Female Circumcision Books

This was a very good story. The pros and cons I saw are below:

Pros:
1. This story was very thoughtful. I even cried, in parts. I hate stories with shallow, soap opera-like drama. This book was FAR from that.
2. REAListic--the story did not end as just a "happily ever after" story.
3. "Page turner" and very exciting and interesting in the second part.
4. Well developed characters in the second part.
5. The story was never predictable or cliched.


Cons:
1. The fist part of the book had poor character development. The plot moved so fast and characters were in and out of the story so fast that the characters had no time to delelop.
2. I think that because the plot moved so fast, in the first part, I had to keep going back to make sure who was who and to clarify what happened.
3. The story ended at a TERRIBLE time. I do not object to the way in which it ended; I just think the story should have continued on for another chapter or two. There should certainly be a sequal to this book.

I reccommend this book. However, the ending is bittersweet--both sad and happy. It does not have a "happily ever after" type ending and I like that. It is more believable.

272Pgs - This is my personal view of this book.

It did not grab my attention at all. At the fourth chapter, I was looking for my receipt. More Women are becoming Soul Searchers today and if you are a Title Seeker like myself meaning (a title of a book can prompt you to purchase) this book will definitely be a lesson well deserved.

This is book could be named, "When A Man Loves a Woman." Bishop really loved Abeni and she loved him back just as hard.

This book is awesome! It will make you laugh and it will make you cry. The characters really come to life in this book--you feel what they feel as you read this wonderful book!

It's been awhile since I've ordered a few books and rather than bore you with the same old rave reviews, I just have a few things to state. The book kept me up until my eyes could not take it anymore; The character Bishop in the book was fascinating. I won't go into details but the fact that it deals with FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) which is going on in certain tribes in Africa paints a picture for me to better understand the culture. Althought I don't agree with it. Pick the book up and you will not be dissappointed.

I highly recommend this book! I can't wait for the author to write another one! I connected with the characters and I was so sad when I was done reading it because I wanted there to be more!

I too was given this book to read by a friend. The topic of female circumcision scared me and so I wasn't anxious to start reading, thinking the book would be filled with hate and negativity. BUT, from the moment I began to read, I was lost in another world. The characters are engaging, the plot moves well, and the discovery of mysteries of another culture captivated me. The author will evoke your compassion and concern with her story. This is well written and I highly recommend the book.

I read this book because my girlfriend praised it and wanted to discuss it. (I thought "Oh boy, feminist literature !!!".(I'm a Fitzgerald/Salinger/Hemingway enthusiast)
I was happily surprised and relieved to find it a novel in the style of the classics.
The story moves well, and the characters are compelling.
This novel is a must read for academics in the fields of Sociology, Political Science, Religious Study, Anthropology, etc... It is a surprising expose' on Muslim traditions in many 3rd and even 2nd world regions !!!
Quite timely and eye opening, with a triumphant resolution.
I rated it a 5.

This touching and compelling book is so much more than I expected. Reading the back cover, I would never have guessed at how sensitively and successfully the heroine's story would be told. You will be captivated by her dilema. This well researched subject makes Amina's dilema understandable to our western minds because it is put in the context of a girl indoctrinated in a culture that teaches her that she is "property," in a relationship, not a partner. Thus, her ability to develop independent thought and to weigh the consequences of liberated thought and action, make her plight all the more dramatic. Needless to say, I recommend this book!

A fascinating tale that rings of authenticity, relevance, and urgency. This is fiction based on real life cruelty, ignorance,
and tradition. I was hooked from the first sentence even though I am a male septuagenarian.

The horrors of female circumcision - something long since banned in the Western world, it is still practiced in many African Countries. "Born in the Big Rains: A Memoir of Somalia and Survival" is author and feminist Fadumo Korn's story of nearly dying to the barbaric practice and her rise to becoming a spokesman against the practice. A harsh and much needed criticism against the atrocity of female genital mutilation, "Born in the Big Rains: A Memoir of Somalia and Survival" has the highest recommendation to community library women's studies collections as a bastion against this cruelty that far too many young girls in the world have been exposed to.

