How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair (2023)
Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Safiya Sinclair grew up guarding herself against an ever-present threat. Her father, a volatile reggae musician and strict believer in a militant sect of Rastafari, railed against Babylon, the corrupting influence of the immoral Western world. Rastas were ostracised in Jamaica, and in this isolation Safiya’s father’s rule was absolute.
My first 5-star read of 2024. The writing is beyond gorgeous, which is not surprising when you find out that Safiya Sinclair is a poet – there is a very special quality to books written by poets.
The writing is so lyrical in places, so entrancing, that I had to remind myself that I was reading about someone’s life.
Sinclair does an amazing job introducing her readers to the history of Jamaica and Rastafari, of a culture reeling from the legacy of slavery into the current oppression of a marginalised community.
It is a powerful story about finding one’s own voice and own path, about abuse, familial love and forgiveness. It is not an easy read; for all of Sinclair’s beautiful prose, she doesn’t shy away from the harshness and reality of her upbringing, but it is definitely worth following her on her journey.
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak (2024)
This is the story of one lost poem, two great rivers, and three remarkable lives – all connected by a single drop of water.
I finished reading this book a couple of days ago and I do not feel entirely recovered from it. This was pure beauty; Elif Shafak’s writing is nothing short of stunning and I do not feel I can do it justice. The way she weaves the stories of those three characters (Arthur in the second half of the 1800s, Narin in 2014 and and Zaleekhah in 2018) is masterful. It is clear so much research has gone into this book, and I highly recommend you read the author’s notes for some very interesting context.
This is epic historical fiction, mixed with more recent historical and political events, mixed with current climate science, mixed with poetic prose about the memory of water, and it is seamless and utterly perfect.
The book touches on poverty, depression, colonialism, terrorism and genocide amongst other themes, and Narin’s story which highlights the persecution and massacre of the Yazidi people at the hands of ISIS only a decade ago is eye-opening and heartbreaking in equal measures.
This is a story that is going to stay with me for a long, long time. I cannot recommend it enough; for me, it is a masterpiece and my favourite read of 2024.
By Sandra Tranmer
