3.5
Beautiful writing and vivid descriptions. Sad story about how life was for women. I struggled knowing the ending right at the beginning of the book. Made it less suspenseful and I don’t think I enjoyed it as much because of that.

This author and his team researched this book for 10 years. This is one of the aspects I respect so much about this work. To glean a story and book from the mountain of paperwork / archives/ interviews and with missing pieces due to corruption is no small feat. And there was so much more we will never know.

Some complain it was boring and dry. Some say it read like a fiction a book. I think it really depends on how much you like non-fiction. While this wasn’t a page turner, can’t put it down book for me, it was very shocking and interesting. Although, I don’t know why these racist, violent acts surprise me at all anymore.

Some of the one-liners and messages remind me a lot of Thich Nhat Hanh and the Artist’s Way. Maybe if I had read this first it, I would have liked it more and maybe it would have had more of an impact on me like others. But the story really wasn’t that interesting and the messages were nothing profoundly new to me.

Glad I listened, I didn’t know much about Selma. I think she did a good job portraying her life and environment she grew up in, flaws and all. Very traumatic experiences in her life. Her assaults were framed as a result of her alcoholism, which I understand increases one’s risk, BUT men are who assault women who are blackout drunk is the problem. I wish that would have been addressed a bit. It’s beyond disgusting behavior by those doing the assaulting not the victims.