The first portion of this book follows the young nomad Fadumo as she travels and wanders with her family in Somalia. The descriptive writing of Somalia and the scenes laid before the reader are simply breathtaking.
Then we follow the young girl as she undergoes FGM (female genital mutilation), becomes ill and travels to Germany for medical treatment. Eventually she marries and becomes a fighter against FGM.
A must-read for those wanting to see a woman's life in Africa and how FGM affects the young woman's life.
It is also an interesting read about the choices she takes in her life and the other women in her family who remain subservient and stuck.
Although how much of this is determined by her father who let her live with one uncle who was very giving and caring ---while her sister Khadija ended up with another uncle who was abusive and cruel.
In closing, this book is a quick read and you won't be disappointed.

This book is very well written. It makes the reader aware of female circumcision and the problems associated with it.

Excellent - very enlightening to a women's crisis and so well written.

Can you imagine being born into a Somalian nomad family, and then, because of illness and the luck
of the tribe, being transported first, to a life of relative luxury, in the capitol city and ultimately to
Germany? The transition from one distinct culture to another in Europe reminds all of us of the need
to respect those aspects of traditions which bind people together and try to alter, as humanely as possible,
those traditional practices that do injury, particularly to women. This is a wonderful, courageous story.

This important, well written book reads like a crime novel. It is highly entertaining and gets scary, especially where Ms. Robinett describes the crime scene- I skipped that part first time through. Shocking that FGM was taking place so recently in the civilized" world, even more shocking that Male Genital Mutilation continues today. I recommend this book, it is an eye-opener.

This is a wonderful book by a courageous woman about a terrible sex crime committed against her when she was a child, and against many millions of others. She has come through the shock of the discovery of this sex crime with greater understanding and compassion for all of us, for we live in a country - the only one in the whole world - where the medical profession still today mutilates the healthy sex organs of the majority of male babies. Many ignorant people in this clueless, brainwashed, genitally mutilating culture believe that female genital mutilation - what "they" do over there - is an horrific sex crime, but that male genital mutilation - what "we" do here - is the best thing since sliced sex organs. Ms. Robinette suffers from no such delusional sexist hypocrisy. She knows that what sex the child happens to have been born is 100% irrelevant. What counts is whether the adults caring for the child know enough to respect the child's healthy sex organs and keep them fully intact. Sometimes this feat requires a fight, but as this book makes abundantly clear, it's a fight worth winning. Congratulations and thanks to Ms. Robinette. Her capacity to deal truthfully, compassionately, and productively with the permanently mutilative sex crime committed against her and millions of others is an inspiration.

Patricia tells her story honestly and truthfully, and having read it, I feel like I know her.
Patricia, you should be commended for the work you have done to end MGM and FGM. I hope that your book brings us a step closer to accomplishing this goal.

The Rape of Innocence is a very personal and moving true story. Patricia shares her deepest feelings with the reader. In addition to personal experience there is a wealth of insights and information. For example, one US insurance company was paying for removal of clitorises until 1977.

Such an honest look at the almost taboo topic of circumcision is recommended for anyone who has experienced it or who knows anyone who has and doubly so for prospective parents.

Here in America, for the past 100 years, there's been an on-going mutalation practice which was not talked about and was accepted without question. At last author Patricia Robinett has exposed this cruel and barbaric practice.

Herself, a victum, she has researched circumcision relentlessly in an effort better understand her own feelings and condition.

Robinett asks, "Why do men want women who don't want them? Why do men not want women who do want them? Why do men like women who ignore them, who treat them badly? Why do they resent the ones they have, who treat them well? And further she wonders, "Why do many men seem to be uncomfortable with affection unless it involves sex? Why are they reluctant to be friends with women unless there's the promise of sex?

