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_askthebookbug's review
5.0
All the women in my family sing. .
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A huge thank you to @nothingbutthetruthpublishing for giving this review copy. I’m grateful. .
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There are too many hateful and hurtful things in this world and this book speaks about all things unfair and also outstanding friendship that women have carried on their shoulders over the years. The editor Deborah has done a splendid job in putting this piece together. It’s divided into sections to keep the readers hassle free and also convenient. My interest in this wonderful book did not waver till the very last page because it speaks of truth, equality, pain, ugliness in the world and also the incredible journey of strong women. .
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This book is a collection of numerous essays, short stories and even prose depicting the struggle of women of colour, all across the world had to endure while they fought shoulder to shoulder against the injustice. Even the tiniest words said, leave an impact on our minds and affects us all. The hateful things that people do and say to each other, changes the victim entirely for the rest of their lives. And then there are stories of courage, hope and survival. Be it from a disease, the law or just living. This is a marvellous book that every human should read or possess. .
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This is the kind of book that needs to be passed down to generations, so that they can witness the truth and struggles of women of colour. It broke my heart into pieces with stories of pain and then helped me heal with stories of hope. .
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I would rate this book 5/5.
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A huge thank you to @nothingbutthetruthpublishing for giving this review copy. I’m grateful. .
.
There are too many hateful and hurtful things in this world and this book speaks about all things unfair and also outstanding friendship that women have carried on their shoulders over the years. The editor Deborah has done a splendid job in putting this piece together. It’s divided into sections to keep the readers hassle free and also convenient. My interest in this wonderful book did not waver till the very last page because it speaks of truth, equality, pain, ugliness in the world and also the incredible journey of strong women. .
.
This book is a collection of numerous essays, short stories and even prose depicting the struggle of women of colour, all across the world had to endure while they fought shoulder to shoulder against the injustice. Even the tiniest words said, leave an impact on our minds and affects us all. The hateful things that people do and say to each other, changes the victim entirely for the rest of their lives. And then there are stories of courage, hope and survival. Be it from a disease, the law or just living. This is a marvellous book that every human should read or possess. .
.
This is the kind of book that needs to be passed down to generations, so that they can witness the truth and struggles of women of colour. It broke my heart into pieces with stories of pain and then helped me heal with stories of hope. .
.
I would rate this book 5/5.
karenafagan's review
4.0
There is a world of experiences out there and we tend to hear only a very specific set of stories in our usual media. This collection of essays shares some of those little told experiences. These women talk about race, gender, body image, sexuality, being incarcerated with prose that doesn’t allow you to be impervious. They are flesh and blood and their voices are there for us to take heed of.
maggi1928's review
5.0
As a woman of color I found great solidarity in this anthology. Each story resonated within and I found greater connection with my community.
I would recommend this book to those who want to understand their own identity better; those who want to find connection; and those who feel pieces of their souls are missing.
I know that I miss parts of my identity-and this book just helped heal a little more.
I would recommend this book to those who want to understand their own identity better; those who want to find connection; and those who feel pieces of their souls are missing.
I know that I miss parts of my identity-and this book just helped heal a little more.
thatothernigeriangirl's review
5.0
First off, I have to commend the cover of this book! The design is lovely and the material is so velvety, like it’s design to take care of your hands 🤗.
Also, if you notice, hidden within the art work, is this sentence; ‘What does yes look like?”. So kudos to the publisher and the artist.
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Asides the 5 Star cover, ATWIMFS is a collection of 69 beautifully written, well detailed and succinct essays. All of these essays were written by WoCs, of all types and with very diverse heritage. My friend m and I agreed that we have the editor, Deborah Santana, to thank for the precision. I mean, the longest essays was only 8 pages long (and for very good reasons).
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The essays were grouped under 8 different subsets; that touched on identity, migration, career, beauty, family and even illnesses. This categorization made the reading experience enjoyable for me because it felt like a rollercoaster and I wasn’t overwhelmed with the large number of essays.
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Did I also mention that the writing was so diverse in terms of POVs and you can still sense the collective struggle? Writers as young as 20 and as old as 65 contributed to the anthology and you couldn’t eventell from the writing (except the writer mentions their age in the short bio).
