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Our Women on the Ground
Our Women on the Ground: Essays by Arab Women Reporting from the Arab World | Zahra Hankir
41 posts | 20 read | 74 to read
Nineteen Arab women journalists speak out about what it's like to report on their changing homelands in this first-of-its-kind essay collection, with a foreword by CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour International media coverage of the Arab world is dominated by the work of Western correspondents--meaning we often view stories about those complex, interconnected conflicts through one particular lens. But a growing number of intrepid Arab women, whose access to and understanding of their subjects are vastly different than their Western counterparts, are working tirelessly to shape nuanced narratives about their homelands through their work as reporters and photojournalists. In Our Women on the Ground, nineteen of these women tell us, in their own words, about what it's like to report on conflicts that are (quite literally) close to home. From sexual harassment on the streets of Cairo to the difficulty of traveling without a male relative in Yemen, their challenges are unique--as are their advantages, such as being able to speak candidly with other women or gain entry to places that an outsider would never be able to access. Their daring, shocking, and heartfelt stories, told here for the first time, shatter stereotypes about Arab women and provide an urgently needed perspective on a part of the world that is often misunderstood. INCLUDING ESSAYS BY: Donna Abu-Nasr, Aida Alami, Hannah Allam, Jane Arraf, Lina Attalah, Nada Bakri, Shamael Elnoor, Zaina Erhaim, Asmaa al-Ghoul, Hind Hassan, Eman Helal, Zeina Karam, Roula Khalaf, Nour Malas, Hwaida Saad, Amira Al-Sharif, Heba Shibani, Lina Sinjab, and Natacha Yazbeck
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review
ReadingRachael
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Pickpick

Highly recommend this fantastic essay collection by female Middle Eastern journalists on their unique experiences travelling and reporting as women. They share nuanced and intimate perspectives of how war, political unrest, and crises are affecting the day to day lives of civilians - and being women they have access to the voices of women and children that often go unheard.

ReadingRachael Oops! I forgot to add that this is my March #BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks 11mo
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 11mo
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Ellohcin
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Smarkies
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Pickpick

A collection on essays from journalists based in the #middleeast . They were grouped into similar themes but it was a good intro into some translated journalism and different view points.
A #bookspin read as well as #booked2022 #writtenbyajournalist

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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

This phenomenal essay collection features Arab women journalists discussing their experiences of reporting about and from within the Arab world. I love that their voices are being heard and this adds such a richness of understanding about women‘s experiences in the region. I can‘t recommend this enough.

#ReadingAsia2021 #Syria (Iraq and Syria are the focus, but works for Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen)

LeahBergen You‘ve exhausted those poor things. 😉 3y
cathysaid Pretty sure your dog is melting 😂 (edited) 3y
Hooked_on_books @cathysaid It sort of looks like the couch is trying to swallow her, doesn‘t it? 😆 3y
Hooked_on_books @LeahBergen It‘s the safest thing for everyone, really. 😂 3y
Librarybelle I have this on my shelves - I‘ll have to keep this in mind for the challenge! 3y
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Come-read-with-me
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Pickpick

“An incredible anthology that offers an intimate account of perspectives absent in Western life.” When I read these words in a review on Goodreads I knew I had to read this book. This is an astounding collection of essays; some haunting, some able to evoke profound anger at the senselessness of war, but all of them a portrait of resilience and the need for the voices of women to be heard. If I could give it six stars, I‘d want seven! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TheKidUpstairs Oh, this sounds must-read! 3y
Come-read-with-me @thekidsupstairs I thought it was great! When you read it I‘d love to hear your thoughts! 3y
Reggie This was one of my favorite books from last year. 3y
Come-read-with-me @reggie It is one that I‘ve had on my shelf for a while and decided that COVID19 gave me a perfect excuse to do some more reading. I thought it was stellar. 3y
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Reggie
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I love this book and hope more people read it. Thanks for the tag @KVanRead and good luck and good thoughts to all of us tomorrow. #litfortunecookie

