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Sisters' Entrance
2015 World Poetry Slam Champion and Woman of the World co-Champion Emtithal "Emi" Mahmoud presents her hauntingly beautiful debut poetry collection.
Brimming with rage, sorrow, and resilience, this collection traverses an expansive terrain: genocide; diaspora; the guilt of surviving; racism and Islamophobia; the burdens of girlhood; the solace of sisterhood; the innocence of a first kiss. Heart-wrenching and raw, defiant and empowering, Sisters’ Entrance explores how to speak the unspeakable.
Brimming with rage, sorrow, and resilience, this collection traverses an expansive terrain: genocide; diaspora; the guilt of surviving; racism and Islamophobia; the burdens of girlhood; the solace of sisterhood; the innocence of a first kiss. Heart-wrenching and raw, defiant and empowering, Sisters’ Entrance explores how to speak the unspeakable.
128 pages, Paperback
Published May 29, 2018
12 people are currently reading
627 people want to read
About the author
Emtithal Mahmoud
2 books35 followersEmtithal "Emi" Mahmoud is a poet and activist who won the 2015 Individual World Poetry Slam championship.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
June 8, 2018
A collection from the TED Talking, World Poetry Slam winning, Yale graduate, Sudanese-American poet who is worth watching, listening to, and reading. She addresses violence, genocide, war, leaving, refugees, home, mothers, children, and the long reaching impact these experiences have on a person.
Personally I prefer hearing it in the poet's voice but for deeper study, in print is nice too.
Thanks to the publisher for allowing access to the title through Edelweiss.
Personally I prefer hearing it in the poet's voice but for deeper study, in print is nice too.
Thanks to the publisher for allowing access to the title through Edelweiss.
June 9, 2018
Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest.
I discovered this poetry book through my friend Shealea. She gave this book five stars and I was instantly intrigued. Sisters' Entrance explores the brutal realities about war, racism, genocide and religion. It's written in the most spontaneous, achingly beautiful way you'll feel the rawness and authenticity of each piece. I love it. Thank you Shealea for recommending this book! 💕
Final rating: 4.5 / 5 stars
I discovered this poetry book through my friend Shealea. She gave this book five stars and I was instantly intrigued. Sisters' Entrance explores the brutal realities about war, racism, genocide and religion. It's written in the most spontaneous, achingly beautiful way you'll feel the rawness and authenticity of each piece. I love it. Thank you Shealea for recommending this book! 💕
Final rating: 4.5 / 5 stars
May 4, 2020
Unlike a lot of popular contemporary poetry collections, I was not fed deliberately vague lines and generic content with gaps I could fill in with my own stories; instead, I was gifted with the unadulterated thoughts, feelings, and haunting realities experienced by the author. It was like being invited to see the world and everything in it from the poet’s perspective. More than that, it was like being entrusted with the full weight of someone else’s truth. The poet does not provoke her readers to personally relate to her experiences; but rather, she compels the audience to empathize with her, and on a larger scale, with people who share the same marginalized identities and endure the same injustices. In that empathy, there lies a deeper, more nuanced sense of compassion.
What makes this one wonderfully different from most contemporary poetry collections is that nothing about its content is vague. Sisters’ Entrance offers a strong feminine voice that not only speaks loudly and clearly, but also, and perhaps more fundamentally, resonates with readers, whether they can personally relate to the experiences or not. Emitithal is an immensely talented storyteller, and in this book, she invites readers into the nooks and crannies of the reality she has to face and oftentimes endure.
Sisters’ Entrance is arguably one of the most important and most hauntingly evocative books I have ever read. Emtithal Mahmoud writes brilliantly, but more significantly, she writes with defiant purpose, inspiring bravery, and empowering honesty. Her work sheds light on socially relevant issues such as genocide, survivor’s guilt, gender-based power dynamics, and discrimination (i.e. racism, Islamophobia), and ultimately, speaks of the brutal realities faced by women of color in contemporary society. The personal impact of this poetry collection on me as a woman of color is unparalleled, and I cannot recommend Sisters’ Entrance enough times!
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of Sisters’ Entrance from the publishers (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publishers for the opportunity!
