From the author's website, "How to Say Babylon is the stunning story of the author’s struggle to break free of her rigid Rastafarian upbringing, ruled by her father’s strict patriarchal views and repressive control of her childhood, to find her own voice as a woman and poet." H
"How to Say Babylon is Sinclair’s reckoning with the culture that initially nourished but ultimately sought to silence her; it is her reckoning with patriarchy and tradition, and the legacy of colonialism in Jamaica. Rich in lyricism and language only a poet could evoke, How to Say Babylon is both a universal story of a woman finding her own power and a unique glimpse into a rarefied world we may know how to name, Rastafari, but one we know little about." I know very little about Jamaica aside from Bob Marley, so I'm looking forward to reading this and learning something.
Kym, Carole, and I will be talking about the book, giving additional information, and doing promotional posts throughout April and May. Discussion day for How to Say Babylon is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, so mark your calendars. We'll ask questions on our blogs that day and then host the always fun, educational, and entertaining Zoom discussion.
The hardcover, Kindle, and audio versions of the book are all available from my library with some wait. Hopefully, we'll all have plenty of time to place a hold, get the book, and read it. The Kindle and hardcover versions are priced reasonably on Amazon and I'm sure your local bookseller could order a copy for you if you're lucky enough to have a local bookseller.
I do hope you'll read How to Say Babylon with us. I can't resist a book with an intriguing cover, written by a poet, and I might even learn something.
Come Read With Us!
I was able to get the book quickly from my library. My initial "take" was that it was just ok. The first 50 pages or so I found to be slow and a bit tiresome. But now I am roughly 2/3 of the way into it and am finding it to be a very compelling (and disturbing) read. I'm sure our Zoom discussion will be lively!
ReplyDeleteI think this will be a great book to read and discuss together. Having already read it, I am eager to talk about it with other readers. (And Vera is right . . . I think our Zoom discussion will be a lively one!)
ReplyDeleteI think this may be the first time I have anticipated your selection because I already had it on hold at the library when you all announced it! I'm currently 31st in line for the audio, and Libby says I have about a six-week wait (though in my experience, the actual wait time ends up being about half of the estimate).
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to this! I’m in a long library line as well but as Sarah said the time seems to be much shorter. PD
ReplyDeleteI thought I still had two weeks to wait but I got notification this morning that the book was ready. Here's hoping your wait gets shortened!
DeleteI am currently 62 in line for the audiobook, and even further back for the digital version. Sigh. I am looking forward to this one!
ReplyDeleteI am always so impressed at how so many of you can plow through these books so quickly. I've never been able to figure out how to factor in any meaningful reading/listening time into my day.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about other people, but I'm retired, read, and knit. I do have to occasionally clean, do laundry, prepare food, and talk to my husband, but I am rarely without an audiobook and listen for large portions of the day. I like audiobooks because I can multitask while listening.
Deleteoh boy - I missed Friday's post ... I'm sorry for what you experienced. AND I think y'all have chosen a fantastic book for your next read. I loved her memoir, and it introduced me to her poetry. She has a powerful message, and a beautiful voice to share it.
ReplyDeleteI'm very much looking forward to this one!
ReplyDeleteI will join you! Just ordered the book from the library.
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