They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom
Ahed Tamimi
A Palestinian activist jailed at sixteen after a confrontation with Israeli soldiers illuminates the daily struggles of life under occupation in this moving, deeply personal memoir. “What would you do if you grew up seeing your home repeatedly raided. Your parents arrested. more
288 pages, Hardcover
First published One World
4.71
Rating
2038
Ratings
434
Reviews
Ahed Tamimi
2 books 49 followers
Community reviews
They Called Me A Lioness is a must-read for people attempting to make sense of recent events in Israel and Gaza. more
I listened to Ahed Tamimi's memoir, They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom and it's fascinating, terrifying, and inspirational. Tamimi is a Palestinian activist who was arrested and imprisoned at age 16 for slapping an Israeli soldier. Tamimi and her family live in Area 3 of the occupied West Bank in Palestine which is run by the Israeli government and military. The daily atrocities inflicted on Palestinians is indescribable as well as Tamimi's experience while imprisoned. more
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. more
A worthwhile read for anyone who is trying to “both sides” this conversation. Free Palestine. . more
"I’m a firm believer that the international community must boycott Israel and pursue it for war crimes in the international courts. I also believe that the only possible and acceptable resolution at this point is a one-state solution. My vision is for us to live in a single democratic state where everyone is equal, Muslim, Christian, and Jew. ""Zionism has taken our country, where Jews, Christians, and Muslims have lived for centuries, and made it a country that is ruled by and for Jews alone. Zionists’ ideology claims that they have the right to take other people’s land, to push them out. more
There were multiple times I found myself closing this book & thinking back to some moments I remember reading about in the news or some moments from my own personal life. There were also times I had to stop reading because I couldn’t help but cry. This is a must read book to anyone who wants a glimpse about Palestine through the eyes of a Palestinian child/young adult. It’s powerful and it’s an important narrative. . more
The writing style makes this book easy reading, but the content contained is absolutely horrific, heart breaking, and hard to truly comprehend. If this was fiction it would be overkill, barbaric, cruel; the fact that it is factual, current, and ongoing is inexcusable. There is no humanely possible way that we can still be ignorant or apathetic to the plight of the Palestinians. It is an occupation. It is apartheid. more
The easiest five stars I’ve ever given. Read this book and let it anger you. Read, reread and print off chapter 8, one of the best hope poems of all times. more
I don’t have enough words to describe how devastated I’ve been over the past 68/69 days. May I always carry this devastation and anger with me until we’re all free. May my beloved Ahed see her beautiful people free. more
“My vision is for us to live in a single democratic state where everyone is equal, Muslim, Christian, and Jew. ”“May we all one day break free from oppression and imprisonment. ” . more
Ahed Tamimi is someone that often comes to mind when I think of indigenous resistance against colonizing occupations. I was really excited when I saw that she had written an autobiography and wanted to hear her story in her own words. I loved Ahed's vulnerability, strength, and her being unapologetically Palestinian. I'm definitely going to add this to the list of books about Palestine I recommend to people who are uniformed about the occupation, ongoing Nakba, and Palestine in general. Free Palestine from the river to the sea. more
2. 5 stars, rounded up to 3 thanks to book club discussion. This reads more like manifesto than memoir due to some biased, honestly dry journalism and murky goals. There are some truly devastating scenes comparing Palestine and Israel's divergent (lack of) freedoms, along with some heartfelt messages of making soul sister friends in prison and facing the responsibility of her platform. This is due in part to the media making an example out of young Ahed. more
This girl is a terrorist. The publisher is being not only irresponsible but downright harmful by amplifying her hateful message. more
Ahed’s story both filled me with rage at the injustice she and all Palestinians have experienced for years, and an incredible sense of awe at the solidarity and resilience among them. The horrors she and all Palestinians continually endure are things I wouldn’t wish on anyone. In the midst of trying to survive in prison Ahed called on the memories and advice of her loved ones, who had also been arrested and imprisoned, to bring her strength and courage. Her and the other girls imprisoned also fought to educate themselves and bolster morale, despite the obstacles thrown their way. A particularly jarring moment to read, was when Ahed and the other girls in the cell made a makeshift book club and began swooning over a romance novel Ahed was obsessed with. more
