Infidel
2006 • 368 pages

Ratings15

Average rating4.3

15

This book was just absolutely heartbreaking. No woman should go through what Ayaan Hirsi Ali did: a broken home, genital mutilation, a mother who took out her rage on her children, an oppressive society, civil war, a forced marriage and then being a refugee in an alien country. Yet, despite all this she came out stronger, sure of herself AND a member of the Dutch parliament. Incredibly inspiring. One can sense Ayaan's anger at the injustice that she and her fellow women suffered under the unfair religious and cultural values that were imposed on them.

It left me wondering whether the Somali culture can change, which I hope it can. It also left me with despair that religion can be such a powerful tool to oppress and silence people, with women being the biggest victims of it all.

April 12, 2012Report this review