KVanRead Wow powerful quote! Thanks for playing and yes, nothing left to do but hope for the best. 3y
8little_paws Yes this book is terrific 3y
kspenmoll Looks like a great book- love the quote. 3y
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readordierachel This sounds great. Stacked. 3y
Reggie @8little_paws I think about this book A LOT. It is terrific! 3y
Reggie @kspenmoll @Leftcoastzen @readordierachel it does a great job of humanizing people who are mostly negatively filtered through politics and media. These women are brave and intelligent. 3y
kspenmoll I just ordered it. My husband is a retired journalist so I think he will want to read this as well. Thanks!!! 3y
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ReadingEnvy
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Pickpick

What is it like to be a *sahafiyat* - female journalist - coming from and reporting on the Middle East? These firsthand accounts of conflict, danger, control, and loss are often harrowing. Some discuss the benefits of their unique positions to gain access to women in these communities in ways they never could otherwise. The majority focus on the last tenish years. Syria in particular is a focus, and there is no cheery part. ⤵️

ReadingEnvy CW for violence, death, genocide, misogyny, rape, torture, loss of home...but as Mona Eltahawy would point out, it is so easy for us to see it "over there" and be blind to it where we are. In many of these essays, the journalists mention the USA, from occupation to embargo to one-sided political relationships. ⤵️
4y
ReadingEnvy Highly recommended. I'm looking forward to my book club discussion tomorrow.

I read this also because of my focus on the Middle East in my reading this year. I also started listening to Headscarves and Hymens by Eltahawy, and the content of that book intersects well with this book - the changing lives of women, their autonomy and roles.
4y
Julsmarshall This book gutted me but also lifted me up. Really powerful! 4y
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ReadingEnvy @Julsmarshall the women are astounding for sure 4y
Reggie I still think about how the wife of the chief of police helped out the journalist in Yemen. About how she got stopped because she had no male relative chaperone. How the woman who is in Palestine getting bombed by the Israelis is telling you about her circumstances of war and strangely I didn‘t find it to be anti-Israel. It was just that war SUCKS!!! I was glad the Muslims in Paris took strength from the Black Lives Matter in America. The Egyptian 3y
Reggie journalist who took photos of those boys with there obscene gestures and they didn‘t realize that she was taking a photo of them because it‘s so normal to disrespect women. And the last essay about Saudi Arabia and how that woman got arrested for eating ice cream/performing lewd acts. But also how she explained 9-11 was an act from their clergy against the royal family. And what business did we have in Iraq? And that story about the Iraqi mother 3y
Reggie and how she cared for our boys who had mothers because she knew that the end of the day we were all human. I think about this book ALOT. Sooo good. Sorry about the book vomit. 3y
ReadingEnvy @Reggie so many memorable moments... At book club we talked about the reporter who got corrected about the moon landing too. 3y
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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📚 Our Women On The Ground - Essays by Arab women reporting from the Arab world
✍️ Maggie O'Farrell 😍
🍿(The) Outsiders
📺 I honestly cannot think of anything
🎤 Rita Ora
🎶 Off to the Races - Lana del Rey

#manicmonday #letterO @JoScho

JoScho Thanks for playing 💛 4y
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Pickpick

Incredibly important read. Especially for those of us who do not have a direct connection to Arab countries, and who see the news but might not be able to to faces to the people.

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ChaoticMissAdventures
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"It's because I'm tired of being branded a terrorist; tired that a human life lost in my country is no loss at all"

A book to remember empathy.

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alisonrose
Pickpick

So glad this collection is out there, hope it helps dispel stereotypes, misconceptions, & prejudices about women professionals in the Arab world. Reporting on this region strongly benefits from own-voices perspectives, & hearing from women in the industry gives an even better picture b/c of how hard many of them must fight to do this work at all. Some essays were a bit unfocused, repetitive, but still, all of their voices need to be heard. 4/5 ⭐️

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alisonrose
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alisonrose

After the crisis in Syria turned bloody, some regions were “liberated.” In other words, they came under siege.

