Didn't finish - I couldn't get into this, quit about a third of the way in. I couldn't quite keep up with the chronology and the mother & father's volatility seemed very repetitive.

When reading How to Say Babylon, I immediately thought of Educated and books such as When the World Didn’t End. Safiya Sinclair opens readers to the world of Rasta and the way that she grew up in a strict Rasta home. We are able to see the ways that these experiences affected Safiya and how it has shaped her into who she is today.

I was drawn to this book after seeing comparisons to Born a Crime and Educated, and I'm here to say that How to Say Babylon packs the same punch as those memoirs. Safiya Sinclair takes you through her life in Jamaica and beyond; she recounts growing up under the thumb of her Rastafarian father, the bonds she forged with her siblings, her close relationship with her mother, and how poetry saved her and gave her a path out of Jamaica. The narrative around the power of female connection and the reflection on a family's history and future especially struck a chord with me. Although I have not (yet) read her other works, I'm certain Sinclair's prose is just as beautiful as her poetry.

If you are worried that your existing knowledge of Rastafari is lacking, this book also covers a brief history of the religion that is incredibly helpful. I highly recommend putting this on your Want to Read Shelf now, so you'll be ready to dive in when this memoir publishes in October.

*Thanks to NetGalley for exchanging an e-ARC of this book for an unbiased review!

I was not familiar with Rastafari prior to reading this, and I wish I had done more research prior to reading so as I could feel the full scope of her life. But even without that, this was a very gripping memoir. I felt immersed in her story as the author walks you through her childhood years effortlessly, even though her childhood was filled with abuse towards her and her siblings from their father. Heart wrenching, but beautifully crafted.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received a copy of "How to Say Babylon" and I 'm offering my review in exchange!

I went into this knowing very little about Jamaica and almost NOTHING about the religion of Rastafari. Safiya's writing style is breathtaking and beautiful. I sincerely think this will be one of "those" memoirs that readers will recommend to each other, because it's touching and well written and isn't heavily graphic like other memoirs. Not only that, but I caught myself thinking a lot about the American perception of Rasta and how white people will not really understand why dreadlocks just aren't for us.

"How to Say Babylon" is thought provoking, emotional, and I think will really WOW readers. It's a must read!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. I really enjoyed this memoir. I thought it started out a bit slow, but it was beautifully written and I learned a lot about a culture I knew very little about going into it.

This was a very beautifully written memoir! I really enjoyed the back story that led up to her story. Now I want to read more of her work.

April 25, 2023
I was hooked from the first page of Safiya Sinclair's memoir, How to Say Babylon: A Memoir. Babylon refers to the sinister forces of western ideology, colonialism, and Christianity.

Her father was a strict Jamaican Rastafarian which meant that his wife and daughters could not wear pants or makeup, or have friends. They were prisoners in their home. Sinclair's father felt a woman's best virtue was obedience and he ruled the household with fear, terror, and violence.

Sinclair's mother introduced her daughters to books because she taught wealthy children how to read. Books created time travel and irrefutable power. Her mother bought her a book of poetry where she learned that pain can be transformed into something beautiful. Sinclair promised herself that she would fly from the cage her father had constructed.

Sinclair's writing style is powerful and pulsating. Some of the memorable passages include:
* Terror lay dormant in our house
* The delicate dance of disremembering the bruise from the night before
* Learned how to sew their mouths shut
* Buoyed by the faintest fumes of hope
* My father sharpened the verbal tools in his arsenal
* Our household was a monsoon of chaos
* Writing felt like oxygen
* Outdreaming the confines of our small world
* There is no American dream without the American massacre

After reading How to Say Babylon: A Memoir, I want to read Cannibal and Catacombs, books of poetry by Sinclair.

This memoir tells Safiya's story of growing up in Jamaica - poor, black, and the daughter of a Rastafarian man whose own upbringing left him unfit for parenthood. His belief system in regards to women was that they needed their virtue to be protected from the white, developed world, known as Babylon, by any means possible. He essentially sequestered his three daughters away from society, and this memoir relates Safiya's upbringing in this context.

Interestingly, all of the children in the Sinclair family are immensely talented, and these talents ultimately acted as a crowbar to a different life. Safiya is a poet, and this memoir is infused with the language of poetry. This beautiful writing was both an asset to the book - - elevating it far above a story of mere trauma, and a detriment, making it a bit harder to "get into" the story. The initial few chapters are ones where you may be tempted not to continue, but the writing gets more assured and more propulsive as the book continues, leading to a satisfying conclusion.

I really liked this book. I learned so much about the Rastafarian religion that I never knew, and it was eye opening. I always just thought reggae music and a bunch of pot smoking. The treatment that her, her mother, and siblings went through at the hands of her dad was heart breaking. They all accomplished so much, and were brilliant students. I found this book fascinating.

I was hooked from the first page of Safiya Sinclair's memoir, How To Say Babylon. Babylon refers to the sinister forces of western ideology, colonialism, and Christianity.

Her father was a strict Jamaican Rastafarian which meant that his wife and daughters could not wear pants or makeup, or have friends. They were prisoners in their home. Sinclair's father felt a woman's best virtue was obedience and he ruled the household with fear, terror, and violence.