Actual rating: 5 stars
* Read the rest of this review in my natural habitat!
What makes this one wonderfully different from most contemporary poetry collections is that nothing about its content is vague. Sisters’ Entrance offers a strong feminine voice that not only speaks loudly and clearly, but also, and perhaps more fundamentally, resonates with readers, whether they can personally relate to the experiences or not. Emitithal is an immensely talented storyteller, and in this book, she invites readers into the nooks and crannies of the reality she has to face and oftentimes endure.
Sisters’ Entrance is arguably one of the most important and most hauntingly evocative books I have ever read. Emtithal Mahmoud writes brilliantly, but more significantly, she writes with defiant purpose, inspiring bravery, and empowering honesty. Her work sheds light on socially relevant issues such as genocide, survivor’s guilt, gender-based power dynamics, and discrimination (i.e. racism, Islamophobia), and ultimately, speaks of the brutal realities faced by women of color in contemporary society. The personal impact of this poetry collection on me as a woman of color is unparalleled, and I cannot recommend Sisters’ Entrance enough times!
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of Sisters’ Entrance from the publishers (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publishers for the opportunity!
Actual rating: 5 stars
* Read the rest of this review in my natural habitat!
October 1, 2020
October 01, 2020: Sisters’ Entrance is a collection of reality, brutal but honest reality, and the emotions of a woman who lived through that reality herself. trigger warnings:
A collection of reality, brutal but honest reality, and the emotions of a woman who lived through that reality herself. One of the best I’ve ever read, the themes of misogyny, patriarchy, war, violence, genocide, early marriage, domestic abuse, dowry, rape, refugee migration, and Islamophobia, are right there among the poetic lines. It’s difficult to accurately phrase how much I love this collection so all I wish to say is: please read it while keeping in mind the triggers.
June 08, 2018: Finished reading this! Received a digital copy of this via Netgalley.
“Belief is not transferable, but, not unlike guilt, it burns brightly by association.”
A collection of reality, brutal but honest reality, and the emotions of a woman who lived through that reality herself. One of the best I’ve ever read, the themes of misogyny, patriarchy, war, violence, genocide, early marriage, domestic abuse, dowry, rape, refugee migration, and Islamophobia, are right there among the poetic lines. It’s difficult to accurately phrase how much I love this collection so all I wish to say is: please read it while keeping in mind the triggers.
June 08, 2018: Finished reading this! Received a digital copy of this via Netgalley.
April 27, 2018
**I voluntarily read an eARC of Sisters' Entrance through Netgalley.**
3.5 stars
While I did enjoy this, the only real complaint that I had was that it was a little too repetitive for my liking. It also sat on the same level with me most of the time and felt flat. That being said, I did enjoy this collection of poetry by Emtithal Mahmoud, nonetheless.
3.5 stars
While I did enjoy this, the only real complaint that I had was that it was a little too repetitive for my liking. It also sat on the same level with me most of the time and felt flat. That being said, I did enjoy this collection of poetry by Emtithal Mahmoud, nonetheless.
April 16, 2018
Emtithal Mahmoud is strong and fierce and it shows through in her poems. Her country, her beliefs and her family, we all get to know the way she sees them and I, for one, love her look on the world.
Most of these poems are raw, you read about death more than about the living, which -in this case- isn’t strange.
For someone who has never seen war up close, this is a very interesting way to -in some way- try to start and understand what other people go through and that we're spoiled, living in a country like ours.
Most of these poems are raw, you read about death more than about the living, which -in this case- isn’t strange.
For someone who has never seen war up close, this is a very interesting way to -in some way- try to start and understand what other people go through and that we're spoiled, living in a country like ours.
November 22, 2020
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
sisters' entrance is a fascinating collection of poems that handles very heavy topics like domestic violence and arrange marriages, sexism, islamophobia, existentialism, wars, among others. i liked its seriousness and feeling the author transmitted. there were some poems i felt that didn't do anything for the collection and just made the book seem a little weak. but it was still enjoyable and interesting.
"to a family of immigrants,
the fourth of july sounds
like a firing squad,
like the debt collector,
like the dictator coming to call.
it sounds like sunset for the last time or
it sounds like faces hitting the concrete
their voices still remaining, still pleading,
still praying in the wrong language."