I advice you to create space on your tbt list because there are a lot of recommended reads (films and blogs) to add.
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One final observation, the diversity in popularity of each writer drove me to one conclusion; we should never dismiss the struggles of any woman based on whether or not, she’s well known in the society. Popularity doesn’t diminish/eliminate the feminine struggle. This book is a solid 5 Star and I’ll recommend it to everyone.
A Favorite quotes from the books:
“This time you will be a woman,
This time you will be a revolution,
This time your story will be told.”
Ugochi Egonu, All The Women in my Family Sing
sreddous's review
5.0
A diverse collection of essays that'll challenge you, showing you ways that the world works that you never considered before. Some essays are eye-opening when they need to be, sad and emotional when they need to be, triumphant when they need to be. Take your time with this collection, there's a lot here!
suadolaps's review
4.0
The collection of essays in this book were a breath of fresh air. I found myself reflecting and making notes as I read through the experiences of these phenomenal woman, in their own right, brave enough to share their stories.
ralovesbooks's review
4.0
Thank you to Nothing But the Truth Publishing for my free copy! I received it 2 years ago, and I am grateful for the opportunity to read it.
This anthology is tremendous in scope, variety, and volume. The 70 pieces here feature the voices of women of color with a range of backgrounds, sharing their stories about identity, immigration, career, social justice, family, beauty, illness, and travel. I started it in February, and I'm glad I took my time with it because there is so much here. The essays and poems aren't very long, but I didn't want to read a ton at once and just mow through it. I read a few here and there, which let the words sink in. When I finished, I felt full but not overwhelmed. I'm just so thankful for the opportunity to hear from all of these women and listen to their stories.
For an example of the type of writing you’ll find in this anthology, check out La Rhonda Crosby-Johnson’s essay, "From Negro to Black".
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... it continues to baffle me that others need to secure the cultural ethnicity of someone before conversing with them. If the question isn't anthropological in nature -- if you aren't asking because you wish to know more of the culture and traditions of my people -- then I don't understand the need for the inquiry. (Shyla Margaret Machanda, "The Color of Transparency")
Frederick Douglass wrote to Harriet Tubman on August 28, 1868, eloquntly summing up her life and that of so many Black women throughout American history: "The difference between us is very marked. Most that I have done and suffered in the service of our cause has been in public, and I have received much encouragement at every step of the way. You, on the other hand, have labored in a private way. I have wrought in the day -- you the night. I have had the applause of the crowd and the satisfaction that comes of being approved by the multitude, while the most that you have done has been witnessed by a few trembling, scared, and foot-sore bondmen and women, whom you have led out of the house of bondage, and whose heartfelt 'God bless you' has been your only reward. The midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witness of your devotion to freedom." (Marian Write Edelman, "The Tireless Indispensable")
... in our compassion for others, we just exercise the principle of "justice for all," not "just us." (Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, "Hope, Justice, Feminism, and Faith")
This time you will not be the delicate doll that they expect you to be,
You will inhale fury,
And exhale power.
This time you might cry,
Not because women are overly sensitive and fragile,
But because you are human and that is what humans do. (Ugochi Egonu, "African in America")
This anthology is tremendous in scope, variety, and volume. The 70 pieces here feature the voices of women of color with a range of backgrounds, sharing their stories about identity, immigration, career, social justice, family, beauty, illness, and travel. I started it in February, and I'm glad I took my time with it because there is so much here. The essays and poems aren't very long, but I didn't want to read a ton at once and just mow through it. I read a few here and there, which let the words sink in. When I finished, I felt full but not overwhelmed. I'm just so thankful for the opportunity to hear from all of these women and listen to their stories.
For an example of the type of writing you’ll find in this anthology, check out La Rhonda Crosby-Johnson’s essay, "From Negro to Black".