Sinclair's mother introduced her daughters to books because she taught wealthy children how to read. Books created time travel and irrefutable power. Her mother bought her a book of poetry where she learned that pain can be transformed into something beautiful. Sinclair promised herself that she would fly from the cage her father had constructed.

Sinclair's writing style is powerful and pulsating. Some of the memorable passages include:
* Terror lay dormant in our house
* The delicate dance of disremembering the bruise from the night before
* Learned how to sew their mouths shut
* Buoyed by the faintest fumes of hope
* My father sharpened the verbal tools in his arsenal
* Our household was a monsoon of chaos
* Writing felt like oxygen
* Outdreaming the confines of our small world
* There is no American dream without the American massacre

After reading How to Say Babylon, I want to read Cannibal and Catacombs, books of poetry by Sinclair.

Highly recommend!

This book is a memoir about the life of a family, community, but especially about a girl who is being raised as a Rastafarian. As we read through the memoir we are enlightened to the Rastafarian culture. Unfortunately, the very reason why the religion came into being is now part of the way this culture runs itself. Dominant male figures in one’s family rule and run how the woman and children are to behave, and use violence and mental cruelty to control.
This true story is about the way this young girl breaks free from the bondage of her culture.
This book is rich in history and very well told. It was hard to get through some of the details because I can be a sensitive reader, but if you enjoy reading about a girl who survives her trauma and becomes successful this book is for you.

★ARC review!★
This memoir was tremendously powerful.
On top of being so beautifully woven and written, it was educational about what women children and even men go through while living in a Rastafarian household. This book was incredibly heart wrenching and hard at times but was fantastic in the ultimate conclusion towards the end.
Beautiful.
★Thank you NetGalley, the opportunity to read an Advanced Copy.★

I almost didn't make it through the dark parts of this story, but I'm so glad I did. Besides being an interesting story of a life that is overcoming, the writing clearly comes from a poet.

For example, Sinclair captured the lure of returning to unhealthy relationship patterns in the description of a ghostly vision of a girl in white. The girl showed up far away, very close, or barely out of the side of her vision when she was confronted with the restrictions of her childhood. Would she resist, or give in? The girl always was waiting.

She describes her mother's fierce self-sacrificial protection this way: "She reached for that incendiary power once more, made herself a shield around her children, and put a permanent stop to this chapter of our lives." I loved that.

I worried she would end the story bitter, but I was left with a sweet taste in my mouth. Thank you, Safiya Sinclair, for sharing your story with us.

I couldn't get through this - it was a little all over the place and was boring me. Really unfortunate because the premise sounded super interesting. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC but this is the first one I just can't finish.

I learned a lot from reading this book and there were spots where the beauty of the writing blew me away. However, I lost some of my interest after the middle of the book and I felt like some concepts and the history of Rastafari were repeated.

This memoir is rich and dense. The author has lived a long life in a short time. The very beginning of the book was my least favorite part. However, I think it just took me a few pages to become familiar with Sinclair’s writing style which makes sense because she is a poet and I do not read poetry. The more I read the more I wanted to read. I became increasingly invested in Sinclair’s life and cannot believe what she and her family suffered through. The only thing that prevented me from giving this book 5 stars was sometimes the writing was too poetic for me. Others will love this. Nevertheless, I think I will remember this story for a long time. Also, this memoir is one that should come with a few content warnings. Sinclair is a brave and impressive woman. Her story is an important one to read.

How to Say Babylon is a powerful and poignant memoir that tells the story of Safiya Sinclair's journey towards freedom and self-discovery. Set against the backdrop of a strict Rastafarian upbringing, Sinclair's story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of language.

Sinclair's father, a volatile reggae musician and strict adherent to a rigid sect of Rastafari, imposed strict rules on his family, particularly the women. Sinclair's journey towards independence and self-discovery is a struggle against this rigid patriarchal system that sought to silence her and limit her potential.

Despite her father's strict rules, Sinclair's mother provided her with the gift of books, including poetry, which helped her find her own voice and break free. As she rebelled against her father's beliefs, clashes became inevitable, ultimately leading to violent confrontations.

Through rich lyricism and powerful language, Sinclair's memoir offers a unique glimpse into a rarefied world we know little about, while also offering a universal story of a woman finding her own power. How to Say Babylon is a must-read for anyone interested in the transformative power of language and the human spirit's resilience.

Review: A very poetic memoir. The writing is so beautiful but makes for a long story.. especially if you are not in the mood for that. Safiya’s story is interesting and heartbreaking.
Recommended For: Those who enjoy memoirs by strong women.

This memoir is a reflection of being a father's daughter. Adhering to parental expectations and hearing the voice in the back of your mind that tells you how to live. How do you respond and create your own life?

There were parts that were poetic. Most of the writing was dense. It did not quite focus on one thing at a time. It did not flow as freely as it could have. The story felt taken away from Safiya to encapsulate what she was saying. Her writing about coming to America after 9/11, a wrought time in the nation's history, will resonate.