[How very Orwellian 😳]

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Julsmarshall
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Pickpick

Heartbreaking, illuminating, painful. These essays written by women journalists all over the Arab world are beautifully written and illustrate the importance of free, transparent journalism and powerful storytelling. This counted for multiple challenges for me, #readharder #differentreligousbackground and #readingwomen #anthology #Arabwomanauthor but I recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about the world. Would be great for #live and learn

Joanne1 I need an essay collection for a reading challenge so this could be perfect. 4y
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alisonrose
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After hearing @kdwinchester and @sumaiyya.books discuss this one, I had to pick it up! #nowreading

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Julsmarshall
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#libraryhaul Picked up a couple of library holds for various reading challenges, found a couple of vegan cookbooks as well. Trying to add more veggies to my diet 😄 I‘m looking forward to reading the tagged book, a subject quite new to me.

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GatheringBooks
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Pickpick

#DearDecember Day 15: One of my #FaveBook2019, nonfiction edition. There is a sinuous, almost-sinister, and crafty way of highlighting women‘s struggles amidst war, poverty, femicide that was just so startlingly nuanced & penetrating, it becomes its own country that does not necessarily need to be recognized in order to exist – it simply is, regardless of how other people perceive it or feel about it. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-ld1

Sleepswithbooks Holy Yum!! 4y
Cinfhen ThAt falafel looks DELICIOUS 4y
squirrelbrain The book sounds great, food looks amazing! 4y
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Eggs Great choice! And the food 🤤😋 4y
Redwritinghood You always have the most delicious looking food! 4y
Reggie Great review!!! I still think about this book. 4y
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GatheringBooks
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#GratefulReads Day 30: This is, hands down, my #FavoriteNovemberRead. Thank you @Reggie for introducing me to this book!

charl08 This is on my list! 4y
ljuliel Is that a hot fudge sundae ? 😋 4y
OriginalCyn620 That looks yummy! 😋 4y
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GatheringBooks @ljuliel it is new mexico‘s hot whiskey brownie sundae. and it tastes as awesome as it looks. Description from their menu: “Hot, Rich, Whiskey Infused Chocolate Brownie is topped with Dark Chocolate Sauce, Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream, and Our House Herb Spiced Nuts.” 4y
AmyG Yum. 4y
ljuliel That looks and sounds like Biting Into Heaven. 4y
Reggie I‘m so glad you like it!! 4y
batsy Oh my, that sundae looks and sounds divine! 4y
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Anna40
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The essay by Eman Helal, a photojournalist, is the one that impressed me the most. A very brave woman

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Anna40
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Pickpick

The essay that touched me the most is by Nour Malas. She covered the refugee crisis in Germany and met many refugees. The essay is about a bond she made with one particular family. The photo shows her and the little boy who left Syria with his father. Highly recommend this book!

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EliNeedsMoreShelves
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Pickpick

Fascinating and powerful essay collection. So many varied perspectives within the collection give a well rounded picture of the difficulties facing women journalists, and women in general, in the unsettled Arab world of today.

#NFNov #nonfictionnovember

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GatheringBooks
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I feel like my heart is being torn out of my chest as I read one powerful essay after another. So much grief, it covers the world. Calamari especially prepared by the husband as I resist reading and pulled back yet again by the drumbeat of so much pain: “Arab Women Reporting From The Arab World.” Why is this book not receiving all the awards yet????

8little_paws Yes this anthology was fantastic. 4y
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Anna40
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I found this in the New books section of my library. It is a collection of essays by Arab female journalists. Media coverage of the Middle East and Arab world seems to be dominated by men or reporters from the outside, so this collection is extremely interesting. I wish I had more time to read at the moment...

