madae's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing book! Lisa Shannon's journey to the Congo is powerful and inspirational. After hearing about the plight of Congolese women on Oprah, Shannon organizes a run to raise money to support them. She later travels to the Congo to meet her sisters, learn their stories and raise awareness of the horrific violence that occurs there.
_blissful_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
The way this book was written is different. It definitely wasn't the best written book that I've read. However, the content in the book was very eye opening and really makes you feel for the Congolese. Lisa has a heart of gold and has helped countless women and their families and brings to light the tragedies these people face every day.
knit3314's review against another edition
5.0
A call to collective action for women, children, and families in the Congo. Their battle has been long (16yrs) and gruesome, but hope can be and is found in the actions of individuals who desire to make a difference for the victims of this civil war. An inside look of how one woman started a movement to raise awareness and sponsorships in the U.S. Then internationally for women in Congo. To help women there is to help children and families as well. A book everyone should read to learn more about the conflict and how it impacts the daily lives of the Congolese. A story that speaks humanity into consciousness.
I listened to the audible version read by the author which added more authenticity to the story. It's a good read and enlightening.
I listened to the audible version read by the author which added more authenticity to the story. It's a good read and enlightening.
beccaandthegingercat's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! Lisa was watching Oprah when she saw a segment on Women in the Congo. She very quickly decided to help and turned her life toward doing so.
amandawoodruff's review against another edition
4.0
Intense. Horrific and traumatic, but necessary. Step out of your comfort zone and realize what is going on in the world. I appreciate the honesty in Lisa Shannon's voice. Her inner struggle to be enough for these women of Congo without being patronizing or artificial was heartfelt. Her concern for gathering the stories of these women without becoming a "gore-monger" came across as sincere and a true effort to take the high ground. Makes me wish we could all do a little more.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
Shannon did a really valuable thing, but, I can't help but see how self serving it is. She did pull herself out of a depression by helping others, but the whole fact she keeps emphasizing that it was from Oprah was just weird to me. It never felt authentic in the way that Greg Mortenson was authentic in his quests.
The writing in this book is terribly disorganized and disconnected. A co-writer would have made this a more enjoyable read. As it is, I couldn't even read it through to the end, but instead, I skimmed. I got her points immediately. It's a shame, since I'm sure there's good content buried in there somewhere.
The writing in this book is terribly disorganized and disconnected. A co-writer would have made this a more enjoyable read. As it is, I couldn't even read it through to the end, but instead, I skimmed. I got her points immediately. It's a shame, since I'm sure there's good content buried in there somewhere.
emiged's review against another edition
3.0
After the spate of difficult subjects about which I've chosen to educate myself lately, I'm going to need a huge dose of something light, fluffy and chipper. Ugh.
Ms. Shannon founded Run for Congo Women after being moved to action by an episode of Oprah focused on the indescribable horrors the war in Congo has visited on the innocent citizens there. Up to 7 million people have been killed and additional millions have been tortured, mutilated, raped and traumatized. Ms. Shannon wanted to do something more than cluck her tongue with pity and move on with her life, so she started to raise funds and raise awareness. She finally decided to take a five week trip to the Congo to meet the women she sponsored through Women for Women International.
The stories of what happened to these men, women, and children are brutal and not for the weak-stomached. I appreciated in a very real way what Zainab Salbi described in the foreword as "the privilege of not witnessing atrocities, the privilege of being heard, or having the resources to survive." Those truly are privileges, but I take them so for granted every day. The one line in the book that literally took my breath away was when Ms. Shannon described a young European UNCHR staffer's explanation of security for returning refugees. "Rape here is so common," she says. "It's cultural."
Despite the horror of the stories, the importance of making them known to as wide an audience as possible, and my admiration for Ms. Shannon's perhaps foolhardy decision to travel to Congo, the narrative sometimes fell flat for me. I wanted it to be more about the culture and the people of Congo and why the rest of the world seems uninterested in preventing additional violence there. Ms. Shannon's take on events and her relationships with Ted and D seemed occasionally self-indulgent (which, to her credit, she acknowledges).
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
Ms. Shannon founded Run for Congo Women after being moved to action by an episode of Oprah focused on the indescribable horrors the war in Congo has visited on the innocent citizens there. Up to 7 million people have been killed and additional millions have been tortured, mutilated, raped and traumatized. Ms. Shannon wanted to do something more than cluck her tongue with pity and move on with her life, so she started to raise funds and raise awareness. She finally decided to take a five week trip to the Congo to meet the women she sponsored through Women for Women International.
The stories of what happened to these men, women, and children are brutal and not for the weak-stomached. I appreciated in a very real way what Zainab Salbi described in the foreword as "the privilege of not witnessing atrocities, the privilege of being heard, or having the resources to survive." Those truly are privileges, but I take them so for granted every day. The one line in the book that literally took my breath away was when Ms. Shannon described a young European UNCHR staffer's explanation of security for returning refugees. "Rape here is so common," she says. "It's cultural."
Despite the horror of the stories, the importance of making them known to as wide an audience as possible, and my admiration for Ms. Shannon's perhaps foolhardy decision to travel to Congo, the narrative sometimes fell flat for me. I wanted it to be more about the culture and the people of Congo and why the rest of the world seems uninterested in preventing additional violence there. Ms. Shannon's take on events and her relationships with Ted and D seemed occasionally self-indulgent (which, to her credit, she acknowledges).
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
val_halla's review against another edition
5.0
Lisa Shannon did a fantastic job of creating this book out of her experience with Women for Women International. She admits to white guilt, to feeling inconsequential, and most of all to sharing love with her Congolese sisters. It is everything that most people's volunteer stories are not: honest.