Sisters' Entrance

I will admit I enjoyed this poetry book more than others I have read. Instead of dealing with the heartbreak from romance, it deals with the heartbreak of genocide.

This was hauntingly beautiful. I got chills while reading about bullets dancing off skin. This book managed to tell a story that kept me entrapped and interested. It left me breathless and it made my head and heartache in ways that romantic poetry couldn't.

I highly recommend this. It was astonishingly beautiful in the most painful of ways.

A harrowing, yet beautifully written collection of poems, exploring religion, pain and straight up raw emotions, Sister's Entrance is a must read. Following the authors life and struggles was difficult to get through but I'm so glad I did as it opened my eyes so much to such taboo topics that need to be raised a lot more, especially in the current times. Definitely pick this one up!

Emtithal Mahmoud is strong and fierce and it shows through in her poems. Her country, her beliefs and her family, we all get to know the way she sees them and I, for one, love her look on the world.
Most of these poems are raw, you read about death more than about the living, which -in this case- isn’t strange.
For someone who has never seen war up close, this is a very interesting way to -in some way- try to start and understand what other people go through and that we're spoiled, living in a country like ours.

This is a haunting and harrowing collection. None of the poems are easy to read, many are about graphic and cover traumatic events from the author's personal experiences and perspective. Every poem was powerful and poignant, clearly written with so much emotion behind each one. When I read poetry collections I tend to keep a note of my favourites and the ones that stick in my mind the most as I read, the first one I wrote down was Why I Haven't Told You Yet, but I lost track of my favourites soon after that as I was writing basically every other one down. 

Sisters' Entrance is not an easy read, but it is raw, honest and incredibly important.

I’ve never heard of Emtithal before, but the cover caught my attention and I am so glad that I could read this collection of poetry. I am not exaggerating when I say this book was breath-taking. As a muslim woman from Sudan she accounts the heartbreaking reality of war and the life of a refugee. Her poems illustrate life during war, human suffering, bravery and most of all the resilience of women who are affected by it all. She also touches on the prejudices of being a woman of colour refugee and boy does she have a way with words. Written poignantly, I’m pleasantly surprised how much these poems touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes. Whether you enjoy poetry or not, you HAVE TO READ IT.

This was so beautiful. Mahmoud explores the extent of Islamophobia around the world, and the plight of Muslims everywhere. It's a heart-wrenching collection all about death and destruction, and the struggles of young Sudanese women trying to educate themselves in a country where education for women was practically unheard of. A beautiful collection of poetry - definitely an eye-opener for everyone.

Beautiful albeit harrowing collection of heart breaking poems. I would recommend it to everyone.

I don't even know where to begin with this book. It was painfully, yet beautifully raw. I found myself needing a breather a few times as the heaviness of the words set on my heart and brought tears to my eyes. There's so much that we hear about in the news, and may or may not be affected by it, but reading this from Emtithal's point of view makes it so much real. The gut-wrenching and traumatic events she has experienced, the losses, and all of it has affected me beyond words.

I definitely recommend it to everyone, even if they're not into poetry much mainly because its eye opening qualities.

Beautiful collection. Will have you reading over and over. I cannot wait to add to my classroom.

Filled with joy, grief, violence, and beauty! A collection that you’ll want to read again and again.

A beautiful collection of powerful poetry that touches your heart. I loved the importance of war, survival, feminism and religion that was shown. Some poems had graphic descriptions but that added the affect of the destruction war causes. And how much pain people suffer every day because their stuck in a war that they didn’t ask for.

It’s been a while since I read a poetry book and this one knocked me off of my feet. It truly was that good! Author Emtithal Mahmoud has constructed such a powerful collection of diverse and hard hitting poems...you really need to pick this book up for yourself.

Throughout the collection, Mahmoud never holds back. She’s brutally honest, open and explicit. Her poetry explores topics related to war, genocide, feminism, Islamophobia and discrimination. At times her wording can be quite jarring, a slap in the face, but I appreciate her ability to write as she sees or feels it. Isn’t that what poetry is? An honest outpouring of emotion? Her words are truly powerful as she has this ability to make what she's writing about come to life. It also provided me with a perspective on life during war. I have taught about the genocide in Darfur, but have always read books or watched videos from a primarily male point of view. It was refreshing to her a woman's voice. I hope that we will soon have more of these available. Also, since conflict in Sudan is ongoing, I really hope that this helps to highlight how many more people are impacted by war and conflict. 

My only issue with this collection is that at times it sounds repetitive. Perhaps different words could have been used? However, this didn’t take away from its raw emotion and power. I will definitely be looking for more from this author in the future.

Sister’s Entrance is a poetry collection about genocide, diaspora, the guilt of surviving, racism and Islamophobia, the burdens of girlhood, the solace of sisterhood, and the innocence of a first kiss.