3.5 stars
sisters' entrance is a fascinating collection of poems that handles very heavy topics like domestic violence and arrange marriages, sexism, islamophobia, existentialism, wars, among others. i liked its seriousness and feeling the author transmitted. there were some poems i felt that didn't do anything for the collection and just made the book seem a little weak. but it was still enjoyable and interesting.
"to a family of immigrants,
the fourth of july sounds
like a firing squad,
like the debt collector,
like the dictator coming to call.
it sounds like sunset for the last time or
it sounds like faces hitting the concrete
their voices still remaining, still pleading,
still praying in the wrong language."
January 13, 2020
A poetry collection about war, discrimination, being muslim and family. Sister's Entrance is beautifully written and delves deep into large topics, the poems are full of raw emotion and feeling.
But for me, something was missing. I couldn't really grasp what. The poems were beautiful but at times too practical, too explained for my own taste. I felt like there was nothing to read into in most of the poems, although it could be that they were simply much much cleverer than I and that's why I couldn't read into them.
Also, I have noticed that long-form poetry isn't really my thing. Sad to rate such a beautiful collection as this only 3 stars, but at times I had to force myself to continue reading it. It could be my fault entirely, but Sister's Entrance and I, we just weren't a perfect match.
But for me, something was missing. I couldn't really grasp what. The poems were beautiful but at times too practical, too explained for my own taste. I felt like there was nothing to read into in most of the poems, although it could be that they were simply much much cleverer than I and that's why I couldn't read into them.
Also, I have noticed that long-form poetry isn't really my thing. Sad to rate such a beautiful collection as this only 3 stars, but at times I had to force myself to continue reading it. It could be my fault entirely, but Sister's Entrance and I, we just weren't a perfect match.
August 31, 2018
Gripped this book all the way. It was captivating it tackles views on topics such as genocide, war, mourning, the love for fellow countrymen, the guilt of surviving, racism. You can feel the authenticity of the author from each and every piece. Nothing repetitive all were written uniquely profound. It was heartbreaking, fierce, and empowering to read. It's something that you pick up from your shelf to read over again.
July 27, 2018
This book gave me chills. The author is able to put so many feelings into so few words. I have been overwhelmed with a desire to learn about genocides and other races, cultures, etc. I believe Sisters’ Entrance is a wonderful place to start for someone looking to really understand what is going on in other parts of our world. It is not only history, it is current events. I believe that we turn a blind eye to things we do not want to see, but that does not make them go away. Educate yourself. Feel something other than your own feelings. We do not get to experience everything but that does not mean we do not need to be educated about all experiences.
June 22, 2018
Sisters' Entrance is a collection of poetry from the 2015 World Poetry Slam Champion, Emtithal Mahmoud. It has been split into five sections, and relates experiences of war, genocide, displacement, grief, and racism, amongst other things. Mahmoud's imagery is sharp and moving, and I very much admire her for how much she has captured of sorrow, and horrifying experiences. Whilst some of these poems were not to my personal taste, others were incredibly taut, and beautiful in their sadness. Honest and heartfelt, Sisters' Entrance has a lot to say, and some striking ways in which to say it.
From 'People Like Us':
'We didn't stand a chance.
Flesh was never meant to dance
with silver bullets.'
From 'People Like Us':
'I've seen sixteen ways to stop a heart.'
From 'People Like Us':
'Half the sand in the Sahara
tastes a lot like powdered bone.'
From 'One Deep Well':
'I tell her, I don't fall
I dive
Headfirst
Into a patchwork pavement
The gravel in my teeth a testament
That these parts of me were salvaged
from a story much older than myself -'
From 'The Things She Told Me':
'I asked my mother to lend me her strength.
She proceeded to lift an entire planet
from her back.'
From 'People Like Us':
'We didn't stand a chance.
Flesh was never meant to dance
with silver bullets.'
From 'People Like Us':
'I've seen sixteen ways to stop a heart.'
From 'People Like Us':
'Half the sand in the Sahara
tastes a lot like powdered bone.'