---
... it continues to baffle me that others need to secure the cultural ethnicity of someone before conversing with them. If the question isn't anthropological in nature -- if you aren't asking because you wish to know more of the culture and traditions of my people -- then I don't understand the need for the inquiry. (Shyla Margaret Machanda, "The Color of Transparency")
Frederick Douglass wrote to Harriet Tubman on August 28, 1868, eloquntly summing up her life and that of so many Black women throughout American history: "The difference between us is very marked. Most that I have done and suffered in the service of our cause has been in public, and I have received much encouragement at every step of the way. You, on the other hand, have labored in a private way. I have wrought in the day -- you the night. I have had the applause of the crowd and the satisfaction that comes of being approved by the multitude, while the most that you have done has been witnessed by a few trembling, scared, and foot-sore bondmen and women, whom you have led out of the house of bondage, and whose heartfelt 'God bless you' has been your only reward. The midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witness of your devotion to freedom." (Marian Write Edelman, "The Tireless Indispensable")
... in our compassion for others, we just exercise the principle of "justice for all," not "just us." (Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, "Hope, Justice, Feminism, and Faith")
This time you will not be the delicate doll that they expect you to be,
You will inhale fury,
And exhale power.
This time you might cry,
Not because women are overly sensitive and fragile,
But because you are human and that is what humans do. (Ugochi Egonu, "African in America")
readermonica's review
4.0
All the Women in My Family Sing is a wonderful collection of essays by women on color from a wide variety of backgrounds writing about a interesting set of topics. I worked my way pretty slowly through this anthology so that I didn't have any issues with the essays running together in my mind. If you are the kind of reader who skips forwards, don't with this one! The forward is written by Deborah Santana and nicely sets the tone for the entire collection.
Although I enjoyed the collection as a whole there are three that were my favorites. This Is How You Do by Phirooza Petigara, Outlaw by Matilda Smith, and Black Dolls For Everyone by Mercy L. Tullis-Bukhari. To showcase some of the goodness in this collection the best thing is to just share a snippet from each of my three favorites.
From This Is How You Do:
'But while I marveled at all the things I was getting to do, the people in the tiny Parsi community to which I belong were appalled at all the things that I was not doing. It took time for the subtext to sink in. "So, where is your husband?" Actually meant, " Why aren't you home feeding him?" "When are you going to have children?" meant, "Writing is not an appropriate use of time for a young woman with viable ovaries." My claim that I was child-free by choice was ignored: "Don't worry there's still time!"
From Outlaw by Matilda Smith:
'My brother, who was ten years older than I, was a major criminal: He read banned literature-magazines written by the Teachers' League with articles about what history children should be learning.
From Black Dolls For Everyone:
"Why wouldn't she have a Black Barbie?" I responded. "Her mother is Black, she is Black, so why wouldn't she have a Black Barbie?'
This is very readable collection of relatable essays that I am glad to have read.
You can find me at:
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @MonlatReader
Instagram: @readermonica
Facebook: Monica Reeds
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
Although I enjoyed the collection as a whole there are three that were my favorites. This Is How You Do by Phirooza Petigara, Outlaw by Matilda Smith, and Black Dolls For Everyone by Mercy L. Tullis-Bukhari. To showcase some of the goodness in this collection the best thing is to just share a snippet from each of my three favorites.
From This Is How You Do:
'But while I marveled at all the things I was getting to do, the people in the tiny Parsi community to which I belong were appalled at all the things that I was not doing. It took time for the subtext to sink in. "So, where is your husband?" Actually meant, " Why aren't you home feeding him?" "When are you going to have children?" meant, "Writing is not an appropriate use of time for a young woman with viable ovaries." My claim that I was child-free by choice was ignored: "Don't worry there's still time!"
From Outlaw by Matilda Smith:
'My brother, who was ten years older than I, was a major criminal: He read banned literature-magazines written by the Teachers' League with articles about what history children should be learning.
From Black Dolls For Everyone:
"Why wouldn't she have a Black Barbie?" I responded. "Her mother is Black, she is Black, so why wouldn't she have a Black Barbie?'
This is very readable collection of relatable essays that I am glad to have read.
You can find me at:
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @MonlatReader
Instagram: @readermonica
Facebook: Monica Reeds
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
greysonk's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75