She has found the answers and thoroughly discusses her findings in this very revealing text. At last the truth behind both male and female crcumcision is brought out in the open. This is a book that every parent should and must read.

I am grateful this book has been written and published for a younger audience. When male circumcision is viewed as a rite of passage, it is often looked at as something boys do to celebrate their entree to adulthood. I've never been in a classroom where students perceived the boys as persecuted or anything less than "brave warriors." In the western world, male circumcision has medical and cultural controversy; there is very little discussion about the mere existence of FMG. What exists leaves little argument that female circumcision is truly physical mutilation. Male circumcision as a rite of passage is oft considered an allowable topic for adolescents, yet FMG is treated as taboo if ever introduced into conversation at all. I do not advocate that anyone judge this practice without much more information, and there is great controversy over whether or not it is culturally appropriate to judge it from our western vantage point. Adults can read and learn more from Waris Dirie's book Desert Flower. You can also investigate more deeply with a simple web search. The book, written with 10 year old protagonists, tells the tale of a profoundly complex issue in just the right way to begin the dialogue. I find it especially valuable for broaching this feminist, humanist, and public health issue for young adult readers. Highly recommended.

No Laughter Here, like its heroine Akilah, sparkles with intelligence and courage to tackle a subject most adults can't bear to face: the horrifying deliberate mutilation of little girls in the barbaric ritual known as FGM. In America we worry our kids are growing up too fast, with too many weighty issues bombarding them. However, other countries (such as rural India, where teenagers become second wives to 50-year-old brutes) don't share our definition of protecting children. Luckily, there are voices out there like Akilah's.

This story needed to be told. This is a wonderful story about loyalty and friendship. This books succeeds both as a stand-alone piece of exceptional writing and as a clarion call to raise awareness about this horrific practice.

This book presents an overwhelming topic in a very non-overwhelming way. Ten year-old Akilah finds her best friend changed when she comes back from a summer trip to Nigeria to visit her grandmother and go through a "coming of age ceremony." Eventually her friend confesses that her parents took her to an illegal doctor to be circumcised. Akilah promises not to tell anyone, but these things have a way of getting told.

Akilah tells the story from the eyes of a child, but this book is not meant for children. It could serve as a gentle introduction to the idea of Female Genital Mutilation or as a lesson in human rights to middle school students. There is an after word by the author including more facts about FGM and an invitation for kids to email her their thoughts. I would be interested in the sorts of emails she has gotten.

Williams-Garcia borders on overly didactic, but the tone of the book and the friendship between Akilah and Victoria save it from becoming overly so.

I highly recommend this book to girls age 12 and up.

Rarely do I pick up YA (Young Adult) fiction, but as a librarian I have the privilege to see what comes across the table in all genres and to generally see where my nose will lead me. This is a story of two families: African and African-American on American soil. The story centers around two very bright, precocious 5th graders: Victoria and Akiliah. Ms. Garcia does a fine job in creating the minds and concerns of these two young students. When Victoria returns to Nigeria with her family, she undergoes FGM. This change affects both Victoria and Akiliah in more ways than one. Whereas FGM is custom in Africa, here, in America, one sees it as child abuse if not named something else sick and sadistical. The beauty in this story is the insight into young minds, specifically Akiliah's and what causes young people, perfect students, to act out. In Akiliah's case, her perfect record is ruined when she becomes protective of Victoria. Her father has given her the name: Girl Warrior. An alter-ego that allows Akiliah to stand up for herself against everyone, including the defiance of her own mother. The reasons for Akiliah acting out are sort of justified. The author never sides in this matter, but one might surely opine that Akiliah's infractions are just and righteous given the situations she finds herself. We also see how ultra-caddy middle classed black women can be whether African or African-American. All the same except where customs and cultural values are in place. More importantly, No Laugher Here englightens and in some manner furthers the awareness and fight against female mutilation in Africa. The topic is highly serious, however, Ms. Garcia shapes this story in a manner that is easily accessible and educational for all young adults!!