From 'One Deep Well':
'I tell her, I don't fall
I dive
Headfirst
Into a patchwork pavement
The gravel in my teeth a testament
That these parts of me were salvaged
from a story much older than myself -'
From 'The Things She Told Me':
'I asked my mother to lend me her strength.
She proceeded to lift an entire planet
from her back.'
July 31, 2018
A copy was given to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For Emtithal "Emi" Mahmoud, it is everything the world refused to.
This is the hardest poetry book I had to review. I tried many times to think of the right words to say but often came up empty. I thought I just couldn't think clearly but then I realized I was afraid. Afraid that I didn't get the message, afraid that I understood it wrongly. Because this is a powerful book. This is not meant for entertainment. This is meant to wake you up.
The author is the winner of the 2015 Individual World Poetry Slam. Poetry slam is a competition in which poets perform spoken word poetry. This book is a collection of her previous pieces along with new ones.
The thing with spoken word poetry is that it is as good as its delivery. There is a world of difference between words when written and words when spoken. I read this book many times but I still felt that I was missing something. So I searched for the live performances on YouTube and I realized what it is. The voice in my head never did the poems justice. There is power in the way Emi delivers her poems. It is so raw and emotional. Bird Watching in Lesvos Island particularly made me bawl so hard.
When they say words are powerful, this is what they meant. This is what the world needs to hear.
Until now, I still feel like the times I read this book isn’t enough. This is a book you need to read over and over again until you understand every inch of its meaning.
This book will leave you feeling like you don’t know enough. That the world is so vast and there are things we didn’t notice and things others tried to hide from us. And when you seek for answers, this book has served its purpose. Because these words were not meant to remain on paper. It was meant to open your eyes, shake you up, and hopefully, get you moving.
If you're interested in watching more of Emi Mahmoud's performances, I made a playlist of some of the poems in the book.
Review can also be found on my blog.
If you had the power to make your voice heard, what would you say?
For Emtithal "Emi" Mahmoud, it is everything the world refused to.
This is the hardest poetry book I had to review. I tried many times to think of the right words to say but often came up empty. I thought I just couldn't think clearly but then I realized I was afraid. Afraid that I didn't get the message, afraid that I understood it wrongly. Because this is a powerful book. This is not meant for entertainment. This is meant to wake you up.
The author is the winner of the 2015 Individual World Poetry Slam. Poetry slam is a competition in which poets perform spoken word poetry. This book is a collection of her previous pieces along with new ones.
The thing with spoken word poetry is that it is as good as its delivery. There is a world of difference between words when written and words when spoken. I read this book many times but I still felt that I was missing something. So I searched for the live performances on YouTube and I realized what it is. The voice in my head never did the poems justice. There is power in the way Emi delivers her poems. It is so raw and emotional. Bird Watching in Lesvos Island particularly made me bawl so hard.
When they say words are powerful, this is what they meant. This is what the world needs to hear.
Until now, I still feel like the times I read this book isn’t enough. This is a book you need to read over and over again until you understand every inch of its meaning.
This book will leave you feeling like you don’t know enough. That the world is so vast and there are things we didn’t notice and things others tried to hide from us. And when you seek for answers, this book has served its purpose. Because these words were not meant to remain on paper. It was meant to open your eyes, shake you up, and hopefully, get you moving.
If you're interested in watching more of Emi Mahmoud's performances, I made a playlist of some of the poems in the book.
Review can also be found on my blog.
August 6, 2019
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Review also found here
As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
Sisters' Entrance is a modern, poetic triumph. Simply breathtaking. Where to begin, where to begin, where to begin? I could not put down this collection by beloved slam-poet Emtithal Mahmoud. I just couldn't. Sisters' Entrance is packed with honest topics, expression and a voice that demands to be heard--and so many of us are listening. If you're looking for prose to move you, prose you feel aching in your bones for weeks after reading, this is the collection for you.
It's brutally honest. Thought-provoking. Every word hits you differently. Mahmoud has a voice unlike many in modern poetry and there's something utterly stunning about it. Sisters' Entrance reads like all good poetry should--with feeling, with intimacy, with connection. It is one of the best releases this year, both in poetry and in literature as a general scene.