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GatheringBooks
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#GratefulReads Day 12: Not really #AShortStory but more like essays/vignettes. This is a #BlameItOnLitsy title or to be more precise #BlameitOnReggie. @Reggie 🤣😂🧚🏼‍♀️

Cathythoughts The lunch looks delicious 😋 delicious 😋 4y
Reggie This pic makes me hungry. Hope you‘re liking the book. 4y
OriginalCyn620 🙌🏻📚❤️ 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yum!! I‘m more interested in the food!! 4y
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conny
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Pickpick

I‘m awestruck & speechless. These essays by female Arab & Middle Eastern journalists spoke in volumes with such commendable tenacity, courage & resilience. This is a needed perspective I highly recommend.

Read for #NFNov challenge, hosted by @Clwojick & @rsteve388

Linsy This sounds excellent! 💕 4y
Clwojick Beautiful! 6pts. 4y
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EliNeedsMoreShelves
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#NonfictionNovember starting off with a bang with this fascinating collection of essays written by female Arab journalists about their experiences reporting in Arab countries.

Smrloomis I need to get a copy! 4y
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

A set of mini-memoirs written by sahafiya, women journalists, on the frontlines of turbulent events in the Middle East over the last 30 years, this collection is poignant, emotional, and inspiring.

16 hrs so far for #24B4Monday. I hope to get a little more reading done today, but if not, I‘m happy with what I‘ve accomplished this weekend, including 4 1/2 hours yesterday for #deweysreadathon

Andrew65 A great time, well done! 👏👏👏 4y
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DGRachel
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I love the idea of a #weeklyforecast ( @Cinfhen you are BRILLIANT! 😘). My goal is to finish the tagged book, read everything below it, and start The Blue Eye. I‘m also hoping to finish my reread of The Black Khan via audio.

Cinfhen I‘ll take that compliment , thanks so much 😘and I‘m impressed with your goals for this week xx can‘t wait to to get that #bookreport on Saturday 😁 4y
Soubhiville I love this idea too @Cinfhen ! 4y
DGRachel @Cinfhen I‘ll be impressed if I actually meet them. 🤣🤣 4y
Cinfhen Thanks @Soubhiville 🥰🙏🏻 4y
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laurar311
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I only just bought this one, so I haven‘t started reading it yet. As soon as I finish The Beekeeper of Aleppo I plan on starting on some of these essays. I look forward to seeing a new perspective on the Middle East that I feel I don‘t often hear about.

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DGRachel
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It‘s a little warmer and stickier than is truly comfortable, but there is a strong breeze, so I‘m going to try to get a little reading done for #24b4monday while enjoying my new deck. The dogs can‘t decide if they want to be inside with Mom or outside with me. 😂 #Bailey #dogsoflitsy #pitbullsoflitsy

crazyspine Nice outdoor furniture 5y
charl08 Sounds brilliant! Adding. 5y
MicheleinPhilly Hi Bailey! 😘 5y
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ManyWordsLater How are you liking this book? 5y
DGRachel @crazyspine Thanks! It‘s pretty comfortable. 😊 @MicheleinPhilly Bailey says Hi back 👋🏻 5y
DGRachel @charl08 @ManyWordsLater It‘s good so far. Not quite what I was expecting-I was thinking a little more reporting on events in the Middle East, but it‘s almost more mini-memoirs of the journalists experiences covering those events. Much more personal and powerful, so I can only read one essay at a time without taking a break. 5y
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DGRachel
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Making the most of our Fall temperatures on my new deck, even though my deck furniture hasn‘t arrived, yet.

#bailey #deck #dogsoflitsy #pitbullsoflitsy #perfectweather

Mitch Looks lovely ( deck, Bailey & the book!) 5y
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sumaiyya.books
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Pickpick

oh my god this book is so so so good and intense and life changing. Please read it 🖤

charl08 Added! 5y
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Floresj
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Pickpick

A collection of essays by Arab women journalists from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia, this book gives such an unique perspective into each of these countries and the life of a journalist. It also made motivated to subscribe to the NYT to support the journalists who put their lives on the line so that we can learn the truth of our world. Wonderful, inspiring, harrowing read.

