Join us for an in-person Book Club Discussion &/or Jamaican Food Tasting on Friday, January 17th, starting at 6:00 pm at Good to Go Jamaican Cuisine in Evanston*!

This adventure features How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair, BUT PRE-READING IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THIS EVENT…

Local Chicago foodies can taste an assortment of authentic Jamaican foods & drinks (& listen to lively Reggae music) inspired by the flavors of characters, plots & settings from the featured book, then stick around to shop our curated collection of books that also compliment the story, all from 7-8 PM at Good to Go Jamaican Cuisine (711 W Howard St in Evanston) RIGHT AFTER OUR BOOK DISCUSSION FROM 6-7 PM. NOTE: Discussion questions will be present at each place setting, so guests can chat about the book if they have read the story in advance.

Psst... You can join us for either or both events!

If you've already paid for a Book Tastings Experience or Subscription, the Book Chat is FREE - no need to buy a ticket - just show up for our discussion! You only need to sign up & pay for the additional event...

If you're not signed up for our Book Club and would like to join us for the discussion or paired activity, please sign up and pay for one or both events! You can pick up a physical copy or Book Box with curated reading pairings from the dropdown menu above, or an audiobook from the link below before the event OR join us for the workshop before you dive into the book - your choice!

*NOTE: If the group would rather meet at New Book Joy, we will have the discussion in our Reading Lounge & order-in Jamaican food instead. In this case, we would charge an additional fee for the Food Tasting experience, instead of having each book clubber pay for their food/drinks individually at the restaurant.

 CLICK HERE FOR AN AUDIOBOOK COPY 

BOOK SYNOPSIS

With echoes of Educated and Born a Crime, 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...

Throughout her childhood, Safiya Sinclair's father, a volatile reggae musician and militant adherent to a strict sect of Rastafari, became obsessed with her purity, in particular, with the threat of what Rastas call Babylon, the immoral and corrupting influences of the Western world outside their home. He worried that womanhood would make Safiya and her sisters morally weak and impure, and believed a woman's highest virtue was her obedience.In an effort to keep Babylon outside the gate, he forbade almost everything. In place of pants, the women in her family were made to wear long skirts and dresses to cover their arms and legs, head wraps to cover their hair, no make-up, no jewelry, no opinions, no friends. 

Safiya's mother, while loyal to her father, nonetheless gave Safiya and her siblings the gift of books, including poetry, to which Safiya latched on for dear life. And as Safiya watched her mother struggle voicelessly for years under housework and the rigidity of her father's beliefs, she increasingly used her education as a sharp tool with which to find her voice and break free. Inevitably, with her rebellion comes clashes with her father, whose rage and paranoia explodes in increasing violence. As Safiya's voice grows, lyrically and poetically, a collision course is set between them.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.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Grown-Ups

OUR BOOKS ARE LISTED BY AGE GROUP to indicate that the content is engaging and appropriate for those selected ages. PLEASE NOTE: They may not be the appropriate reading level for every individual at those ages or may extend beyond the brackets.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

Publisher: 37 Ink

Publish Date: Hardcover - October 03, 2023 / Paperback - July 09, 2024

Pages: 352

Dimensions: Hardcover - 6.5 X 9.0 X 1.3 inches | 1.2 pounds / Paperback - 5.5 X 8.38 X 0.88 inches | 0.6 pounds

Language: English

Type: Hardcover or Paperback

Condition: NEW