Sister’s Entrance was such a raw and honest poetry collection! I requested this book because I wanted to know read more different kinds of poetry and this was one of them. I’ve read about racism, but not really about Islam or genocide, … Sister’s Entrance really confronted me with what it’s like to be a female Muslim and how everyone looks at you.

Sister’s Entrance was really interesting because I learnt so much by reading these poems. It was definitely something new for me, but a good new! I cannot wait to discover more poetry written by Emtitha Mahmoud!

Sisters' Entrance
by Emtithal Mahmoud
Andrews McMeel Publishing

Poetry
Pub Date 29 May 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Sisters' Entrance through Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley:


Emtithal (Emi) Mahmoud was the 2015 Slam Champion and the woman of the world co-champion presents a beautiful collection of poetry.


This collection is brimming with rage, sorrow and resilience, this collection traverses an expansive terrain, genocide and the guilt of surviving such atrocities, surviving Islamphobia as well as racism.


I give Sisters' Entrance four out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking. Mahmoud has the ability to integrate politics and personal stories in a new and profound way.

This was a very good, strong poetry collection. It's about war, loss, family and islam. Some of the poems hit me hard and made me think. Highly reccomend.

*I received this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book on poetry is one of the most outstanding I have read in awhile. Emtithal Mahmoud's very clear and vivid scenery and language transport the reader to her childhood memories. Every page, every poem, evokes the feelings she had while not just writing them, but as she lived them. Native to Sudan, this biography deals with every key theme related to being a member of the African Diaspora: the racism and phobias, the Survivor's guilt, the burden's of being a women in this society, to even trying to find love. Her rage and resilience leaps from first word to last. I will definitely be adding her memoirs/poetry book to my permanent collection. I will have to be sure to reread it while I still have a virtual copy of it.

This book is amazing.

Poems I especially loved:
"Why I Haven't Told You Yet"
"How to Translate a Joke"
"Head Over Heels"
"For Muhannad, Taha, and Adam"
"Mama"
"Eulogy"

Wow to all of it. 10/10

Thanks, NetGalley, for the read.

Thank you Netgalley and Andrew McMeel publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Many of the poems in this book were heartfelt and emotional. Exploring topics like islamophobia, racism, diaspora and so much more. The poems were heartfelt and raw. The struggles that the author went through were intense and unforgiving and yet a strong woman was born out of the ashes. The poems might have felt a bit repetitive to me but I enjoyed reading a different style of poetry.

This is a copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to them!

Let me introduce to you the author of this book, Emtithal Mahmoud, a fierce woman with strong ideals that captivated to me since I read the first pages of her book. Natural of Dafur, Sudan, Emtithal is a poet and activist who won the 2015 World Poetry Slam Champion and Woman of the World co-Champion.

I had a mixed feelings through my reading, I felt angry, at the same time I laughed at the sarcasm of the author's words. The whole construction of the poems, and their arrangement and structure, fit perfectly for a transversal understanding of what the book talks about.

In a scenario of war, "Emi" transports us with her words to the pain and obstacles that her own and her family suffered. A poetry with a relatively dense degree of subjectivity, which made me think how fragile and cruel the human being is.

The criticisms that "Emi" makes of the prototypes of the society that was inserted, are severe and it imposes with a claw that really touched me. Feminine strength and defiance to standards helped the author to expose her struggle.

Clearly a read that I strongly recommend to everyone! With themes around feminism, war, and revolt under stereotyped patterns, it is undoubtedly a book that will unravel for even more current subjects such as those cited above.

Happy readings!

Gripped this book all the way. It was captivating it tackles views on topics such as genocide, war, mourning, the love for fellow countrymen, the guilt of surviving, racism. You can feel the authenticity of the author from each and every piece. Nothing repetitive all were written uniquely profound. It was heartbreaking, fierce, and empowering to read. It's something that you pick up from your shelf to read over again.

Note: Copy provided by Andrews McMeel publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest.

I discovered this poetry book through my friend Shealea. She gave this book five stars and I was instantly intrigued. Sisters' Entrance explores the brutal realities about war, racism, genocide and religion. It's written in the most spontaneous, achingly beautiful way you'll feel the rawness and authenticity of each piece. I love it. Thank you Shealea for recommending this book! 💕

Final rating: 4.5 / 5 stars

Sisters’ Entrance is a collection of reality, brutal but honest reality, and the emotions of a woman who lived through that reality herself.

This collection covers almost everything that’s wrong with our world because of the few humans gone wrong. Genocide, bombings, violence, and struggle against them--these are just the topics touched in the first part of the collection. You can only imagine what the latter parts bring. The horror of living in a war zone and the helplessness that a person feels when they can’t do anything but watch people die. Justifiably, belief and faith, and the guilt that comes along with them, is talked about in the first part too. Both the themes act hand-in-hand but not actually in hand with each other. And that’s what pulls you right in.