Mahmoud has this way to her writing that feels so intimate. It cuts you, in a way. You're invited into the soul of each line. There's something so absorbing about her prose. Rich. Full of memories and of existence and pain and life. You feel what Mahmoud feels. You endure what many sections had to endure.
I cannot stress the importance of poetry. No matter the thoughts of readers, the similarities, the length, each poet has a story to tell. Sisters' Entrance is can't-miss-poetry and will move readers and remind them why we love prose to begin with. Emtithal Mahmoud's voice is so very important.
Now is the time for you to listen.
As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
Sisters' Entrance is a modern, poetic triumph. Simply breathtaking. Where to begin, where to begin, where to begin? I could not put down this collection by beloved slam-poet Emtithal Mahmoud. I just couldn't. Sisters' Entrance is packed with honest topics, expression and a voice that demands to be heard--and so many of us are listening. If you're looking for prose to move you, prose you feel aching in your bones for weeks after reading, this is the collection for you.
It's brutally honest. Thought-provoking. Every word hits you differently. Mahmoud has a voice unlike many in modern poetry and there's something utterly stunning about it. Sisters' Entrance reads like all good poetry should--with feeling, with intimacy, with connection. It is one of the best releases this year, both in poetry and in literature as a general scene.
Mahmoud has this way to her writing that feels so intimate. It cuts you, in a way. You're invited into the soul of each line. There's something so absorbing about her prose. Rich. Full of memories and of existence and pain and life. You feel what Mahmoud feels. You endure what many sections had to endure.
I cannot stress the importance of poetry. No matter the thoughts of readers, the similarities, the length, each poet has a story to tell. Sisters' Entrance is can't-miss-poetry and will move readers and remind them why we love prose to begin with. Emtithal Mahmoud's voice is so very important.
Now is the time for you to listen.
March 9, 2020
If I add my own language to this it will only siphon away power, piercing power and words that will needle into all parts of your soul. No review, I will just use hers...
"But love, love is the armor we carried across the
borders of our broken homeland.
A hasty mix of stories that last long after the flavor
is gone, and muscle memory that overcomes even the most bitter of times.
My memory is spotted with days of laughing
until I cried or crying until I laughed -
laughter and tears are both involuntary
reactions, testaments of human expression.
So allow me to express, that if I make you laugh,
It's usually on purpose
and if I make you cry, I promise I'll still think
you are beautiful..."
--You Have a Big Imagination or 400,000 Ways to Cry
"Because what survivor hasn't had her struggle made spectacle?
Don't talk about the motherland unless you know
that being from Africa means waking up an
afterthought
in this country.
Don't talk about my flavor unless you know
that my flavor is insurrection, it is rebellion,
resistance
My flavor is mutiny
It is burden, it is grit, and it is compromise..."
---Mama
The Things She Told Me
I asked my mother to lend me her strength.
She proceeded to life an entire planet
from her back.
A pearl necklace, her wedding dress,
rubber gloves from the kitchen sink,
the shoes she wore in elementary school,
her diploma, two fistfuls of hope
and a tattered legacy of fear,
the kiss from the boy next door,
her father's walking stick,
two pence from the market,
a basket full of the finest okra,
an envelope of desert sand,
three safety pins,
one pair of sturdy khaki pants -
good for work but not for raising children -
and one pen.
She said, with a shaking voice,
Learn these things, before they teach you.
Death loves a woman, but we are still here.
And the moon is crying, or maybe singing
and the stars look down in mourning
as we melt hatred and weave compassion,
gather the waste from each body
and weld resilience.
We do this every day - make a good thing
out of nothing,
be the strong ones,
be okay even when we're not.
But today, we're more than okay,
we are women.
So, take my strength, I've got plenty.
Take my hands, I've got two.
Take my voice, let it guide you
and if it shakes, ask yourself:
when the earth shakes,
do you think that she's afraid?
That last one made me cry. I wonder if I could ask my mother to lend me her strength, what she would say...
I hope you are as moved, transformed and seized by these poems as I was.
"But love, love is the armor we carried across the
borders of our broken homeland.
A hasty mix of stories that last long after the flavor
is gone, and muscle memory that overcomes even the most bitter of times.
