Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Łzy pustyni by Damien Lewis, Halima Bashir

3 reviews

theaceofpages's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

4.25

Set in the Darfur region of Sudan, this memoir follows Halima Bashir from her relatively privileged childhood (although she was already bullied and looked down upon by certain Arab teachers and students even then), to er becoming a doctor, studying medicine and eventually fleeing from the war after she is targeted for healing black people injured in the conflict.

If you are interested in the pain and struggles that come to those who live in a war zone, particularly women and children, I  can definitely recommend this book, although it is horrifying at times. Some parts (especially the chapters that deal with rape victims and dying families) were incredibly harrowing so prepare yourself before going in. 

I really enjoyed the parts about Bashir's childhood. I loved getting to know about her community and enjoyed seeing what school was like for her. There was definitely an essence of isolation in both her very different worlds due to her two very different lives and sets of experiences. Despite dealing with some rather unkind people, I'm glad she also met some good ones through her education and that she managed to follow her dreams (although things definitely didn't end up going quite how she hoped due to the rising conflict).

I appreciate that she didn't shy away from some of the horrors she saw as a doctor, even if she doesn't always go into graphic derail (probably good for the reader!). I can only imagine how traumatising it all was. Most people don't understand the kinds of atrocities people in these situations face and books that discuss them are so important, especially in a world that is becoming increasingly hostile. Although awareness of war and genocide is spreading, I rarely see it focus on the experiences of African people - voices that desperately need to be heard.

I don't know if it was intentional or even if it's just something just read into, but I found the change of tone as the book went on rather interesting. Even at its darkest times, I felt like there was a kind of warmth when she was writing about Sudan that wasn't there when she wrote about her experiences in the UK. She does talk about the cultural differences and the contrast between greater individualism and a tight knit community, but I could also almost feel it. How alone she felt and longed for those she loved.

Although not an easy read by any stretch (not because of the writing but the contents) I would definitely recommend this book to those who wish to understand the true impact of conflict. I hope the author managed to find her family and friends again one day (or at the very least learns what happened to them) and that all the people of Sudan will finally know the peace they deserve.

Some notes on some of the content warnings (all are individually spoilered)
 

Rape: 

both on page and the treatment of child victims

 
Medical trauma: 

Female genital mutilation

 
Medical content: 

Including treatment of those injured in war with very limited supplies

 
Fire injury: 

Includes children being thrown into burning huts and ending up covered in burns

 
Gun violence:

Mostly second hand

Deportation:

Struggling to not get sent back to a war zone

Animal death: 

Livestock and hunting

 
Pregnancy: 

Not an easy one - ends up hospitalised

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Misogyny, Police brutality, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Colonisation

writingcaia's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I don’t recommend it if you are those who prefer not to know the terrible things happening in the world, or that can be triggered by the events portrayed in this memoir.
This is but one story that tells of the genocide in Darfur of the Black Muslims.
It starts with a happy childhood, marked with some difficulty accepting some of the traditions of her people, followed by learning the hate from the Arabic Muslims in school, to becoming a doctor among the political tumult and stories of attacks to villages, to Halima being persecuted by working in a hospital and helping others like her, and all that so many suffered in Darfur, to finally after a long period in the U.K. being granted asylum.

I barely remember this happening, and it’s so horrible to perceive how outside, these people, these stories are just numbers and letters on a newscast, but not anymore, not after this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation

betag1013's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism