With echoes of Educated and Born a Crime, this stunning memoir chronicles the author’s journey to escape her rigid Rastafarian upbringing dominated by her father's strict patriarchal views. Safiya Sinclair's father, a volatile reggae musician, fixated on her purity, fearing that womanhood would lead to moral weakness and corruption from the outside world, referred to as Babylon. He imposed severe restrictions on her and her sisters, enforcing long skirts, head wraps, and prohibitions on makeup, jewelry, opinions, and friendships. While her mother remained loyal to her father, she gifted Safiya and her siblings books, including poetry, which became a lifeline for Safiya. Witnessing her mother's silent struggle under her father's oppressive beliefs, Safiya turned to education as a means to assert her voice and seek freedom. This rebellion inevitably led to violent confrontations with her father, whose rage intensified as Safiya's poetic voice flourished. The memoir serves as Sinclair's reckoning with the culture that both nurtured and sought to silence her, exploring themes of patriarchy, tradition, and the legacy of colonialism in Jamaica. Rich in lyrical language, it presents a universal story of a woman discovering her power while offering a unique insight into the Rastafari world.
