Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - How to Say Babylon

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

54 reviews

flowchelle's review against another edition

emotional inspiring tense slow-paced

4.0

Wow, this book was a lot more than I realized it would be! I fully understand the importance of the grandparents story and it gave the parents much more depth but it was so much to process with how soul crushing each generations story was. However, that obviously made Safiya’s triumphs even more impressive and mold breaking. This was such a multifaceted and beautifully told story that got my emotions entirely entwined! I was shocked by her

ability to forgive her father in the end

and

brought to tears by the description of the generations of women healed on the beach

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mamaofperfectpayton's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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rworrall78's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

Stunningly written, the audio book is also a treat and really brings out the poetry. I loved the way Sinclair made me feel the positives not only of her wonderful mother, but also her very troubled and cruel father. The love and bounty of her early life is really clear, as is the dawning realisation that Rastafarianism as her dad practiced it is patriarchical cruelty. There were a few passages that really clearly delved into the oppression and white supremacy that underlies the ideology and how valid the anger and hurt that birthed it is.

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ivi_reads_books's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

3.75

It took me a while to get into this book, largely due to its lyrical style—which makes sense, given that the author is a poet.

I found it incredibly informative about Jamaican history and the Rastafarian movement, offering insights I hadn’t encountered before. While the abuse the author endured as a child and young adult was difficult to read about, her story of resilience and self-determination is inspiring.

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sadhbhprice's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

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bookishevy's review against another edition

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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.

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