My memory is spotted with days of laughing
until I cried or crying until I laughed -
laughter and tears are both involuntary
reactions, testaments of human expression.
So allow me to express, that if I make you laugh,
It's usually on purpose
and if I make you cry, I promise I'll still think
you are beautiful..."
--You Have a Big Imagination or 400,000 Ways to Cry
"Because what survivor hasn't had her struggle made spectacle?
Don't talk about the motherland unless you know
that being from Africa means waking up an
afterthought
in this country.
Don't talk about my flavor unless you know
that my flavor is insurrection, it is rebellion,
resistance
My flavor is mutiny
It is burden, it is grit, and it is compromise..."
---Mama
The Things She Told Me
I asked my mother to lend me her strength.
She proceeded to life an entire planet
from her back.
A pearl necklace, her wedding dress,
rubber gloves from the kitchen sink,
the shoes she wore in elementary school,
her diploma, two fistfuls of hope
and a tattered legacy of fear,
the kiss from the boy next door,
her father's walking stick,
two pence from the market,
a basket full of the finest okra,
an envelope of desert sand,
three safety pins,
one pair of sturdy khaki pants -
good for work but not for raising children -
and one pen.
She said, with a shaking voice,
Learn these things, before they teach you.
Death loves a woman, but we are still here.
And the moon is crying, or maybe singing
and the stars look down in mourning
as we melt hatred and weave compassion,
gather the waste from each body
and weld resilience.
We do this every day - make a good thing
out of nothing,
be the strong ones,
be okay even when we're not.
But today, we're more than okay,
we are women.
So, take my strength, I've got plenty.
Take my hands, I've got two.
Take my voice, let it guide you
and if it shakes, ask yourself:
when the earth shakes,
do you think that she's afraid?
That last one made me cry. I wonder if I could ask my mother to lend me her strength, what she would say...
I hope you are as moved, transformed and seized by these poems as I was.
June 29, 2018
4.5 stars
And the moon is crying, or maybe singing
and the stars look down in mourning
as we melt hatred and weave compassion,
gather the waste from each body
and weld resilience
(...)
But today, we're more than okay,
we are women.
So, take my strength, I've got plenty.
Take my hands, I've got two.
Take my voice, let it guide you
and if it shakes, ask yourself:
when the earth shakes,
do you think that she's afraid?
I loved this. I am so grateful I got to read more of Emi Mahmoud's work because i have been in love with everything since i discovered her slam poetry on youtube. She has an incredibly raw, honest and powerful voice which she combines with strong imagery and thus paints beautiful, heartfelt pictures with every piece of her writing.
There were plenty of poems that were not about me nor for me, as a white western-European woman. For some pieces that meant there was less of a connection or i could relate less, but they are not less strong because of that. I thought it was great that this was so unapologetically about Emi and her life and experiences and what she carries with her. I am grateful for what she shares.
Huge thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
To a family of immigrants,
the Fourth of July sounds
like a firing squad,
like the debt collector,
like the dictator coming to call.
It sounds like sunset for the last time or
it sounds like faces hitting the concrete
their voices still remaining, still pleading,
still praying in the wrong language.
And the moon is crying, or maybe singing
and the stars look down in mourning
as we melt hatred and weave compassion,
gather the waste from each body
and weld resilience
(...)
But today, we're more than okay,
we are women.
So, take my strength, I've got plenty.
Take my hands, I've got two.
Take my voice, let it guide you
and if it shakes, ask yourself:
when the earth shakes,
do you think that she's afraid?
I loved this. I am so grateful I got to read more of Emi Mahmoud's work because i have been in love with everything since i discovered her slam poetry on youtube. She has an incredibly raw, honest and powerful voice which she combines with strong imagery and thus paints beautiful, heartfelt pictures with every piece of her writing.
There were plenty of poems that were not about me nor for me, as a white western-European woman. For some pieces that meant there was less of a connection or i could relate less, but they are not less strong because of that. I thought it was great that this was so unapologetically about Emi and her life and experiences and what she carries with her. I am grateful for what she shares.
Huge thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
To a family of immigrants,
the Fourth of July sounds
like a firing squad,
like the debt collector,
like the dictator coming to call.
