Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir

Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib

14 reviews

readinghavoc's review against another edition

4.25

I really really enjoyed reading this. Like a good memoir usually does, this felt both enlightening and highly relatable. I'm really glad to have gotten to read something on the relationship between religion and queerness that was both really similar and so different from my own experiences and questions. Habib's voice was strong and impressive — reading this felt like listening to and learning from a kind friend with more life experience to share. I think this would be a good read for anyone trying to unpack the relationship between their faith and identity, anyone who is trying to build a healthy relationship with a complicated parent, or anyone who wants to think some more about intersectionality and activism.

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fox's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

a moving, thought-provoking, and wholly important memoir. i was particularly affected by samra's descriptions of her complex relationship with her faith not simply as a religion but a facet of her roots, culture and self. worth checking out the "content warnings" if you need them before reading.

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mmefish's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Flew through it in a day.

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pipn_t's review against another edition

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This has been good so far but honestly but it had a lot of things I find triggering in it, and I’m just not feeling up to finishing it right now. No problem with the book so far, just a me thing.

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williamgideon's review against another edition

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

A striking memoir from a voice that needs to be heard. I especially love that Samra Habib doesn't limit this book to her own story, but weaves in the perspectives of people she's met along the way. As a non-muslim, I also found this book gave a great insight into the struggles queer muslims face. Often touching, at times difficult to read, but mostly a wonderful exploration of indentity and the healing of trauma.

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olijordan's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This is the first non fiction book I finished and I don’t think I could have started with a better one. Every person should read this book at least once in their lifetime. Habib’s story is nothing short of exceptional and astounding.

I’ve learned so much from her story and reading the way she’s grown into who she is today, it was a lot of emotions all at once and that was what made it feel special. Like I was reading her life as it happened with all its complicated emotions. There was no romanticising her trauma, life or experience and she was nothing but brutally honest.

I would describe myself secular (at best) so my opinion on her journey with Islam is completely unnecessary. However, it was an absolute privilege to read how beautiful her relationship with her religion became and how it evolved. I’ve never read such a stunning encounter of a person’s religious journey and the love that they found within it. It offered me a window into a world I could only dare dream to know and that is enough for me.

I highly recommend this book.

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notnicolebrewer's review against another edition

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective

5.0

This was a beautiful book, into which my heart curled comfortably and in which I found tenderness and familiarity, although I am only queer, not Muslim, not an immigrant, not a person of colour. I think that is part of the magic of Samra Habib's writing, is that she makes her memoir feel deeply relatable, even if the reader cannot, in fact, relate. Because of this, the scope and breadth of information she shares with us is easily internalized; it feels impossible to read this book without learning something, without ending up a slightly more compassionate person than you started. I am so grateful to Habib for her story, for her writing, for her sharing, and I plan to recommend this to everyone as a first step in understanding intersectionality.

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Title: We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir
Author: Samra Habib
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: June 4, 2019

T H R E E • W O R D S

Fierce • Redemptive• Insightful

📖 S Y N O P S I S
We Have Always Been Here details Samra's own personal experiences growing up in Pakistan where she faced regular threats from extremists; immigrating to Canada only to be faced with bullying, racism, poverty and an arranged marriage; and finding herself. An exploration of the intersections of sexuality, religion, and race.

💭 T H O U G H T S

In an effort to read more Canadian content, exploring Canada Reads picks from years past seemed like a good starting point, and I was not disappointed with the Canada Reads 2020 winner We Have Always Been Here. Samra's memoir is beautifully written, oftentimes down right raw and deeply personal, and yet also inviting. It reads somewhat like a diary, offering a sense of connection (despite quite different upbringings and circumstances), which is what I love most in a memoir. Exploring themes and intersectionalities of identity and the need for safe spaces for self-exploration and the power of chosen family this memoir is both beautiful and heartbreaking.

I will say the first two thirds are considerably stronger than the remaining third, and yet her talent is evident.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• memoir lovers
• readers who enjoyed The Death of Vivek Oji

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Maybe home was simply any place where you felt seen and welcome."

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jenny_d's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.5

I dunno if it's the book or if it's me, but I just didn't really connect with this one. The first part where she was talking about her childhood was pretty interesting to me and it felt cohesive, but the further along the book went the more I was left wanting detail.

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masriya's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

I loved this book. I devoured it in a few days.

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