How To Say Babylon

Viac o knihe

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 and devoted Rastafarian, fixated on her purity and the perceived threats of Babylon—the corrupting influences of the outside world. He believed that womanhood would weaken Safiya and her sisters, enforcing obedience as their highest virtue. To shield them from Babylon, he imposed severe restrictions: women wore long skirts and dresses, head wraps, and were forbidden to wear makeup, express opinions, or have friends. Despite her father's control, Safiya's mother nurtured her love for literature, gifting her books, including poetry, which became a lifeline. Witnessing her mother's silent struggle under her father's oppressive beliefs, Safiya turned to education as a means to assert her voice and rebel. This rebellion led to escalating conflicts with her father, whose rage manifested in violence. As Safiya's poetic voice flourished, a collision course with her father's ideology emerged. This memoir is a profound reckoning with the culture that both nurtured and sought to silence her, exploring themes of patriarchy, tradition, and colonialism in Jamaica. Rich in lyrical language, it offers a universal tale of a woman claiming her power while providing insight into the Rastafari world.