Reggie I really liked this book!! 5y
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DGRachel
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I decided I needed to own a copy of the tagged book, so I made a quick run to #ParkRoadBooks to grab one, and *might* have picked up a fun read to balance out the serious essays. 😆

kspenmoll Lovely photo! 5y
Linsy Beautiful vase! 4y
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Reggie
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Pickpick

19 essays from Arab women journalists from all over the Arab World. This was eye opening to this American in his self spun cocoon. I had no idea what the Arab Spring was or how it started or who Mohamed Bouazizi was. How this was a catalyst for everything that happens in this decade for the Middle East. I must admit I had my own preconceived notions about the area and women from the Middle East and this was revelatory. I‘m glad I read it. 👇🏼

Reggie I just want to add that the strength these women have to fight to be able to do something that society tells them that, based on their gender, they have no business doing, while witnessing and reporting on nightmares one can only hope to never have to live through left me with a deep sense of respect and gratitude towards them. Pick! (edited) 5y
Tanisha_A I stacked it yesterday after reading your blurb. Sounds like a powerful read! Great review! 💙 5y
Suet624 Well now I have to go find this! 5y
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Suet624 And yes, so much respect for these women. (edited) 5y
TheShaggyShepherd Ah I this exactly the kind of book I want to be reading more of. Thank you for the review! 5y
LibrarianJen I took a women and war history class in undergrad and loved it! This would have been a great addition to the class. If you want something else similar try 5y
thebluestocking You write great reviews. 💙 5y
GatheringBooks this is exactly the kind of book i should be reading now! i think i need this in my life right about now. 4y
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Reggie
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This is from the introduction but I‘m 2/3rds of the way finished with it. I could have finished it tonight but this isn‘t a book one barrels through. If you‘re like me and have had your head in the sand, it‘s pretty eye opening. Much respect to all these women.

Niso As an Arab woman, I 100% endorse this statement and this anthology ❤️ I hope you‘d have a great time reading it! 5y
Reggie @Niso I just finished this book and thought it was great. It was very educational. 5y
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strandbookstore
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We have signed copies of Zahra Hankir's Our Women on the Ground! 👏 Nineteen women journalists tell us, in their own words, about what it's like to report on conflicts that (quite literally) hit close to home. Their daring and heartfelt stories, told here for the first time, shatter stereotypes about the region's women and provide an urgently needed perspective on a part of the world that is frequently misunderstood.

Link: https://buff.ly/2KZ89DM

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DGRachel
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Opting for something completely different this evening.
#sundaysnuggles #bailey #dogsoflitsy #pitbullsoflitsy #amstaff #pibble
#nonfiction

Nute Such a cute photo of Bailey!🐶💜 5y
Reggie I started this earlier tonight. So eye opening. 5y
DGRachel @Reggie I‘ve only read the intro and the first two essays, but that second broke my heart. I‘ve read several books on recent events in the Middle East, including one written by another female reporter on Syria, so there hasn‘t been anything shocking so far, but the personal stories are always so heartbreaking. 5y
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DGRachel
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Today‘s mini-#libraryhaul #bookhaul brought to me by the color GREEN. 🤣🤣 I‘m super excited about the tagged book. Marilou looks questionable for me, and I can‘t remember why I requested it, but I‘m going to give it a shot.

LauraBeth I have had to start a spreadsheet of my TBRs with a column added to reflect who/where the recommendation came from 😂. I‘d get a notice from the library that a hold came in and I‘d be like, “Why on Earth did I hold this?!” 5y
DGRachel @LauraBeth A spreadsheet is a great idea! I used to keep a little notebook and I‘d write @Liberty or @Litsy or @BookRiot since that where most of my reccs came from but a spreadsheet sounds much better. 🧐 5y
61 likes2 comments
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Bkwurm
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This looks right up my alley! It isn‘t available from any of my libraries...have any of you Littens read it? Should I go ahead and jump in and purchase it? Recommendations appreciated!