It sounds like sunset for the last time or
it sounds like faces hitting the concrete
their voices still remaining, still pleading,
still praying in the wrong language.
August 13, 2018
Beautiful collection by such a strong poet. Emi Mahmoud is Sudanese-American and a poet of witness but unlike many, her focus is not on the violence and war (though it does figure) but rather on the strength of family. All of the grief of war in personal and seen through the eyes of a child and then a fiercely compassionate young woman. She is angry but also hopeful and the figure of her mother protects and inspires throughout the collection. I always find it hard to describe poetry, so I’ll share the beginning of one of her poems and if you want to read more, you should most definitely pick up this collection. And/or watch her slam online. Very glad to have bought this book.
———
I asked my mother to lend me her strength.
She proceeded to lift an entire planet
from her back.
A pearl necklace, her wedding dress,
rubber gloves from the kitchen sink,
the shoes she wore in elementary school,
her diploma, two fistfuls of hope
...
———
I asked my mother to lend me her strength.
She proceeded to lift an entire planet
from her back.
A pearl necklace, her wedding dress,
rubber gloves from the kitchen sink,
the shoes she wore in elementary school,
her diploma, two fistfuls of hope
...
April 30, 2021
This poetry collection was raw, visceral, and brutally honest. It addresses genocide, racism, Islamophobia, arranged marriage, death... The list goes on. The poems are powerful and don't hold back - they fill in all the gaps. One can feel the grief behind Mahmoud's words. It was a lovely read and experience.
My favorites from the collection:
"People Like Us"
"Euphoria at Community Prayer"
"The Things She Told Me"
"How to Translate a Joke"
"She Threw Things out of Windows and I Watched"
"To Envy a Scavenger"
"Tower Two"
"Tarzan"
"For Muhannad, Taha, and Adam"
"Mama"
"Eulogy"
My favorites from the collection:
"People Like Us"
"Euphoria at Community Prayer"
"The Things She Told Me"
"How to Translate a Joke"
"She Threw Things out of Windows and I Watched"
"To Envy a Scavenger"
"Tower Two"
"Tarzan"
"For Muhannad, Taha, and Adam"
"Mama"
"Eulogy"
July 12, 2019
This is not an “easy poetry book” this is hard. I’m not saying it’s bad but the message is different than the one you usually read. It’s about war, family, hatred and more. This didn’t leave my heart in pain and wanting for more, because this is like real. I really can’t explain more into but this one was not my cup of tea but still the agony was there even though I didn’t connect to it and I hope no one has to live in wartime and suffer tremendously.
March 9, 2022
In this collection, Emtithal renders the details of pain and loss, family and war so vividly. While i find her written poetry beautiful, i am way more partial to her spoken word versions because consuming poems in a collection as personal as this without the guidance of the author almost strips the words of meaning and flattens the emotions these words were designed to inspire.
A fantastic collection regardless!
A fantastic collection regardless!
July 4, 2018
Sisters' Entrance caught my eye in a Chapters, and while the cover was quite striking, I was a bit worried it was going to be yet another volume of vapid instagram poetry (since that's generally all that gets featured in Chapters). Fortunately, I was very very wrong. Mahmoud writes about being a refugee, about war and death, religion and patriarchy, Islamophobia and discrimination. It's a beautiful, cutting, angry volume of poetry that deserves witness.
September 18, 2018
Me encanto, demasiado real, los pies bien puestos en la tierra. Estos poemas nos muestran que la vida de los refugiados va mas allá de lo que vemos en la noticia, va mas allá de lo que podamos imaginar.
September 20, 2018
I enjoyed this one! Many of the poems were heartbreaking in their depiction of being in a war torn country and later a refugee. I am hoping to use a couple of the poems in my classroom as a read aloud to discuss immigration, refugees and genocide.
June 4, 2018
This book of poetry is the kind of a book, which will always going to be on my night table. This girl is a power pack and her poetry is fluid! Love love Love her poetry. Strength and honor to her!
March 1, 2025
I wanted to love this but honestly, the majority of poems wasn't for me (I found them to be very generic and just overall weird) but some were very interesting, just not enough for me personally
July 19, 2018
Powerful poetry...
