violated as a minor in an Israeli prison. Ahed is crystal clear throughout that she does not wish to be viewed, or have any Palestinian viewed, as a victim, even as the occupation inflicts horror after horror upon the indigenous population. She is a freedom fighter, resisting the occupation any way she can, and her steadfastness and devotion to the Palestinian cause is incredible to witness. She’s outspoken and unafraid to challenge authority.

I knew in theory that Israel is an apartheid state, but some of Ahed’s examples and experiences really hammer it home in case you were still (how?) unconvinced. Things like Palestinians being forced to carry ID cards of a different colour to Israelis, and Palestinian cars, distinguishable by their white registration plates to Israelis’ yellow, not being allowed to drive on certain roads designated for Israeli use only. 

The most powerful part of this memoir is how, despite the horrific violence and injustices Palestinians witness every day, they are taught by their parents and grandparents not to let fear control them. Their resistance is not fuelled by hatred. They resist the occupation because they love life, and deserve to live a life of freedom on their own land. 

I’d say it’s more a personal memoir with some political context given, but definitely seek out other works, like the 100 Year War on Palestine for one, for a broader context. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Violence, Colonisation, and War

aquakirst's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

streberkatze's review

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

4.0

In her memoir, Ahed Tamimi tells the story of her life and resistance struggle within the context of Palestinian history and the resistance struggle more generally, which makes this book accessible for readers with different levels of background knowledge. Even though none of the information in the book was new or surprising, it hit me hard. Reading about the never-ending brutalization and killing of Palestinians, including children, in the news is one thing. But hearing about it from a young woman who has lived — and continues to live — the horrors herself and has refused to give up in the face of them has had a lasting impact on me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual harassment

caprivoyant's review

These words deserve to be taken in fully: head and heart. 

I am humbled and grateful to be a witness to Ahed Tamimi's story, appreciative of Dena Takruri for documenting it, and look forward to the day when we can all say Palestine is Free. ❤️

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

barktea's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Sexism, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail