How To Say Babylon

How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Sinclair, Safiya

"Throughout her childhood, Safiya Sinclair's father, a volatile reggae musician and a militant adherent to a strict sect of Rastafari, was obsessed with the ever-present threat of the corrupting evils of the Western world outside their home, and worried that womanhood would make Safiya and her sisters morally weak and impure. For him, a woman's highest virtue was her obedience. Safiya's extraordinary mother, though loyal to her father, gave her the one gift she knew would take Safiya beyond the stretch of beach and mountains in Jamaica their family called home: a world of books, knowledge, and education she conjured almost out of thin air. When she introduced Safiya to poetry, Safiya's voice awakened. As she watched her mother struggle voicelessly for years under relentless domesticity, Safiya's rebellion against her father's rules set her on an inevitable collision course with him. Her education became the sharp tool to hone her own poetic voice and carve her path to liberation."--

This is the kind of book that rewards readers who like family bonds, sisterhood, and motherhood.

Pick this up if you are drawn to memoirs, cultural & regional, and women's studies, layered storytelling, and books that give you something to think about after the last page. It is a strong fit for browsing readers who want a clear emotional hook, a satisfying reading experience, and a story with enough depth to recommend to someone else.