April 12, 2018
I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, these poems were really powerful. They talk about war and feminism and genocide and survival and they just speak so much strength and so much harsh truth. They can get pretty graphic and my stomach definitely churned at some descriptions. But I think that is part of what makes them so powerful - they just don't make anything seem better than it is/was. It's terrible to read, but really important.
Wow, these poems were really powerful. They talk about war and feminism and genocide and survival and they just speak so much strength and so much harsh truth. They can get pretty graphic and my stomach definitely churned at some descriptions. But I think that is part of what makes them so powerful - they just don't make anything seem better than it is/was. It's terrible to read, but really important.
June 11, 2018
Original review
This book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley!
Sister’s Entrance is a poetry collection about genocide, diaspora, the guilt of surviving, racism and Islamophobia, the burdens of girlhood, the solace of sisterhood, and the innocence of a first kiss.
Sister’s Entrance was such a raw and honest poetry collection! I requested this book because I wanted to know read more different kinds of poetry and this was one of them. I’ve read about racism, but not really about Islam or genocide, … Sister’s Entrance really confronted me with what it’s like to be a female Muslim and how everyone looks at you.
But today, we’re more than okay,
we are women.
So, take my strength, I’ve got plenty.
Take my hands, I’ve got two.
Take my voice, let it guide you
and if it shakes, ask yourself:
when the earth shakes,
do you think that she’s afraid?
Sister’s Entrance was really interesting because I learnt so much by reading these poems. It was definitely something new for me, but a good new! I cannot wait to discover more poetry written by Emtitha Mahmoud!
This book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley!
Sister’s Entrance is a poetry collection about genocide, diaspora, the guilt of surviving, racism and Islamophobia, the burdens of girlhood, the solace of sisterhood, and the innocence of a first kiss.
Sister’s Entrance was such a raw and honest poetry collection! I requested this book because I wanted to know read more different kinds of poetry and this was one of them. I’ve read about racism, but not really about Islam or genocide, … Sister’s Entrance really confronted me with what it’s like to be a female Muslim and how everyone looks at you.
But today, we’re more than okay,
we are women.
So, take my strength, I’ve got plenty.
Take my hands, I’ve got two.
Take my voice, let it guide you
and if it shakes, ask yourself:
when the earth shakes,
do you think that she’s afraid?
Sister’s Entrance was really interesting because I learnt so much by reading these poems. It was definitely something new for me, but a good new! I cannot wait to discover more poetry written by Emtitha Mahmoud!
May 30, 2018
This is a haunting and harrowing collection. None of the poems are easy to read, many are about graphic and traumatic events from the author's personal experiences and perspective. Every poem was powerful and poignant, clearly written with so much emotion behind each one. When I read poetry collections I tend to keep a note of my favourites and the ones that stick in my mind the most as I read, the first one I wrote down was Why I Haven't Told You Yet, but I lost track of my favourites soon after that as I was writing basically every other one down.
Sisters' Entrance is not an easy read, but it is raw, honest and incredibly important.
Sisters' Entrance is not an easy read, but it is raw, honest and incredibly important.
Well, this is me telling you
that the only winning move is not to play.
So, I'm gonna burn this whole house down.
April 22, 2018
*This arc was kindly provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! (less)
I don't even know where to begin with this book. It was painfully, yet beautifully raw. I found myself needing a breather a few times as the heaviness of the words set on my heart and brought tears to my eyes. There's so much that we hear about in the news, and may or may not be affected by it, but reading this from Emtithal's point of view makes it so much real. The gut-wrenching and traumatic events she has experienced, the losses, and all of it has affected me beyond words.
I definitely recommend it to everyone, even if they're not into poetry much mainly because its eye opening qualities.
I don't even know where to begin with this book. It was painfully, yet beautifully raw. I found myself needing a breather a few times as the heaviness of the words set on my heart and brought tears to my eyes. There's so much that we hear about in the news, and may or may not be affected by it, but reading this from Emtithal's point of view makes it so much real. The gut-wrenching and traumatic events she has experienced, the losses, and all of it has affected me beyond words.
I definitely recommend it to everyone, even if they're not into poetry much mainly because its eye opening qualities.
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