The second part deals with another set of woman-ly problems and the passed down lessons that are taught to the little girls. Virginity and the myths surrounding it, how the myths can create a set of standards that a girl needs to follow, even if it costs the girl a lot, is one of the many issues. Dowry, early marriage, and domestic abuse are written about. The entire viewpoint of the society when it comes to keeping up with relationships or adjusting according to someone else, make this collection more realistic. Among these, rape is talked about too--not only rape before marriage, but rape after marriage too, and probable rape during a woman’s entire life--a vivid nightmare, no doubt.

Not only this, Sisters’ Entrance lays out the unknown abuse that a woman bears from her own family. The jokes about women that are laughed off during a family gathering or being touched by brothers in a way brothers are not supposed to touch you. These overlooked topics won my heart instantly because the poet did an excellent job in highlighting stuff that’s not usually said but needs to be said nonetheless.

The third part takes the collection to a higher level by exposing an immigrants feelings when they leave behind their land and home to start anew, only to find themselves not belonging on this foreign land. Similarly, refugees who cross borders in hope of finding peace only to suffer a war woven into society against ‘our own’. The poems are able to convey the struggle clearly and definitely helps the readers take away something, even if it’s a harsh reality.

Misogyny and patriarchy problems are spoken about too. The last part deals with the religion, Islam, itself and the views of a Muslim and the world regarding a religion. The savage actions that people take against a specific group, whether for their skin color, their religion, their citizenship, or for the clothes they wear, is embarrassingly true. The poems give me courage to read about these happenings, which is very much-needed since the world has ignored these doings for long enough.

This poetry collection can enlighten you, empower you, and engage you with people, incidents and places of the world that you didn’t already know about but should be knowing.

Trigger Warnings: genocide, bombings, violence, death, death threats, mourning, sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, dowry, early marriage, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, religious opinions, immigrant problems, refugees, misogyny, patriarchy.

This poetry book was both beautiful and haunting. It made me feel uncomfortable several times while reading, which I appreciated. It made me realize how privileged I am and how often I take it for granted. Her words cut right to the point while also painting a harrowing, true picture of things she’s seen and done. The words in this book will definitely stay with me for a long time. I think this is very important reading for people of all ages, regardless of age, gender and race. We can all learn things from each other and not take our and others’ lives for granted anymore.

WOW! This was really depressing and heartbreaking, but SO worth the read. I just want to give the writer a big hug. She's been through so much.

Unlike a lot of popular contemporary poetry collections, I was not fed deliberately vague lines and generic content with gaps I could fill in with my own stories; instead, I was gifted with the unadulterated thoughts, feelings, and haunting realities experienced by the author. It was like being invited to see the world and everything in it from the poet’s perspective. More than that, it was like being entrusted with the full weight of someone else’s truth. The poet does not provoke her readers to personally relate to her experiences; but rather, she compels the audience to empathize with her, and on a larger scale, with people who share the same marginalized identities and endure the same injustices. In that empathy, there lies a deeper, more nuanced sense of compassion.

I have always been fascinated with contemporary poetry books, but unfortunately, very rarely do I love them. I find that a significant number of popular contemporary poetry share similar structures and styles: universal narratives that are presented aesthetically and largely bank on how easily people can relate to them. A lot of times, a contemporary piece on heartbreak can be interpreted a myriad of ways, from romantic heartbreaks to familial grief.

What makes this one wonderfully different from most contemporary poetry collections is that nothing about its content is vague. Sisters’ Entrance offers a strong feminine voice that not only speaks loudly and clearly, but also, and perhaps more fundamentally, resonates with readers, whether they can personally relate to the experiences or not. Emitithal is an immensely talented storyteller, and in this book, she invites readers into the nooks and crannies of the reality she has to face and oftentimes endure.

What I’m really trying to say is: Sisters’ Entrance is arguably one of the most important and most hauntingly evocative books I have ever read. Emtithal Mahmoud writes brilliantly, but more significantly, she writes with defiant purpose, inspiring bravery, and empowering honesty. Her work sheds light on socially relevant issues such as genocide, survivor’s guilt, gender-based power dynamics, and discrimination (i.e. racism, Islamophobia), and ultimately, speaks of the brutal realities faced by women of color in contemporary society. The personal impact of this poetry collection on me as a woman of color is unparalleled, and I cannot recommend Sisters’ Entrance enough times!

To be honest, I am still reeling from this poetry collection. The prose is haunting and unforgettable. The strength and fortitude of the poet bleeds through the pages. A lot of the poems are specific to a woman’s life – the little moments that we don’t even realize that stick with us throughout our lives, the moments we don’t question. These poems act as a mirror to the treatment of women by society and family the like and its sharp words slice into your skin and lodge themselves to your veins.