They Called Me a Lioness
A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom
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They Called Me a Lioness
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Narrated by:
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Dena Takruri
About this listen
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.
“I cannot even begin to convey the clarity, the intensity, the power, the photographic storytelling of They Called Me a Lioness.”—Ibram X. Kendi, internationally bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Kirkus Reviews
“What would you do if you grew up seeing your home repeatedly raided? Your parents arrested? Your mother shot? Your uncle killed? Try, for just a moment, to imagine that this was your life. How would you want the world to react?”
Ahed Tamimi is a world-renowned Palestinian activist, born and raised in the small West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, which became a center of the resistance to Israeli occupation when an illegal, Jewish-only settlement blocked off its community spring. Tamimi came of age participating in nonviolent demonstrations against this action and the occupation at large. Her global renown reached an apex in December 2017, when, at sixteen years old, she was filmed slapping an Israeli soldier who refused to leave her front yard. The video went viral, and Tamimi was arrested.
But this is not just a story of activism or imprisonment. It is the human-scale story of an occupation that has riveted the world and shaped global politics, from a girl who grew up in the middle of it . Tamimi’s father was born in 1967, the year that Israel began its occupation of the West Bank and he grew up immersed in the resistance movement. One of Tamimi’s earliest memories is visiting him in prison, poking her toddler fingers through the fence to touch his hand. She herself would spend her seventeenth birthday behind bars. Living through this greatest test and heightened attacks on her village, Tamimi felt her resolve only deepen, in tension with her attempts to live the normal life of a daughter, sibling, friend, and student.
An essential addition to an important conversation, They Called Me a Lioness shows us what is at stake in this struggle and offers a fresh vision for resistance. With their unflinching, riveting storytelling, Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri shine a light on the humanity not just in occupied Palestine but also in the unsung lives of people struggling for freedom around the world.
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Critic reviews
“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
What listeners say about They Called Me a Lioness
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Magda
- 27-02-24
very good
An honest and gripping account of Ahed kept me in the story, getting sad and enraged with her. never stop resisting Ahed, we are with you. Free Palestine until Palestine is free!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John Gallagher
- 18-12-22
Resistance
The book is very good but the narration leaves a lot to be desired with it's Americanisations.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- XT
- 22-02-24
Now we know. Now we must take peaceful action.
This is a must read!
The extraordinary recent history of the Palestine people is beautifully explained in this book by Ahed Tamimi. She recounts her people’s oppression and the effect it has had on her country, her neighbourhood, her friends, family and herself personally.
I urge you to read this account and act according to your conscience.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 11-03-24
The awfulness of the Israeli regime
Brilliant description of the plight of the Palestinian people. May the west pluck up the moral courage to set profits and power aside to help humanity for a change. Free palastine!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Lucia Serritiello
- 24-01-24
Honest, Heartbreaking and Hopeful
Such a good book a must read. Covers current realities and historic background to life as a Palestinian under occupation. Truly an important book to add to your ongoing education about Palestine.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Adis Palic
- 13-06-24
This is such an eye-opener
I hope we will get more from Ahed to hear about her fight against the oppression of the state of Israel.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- FFaruq
- 24-11-23
Never more relevant!
The treatment of a 16 year old girl by a brutal regime who’s crimes cannot be hidden from the world any more. As of writing (Nov 2023) the whole world can see how this is everyday treatment for the Palestinian people.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- MozB
- 24-11-23
This book can change the world
This is a really honest but gentle read. The story telling and passion show a probably good working relationship between the authors.
This book truly does have the power to open the eyes of the world to the brutality of the subject’s circumstances. In opening up to the world Ahed can be heard roaring, but not as the aggressor, but as a caged Lion who will not give up fighting, gently, for hers and her people’s freedom.
It has the same spirit as Bryce Courtney’s The Power of One
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- marina
- 05-02-24
Emotional , inspiring
Excellent book, and because it carries the message of a young girl through her own eyes, it would definitely appeal to teenage readers/listeners
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Neil Morrans
- 20-12-23
A great place to start
If you are new to the Palestinian struggle, Ahed Tamimi's story is a perfect jumping off point. The book gives a snapshot of life under occupation, and the daily challenges and injustices faced by the people in the occupied territories. In essence, Tamimi's story is the story of the people of Palestine. The narration isn't the best, but it should not put you off. Tamimi's recent (November 2023) arrest and release, and events in Gaza, suggest that she and the men, women and children of Palestine are a very long way from the peace and security they deserve.
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