PositivePublic BooksThe reader of Beyond Babylon is able to make connections between the five characters’ lives and feelings that the characters themselves do not always make ... The power of the novel is the unexpected links among these different characters and places ... Not only do the characters at times see how their stories intertwine with others’ experiences, but readers may also see their worlds reflected in the stories ... Beyond Babylon is a brutal book that vividly describes multiple rapes, desperate poverty, suicide, forced abortion, racist violence, torture, clitoridectomies, and death in childbirth. But it is not without hope ... The work is full of characters who take joy in their ability to express themselves through music, dance, clothing, poetry, and prose.