The fact that this was published only a year ago 💔💔💔 it was horrifying then, but now… For whatever it’s worth, Ahed Tamimi’s name will go down in history alongside the likes of Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela. . more
I read this book given the current massacre taking place of Palestinians in Gaza. The book is the true story of Ahed Tamimi, a young Palestinian girl (now, woman) and her life living in occupation as well as being a child prisoner in an Israeli prison. Though I am well versed on the history of the region, this book is an excellent gateway for those with little or no knowledge of Palestine’s history with Israel, to gain some basic knowledge. More importantly, it’s an incredibly powerful and moving perspective on what it is like to be a young child and teenager suffering at the hands of the IDF. Ahed recounts traumatic events and pivotal points in history with a gentleness that spares the reader the true horrific details yet still perfectly communicates how damaging and cruel life under illegal occupation has been for Palestinians. more
History: From 1936 to 1939 [before the creation of Israel] was the “Arab Revolt” against British pro-Zionist policies. The UN partition plan soon gave only 42% of the land to Palestinians when it was clear that Palestinians were 67% of the population. “Israel’s campaign to ethnically cleanse the land of its native Palestinian population didn’t stop in 1948. It has never stopped. ” Seven million Palestinian refugees now live across the globe. more
This book is absolutely essential reading. Ahed Tamimi is a Palestinian girl who was arrested at age 16 for slapping an Israeli soldier who refused to leave her house, after having shot her cousin in the head at close range. This book is her memoir, chronicling her childhood in a small West Bank village, and her time in prison. It shows how Palestinian children - growing up watching their relatives be repeatedly arrested, imprisoned, injured and killed - have no choice but to become resistance activists almost from birth. It shows how many international laws the Israeli regime breaks on a daily basis, and how fundamentally unjust the entire project of Israel is. more
4. 5 stars. A first hand view of being Palestinian in an Israeli state. Daniel Sokatch’s book was my first in-depth introduction to a very complicated situation in Israel/Palestine. Although this is written from a Palestinian view, the author is quite balanced in looking at the situation and the rights she’s fighting for. more
Never read a book that twisted the reality so much . Shame that someone published that rubbish. more
An incredible story about an amazing person. Since this book was written Ahed was imprisoned again and released. A true Freedom Fighter, may Palestinians someday live as they deserve in a free Palestine. more
proper review later but for now the things israel have made "normal" for palestinian's everyday lives is horrifying,no one should live like this, everyday i hope and pray that palestine is freed soon InshaAllahi don't usually rate memoirs because it feels weird rating someone's life but this is an exception. more
this is my SECOND post-PW read. i was lucky enough to attend a talk with the Dena Takruri herself + Huwaida Arraf discuss this book - it was a packed session and we were lucky enough to ask a question and later on meet Dena and have her sign our books (i think we're related. ). still, listening to them discuss the novel and Ahed Tamimi's life did not prepare me for the experience of reading this book. this is Ahed Tamimi's memoir, told via Dena Takruri's translation from her extensive Arabic interviews with Ahed into English. more
If you haven’t read this yet, you must. Ahed recounts her childhood in the occupied West Bank. I’m gutted. Who can read something like this and not advocate for Palestinians. She’s not even an adult in the majority of the book and is only 22 now and has done more activism in her lifetime than any young person should have to do to have basic human rights. more
I struggle to write a review of Ahed’s memoir, other than to say that this should be required reading for anyone who wants to align themself with the struggle for Palestinian liberation (especially white folks who just recently started to pay attention). This is not a history book, though it does detail the day to day experiences as shaped by the history of the occupation. I feel honored to have read this memoir, and will say forever and always, Free Palestine. . more
