I am participating in @the_fold's #readingchallenge again this year, and was excited to pick this book up as part of January's prompt: a book by a Palestinian author. I had requested The Called me a Lioness by Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri on @netgalley quite a while back but with the constant straining conflict in Palestine and Israel, it is one that I knew I needed to pick up.

I don't want to get into too much detail on Social Media about my personal feelings and opinions about this war, mostly because I do not feel educated enough to be commenting on it, but I do feel it is our duty to learn about the history and the problems and call for change and support. Tamimi does a fantastic job giving the important background details juxtaposed with the current atrocities occurring in recent years. Near the end there is a large paragraph that I highlighted and think really summarizes the book. Essentially, Tamimi asks readers to consider, what if this was you, your family, your country, how would you respond, and how will you decide what you will do now that you known the truth about what the Palestinians are facing. Learning is a great first step, but action is also important.

I would definitely recommend this book and would like to thank the publisher, @randomhouse and #netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

What other books should I read to learn more? I would love some recommendations! I also look foward to seeing what other people doing the #foldchallenge2024 read this month!

#bookstagram #memoir #diversestories #canadianbookstagram #bookishcanadians #readreviewrepeat #readinggoals #diversebooks #canuck_reads #thefold #festivalofliterarydiversity

This book was maddening and inspiring and heartbreaking. As I read it, Gaza is facing its 85th+ day of genocidal terror at the hands of Israel and my heart breaks reading Ahmed’s hope for the future, not realizing the devastation in store. I learned a lot about Israel’s occupation and all the crimes against humanity they have been committing for decades. I’ll admit, I was ignorant to so much about this conflict and have really tried to educate myself in the last few months. The more I read, the more enraged I feel that my tax dollars fund this illegal state. I have hope that people like Ahed will one day lead a free Palestine and I hope that that day is soon.

What a powerful book.

If you want a picture of life in occupied Palestine then this book gives you a clear picture. The uncertainty, the violence that is an everyday occurrence, the moments of joy amidst the chaos.

Ahed Tamimi is an extremely brave teenager. I think everyone can relate to her desire to protect her family. If I was in her place I don't think I could come close to the courage she showed. The book left me so invested in her life. I plan on following her from now on.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House, One World and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ahed Tamimi is such a phenomenal young woman!! I was super excited about her memoir!! After reading her story, I’m even more impressed. This book is a must read.

"They Called Me a Lioness" by Ahed Tamimi is the author's story about dedicating her life fighting for the Palestinian people. Tamimi weaves the history of the conflict between Palestine and Israel, which centers on Israel's occupation, into her ceaseless devotion to reclaiming the land that is hers. Much of the book focuses on Tamimi's regular resistance against the Israeli army and the time she is forced to spend in prison. She is forced to endure ceaseless interrogations, cruelty, and being ripped away from her family at such a young age to sit in jail while her case is continuously delayed. Her time in jail only motivated her more to further educate herself in the history that led to her imprisonment, and upon her release, it was the people she met there and what she learned that continued to motivate her. I thought that was a really powerful book, but I found the writing to be very choppy and lacking in the narrative abilities of many other writers in this genre. Still, I thought this was a good read.

THEY CALLED ME A LIONESS by Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri describes "A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom." From Nabi Saleh in the occupied West Bank, Tamimi is a student activist compared at times to Malala Yousafzai and Takuri is an award-winning journalist who has worked at HuffPost Live and Al Jazeera Arabic. Together, these women craft a story of resistance to Israeli soldiers which will certainly get our students' attention. The introduction begins with Tamimi in an Israeli jail, thinking, "I'm only sixteen years old and in my senior year of high school. ... I'm supposed to be studying right now, not sitting here under house arrest. I'm supposed to graduate in a few months, not be locked up in prison." They have a firm position and write vividly about "Israel's campaign to ethnically cleanse the land of its native Palestinian population" beginning in 1948, about the 1967 war, and about "growing up under a foreign military occupation." Tamimi shares horrific stories of her aunt's death and her father's imprisonment and torture. Although difficult to read at times,THEY CALLED ME A LIONESS received a starred review from Kirkus. Sadly, the sacrifice and turmoil in this area still needs to be brought to the world's attention. An older work worth investigating is Fast Times in Palestine by Pamela J. Olson.

As Ahed Tamimi says in her post script of this memoir the cause for Palestinian freedom has reached worldwide audiences and is being met with more and more support, for people new to the cause this memoir is a perfect place to start as it provides education to what is happening and what to do to make a difference. For myself and other who are familiar with the Free Palestine movement this memoir is still a must read!

I was so excited to read Ahed's memoir after following her story closely in the news and on social media. What an incredibly brave young woman with a story that everyone needs to hear. She does a great job of explaining Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine and the history behind it, so this is also a great book for anyone looking to learn more about Palestine. She holds such tenacity and optimism even in the face of the many injustices she's been through, most of which are unimaginable horrors for the majority of us. Highly recommended reading.