An anthropological viewpoint is vital to understanding FGM or female circumcision. Surprise, it isn't just an Islamic rite (some Christians in Africa adhere to this age old tradition) Surprise, it isn't mandated in the Koran. Surprise, strong village tradition makes it hard for parents to say no to the practice or even to marry off their daughters. Surprise, some women agree to have it done. It's important to have a researcher do the field work so that we can understand the origins, cultural background and practice of FGM for better understanding.

In "The Female Circumcision Controversy," Ellen Gruenbaum provides readers with a highly informative anthropological perspective on female circumcision that is not weighed down with anthropological jargon, making it highly accessible to the "average" reader. She takes on a cultural relativistic point of view, exploring female circumcision through the context of the different cultures in which it is practiced, highlighting how it can be affected by patriarchy, ritual, marriage, mortality, ethnicity, sexuality, and economic development. An important point that Gruenbaum stresses is that while female circumcision has been practiced by many cultural and ethnic groups, the practices themselves vary (i.e. what is removed in surgery, at what age circumcision occurs, etc.) and this point makes it hard to generalize and blame only one factor for female circumcision. She includes her experiences in the Sudan and at the end of the book discusses how female circumcision practices are changing and the how we in the international community can get involved.

Gruenbaum does not condone female circumcision but she believes that many anti-circumcision advocates have taken the wrong approach to fighting the harmful practice. She stresses the need for discussion (not one-sided lecturing) and the fact that other problems such as economic insecurity and education need to be addressed so women will not feel as compelled to continue female circumcision. While a lot needs to be done to ensure that women's rights are not infringed upon, Gruenbaum gives the reader hope by showing many cases of progress.

This book is a gem! It has also made me rethink some things that I thought were "normal" in my culture.

I had to read this book for an anthropology class in my freshman year at college. It's a real eye-opener. I had no idea before this book that FGM was practiced anywhere outside of Africa. The description of what can be done was enough to make me mildly uncomfortable (inserting a straw during the healing process to make an extremely small hole for urination and menstruation?) but I could not put the book down. I have a drastically different perspective of this practice now that I understand more of it's cultural significance, rather than seeing it as a cruelty carried out to keep women in a totally inferior state.

After reading several books on Female Genital Mutilation, I have discovered that most people I've talked with about FGM know little if anything about the practice. According to the statistics in Cutting the Rose, 6,000 young girls are mutilated each day! FGM has been reported in 28 countries in Africa, several countries in the Middle East and Europe, Latin American, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the United States. Whether directly or indirectly, FGM affects all of us. Efau Dorkenoo has compiled a practical, compassionate, informative book that describes the practice of FGM and advocates realistic solutions for its prevention. She says, "Rather than righteous indignation, what is urgently needed is understanding of the problem and the practical support to change it." Everyone should read this book.

Who would have known this was even taking place, even right here in the USA? If you are a woman who enjoys her sexuality, please read this. Something needs to be done.

Excellent book. Wealth of information on a subject often left out and/or ignored by male anthropologists.Great book for those interested in female culture in Melenesia. excellent reading. Was used in an upper level anthropology course at Hawaii Pacific University.

i have read the female initiation about the Manam group.the'aine izimoari'is the girl who went through the rituals when they first menstruation.i like to read the aspect of rituals involved in order.especially the scarified at their body.

Written in verse, the story follows a girl on the verge of maturity. She belongs to a tribe of people living on an island. When girls are of marriageable age, they are isolated in a fattening hut where the other women feed the girls until they are fat and attractive for their husband. Helen does not want to eat and she doesn't gain weight much to her family's disgrace. What's more, her aunt who has been disowned by the tribe for her English-influenced ways, is hinting that Helen must run. Something worse than being fattened for marriage is to come!

Wow! Intense and beautifully written story about a difficult subject and wonderfully handled! I loved Helen and her bravery and strength in fighting what is expected of her. This is now my favorite novel by this author.

This is an excellent book. I needed this book for my sociology final exam book report and it helped me tremendously.