“I cannot even begin to convey the clarity, the intensity, the power, the photographic storytelling of They Called Me a Lioness. Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri lay bare seemingly every terrifying aspect of Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians, and the relentless freedom fight of Palestinians and their Israeli allies. Read and bear witness.”—Ibram X. Kendi, internationally bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist
“A powerful, moving combination of a memoir of personal resistance with a panoramic overview of the history of Palestine that leaves the reader with a detailed understanding of the daily realities of life under Israeli military occupation.”—Omar Robert Hamilton, author of The City Always Wins
“With more courage than any child should ever have to possess, Ahed Tamimi showed the world more than once what it looks like when you refuse to consent to your own obliteration. In this gripping, painful, and inspiring book, she tells the parts of the story that the cameras always miss: the slow and grinding humiliations of the occupation; the heartache of losing loved ones to Israeli prisons and guns; the cruelties of imprisonment; the love, laughter, and strength in solidarity that are necessary to keep living, breathing, and fighting against enormous odds. For anyone planning to stay alive on this planet in these perilous times, They Called Me a Lioness is urgent and essential reading.”—Ben Ehrenreich, author of The Way to the Spring
“This passionate memoir shines a floodlight on a people, a place, and a problem that the world too often discounts. Beautifully written, They Called Me a Lioness humanizes the daily headlines of occupation and resistance. Tamimi’s story will rattle your soul and ignite calls for justice, equality, and peace.”—Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, author of What the Eyes Don’t See
“Emphatic and juicy, They Called Me a Lioness divulges an intimate portrait of what it means to be a child coming up in occupied Palestine; it includes a deft sketch of Palestine’s history and a deep snapshot of Ahed Tamimi’s own rich and agonizing time in jail with an ardent crew of female political prisoners, several being children like herself. Lioness is a book to be consumed by and to sob through—and I felt ignited throughout by Tamimi’s exuberant hope that state violence can be met by a proud and joyous refusal and an unswerving belief that Palestine will one day be free.”—Eileen Myles, poet, author of Chelsea Girls
“[Tamimi writes,] ‘I knew that staying silent wasn’t an option. I had been given a rare platform to advocate for Palestine and its prisoners, and I intended to use it. . . . If educating the world about our nation’s struggle was my mission in this life, I vowed to carry it out as honorably and as effectively as possible.’ Writing with journalist Takruri, Tamimi delivers a passionately argued, profoundly empathetic, and deeply informed examination of her country’s occupation. Her circumspection and clarity of thought are matched only by her vulnerability. An expertly crafted, trenchant memoir from a formidable activist.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
