Drawing upon her experience immigrating to Canada as an Iranian woman and teaching about racism in majority white spaces, Dashtgard beautifully explores the themes of belonging, purpose, and community in this memoir/essay.

Organized in short passages not ordered chronologically, BELONGING is perfect for when you don’t have stretches of uninterrupted reading time. I enjoyed Dashtgard’s heartfelt writing and resonated deeply with her quest to foster a community without losing her own identity.

One aspect that particularly struck me was the exploration of anger and its purposeful use in addressing racism. Dashtgard’s mindful approach to utilizing rage in her line of work to educate people about racism is both inspiring and empowering.

Another passage that stood out to me was the survival strategies non-white immigrants adopt when moving to white-dominant countries. I deeply related to these patterns and reflected on how this survival mode has impacted various aspects of my life, including relationships and marriages. This passage was truly thought-provoking, introspective, and poignant.

BELONGING is a book that goes beyond the surface level of the pandemic anxiety and delves deeper into the themes of finding purpose & building community. I recommend this book to anyone seeking a meaningful exploration of identity, belonging, and the power of unity in a divided world.

Thank you to BiblioLifestyle & Dundurn Press for the gifted copy