Leymah Gbowee was one of three women to receive the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize
As a young woman growing up in Africa, seventeen-year-old Leymah Gbowee was crushed by a savage war when violence reached her native Monrovia, depriving her of the education she yearned for and claiming the lives of relatives and friends. As war continued to ravage Liberia, Gbowee’s bitterness turned to rage-fueled action as she realized that women bear the greatest burden in prolonged conflicts. Passionate and charismatic, Gbowee was instrumental in galvanizing hundreds, if not thousands of women in Liberia in 2002 to force a peace in the region after twelve years of war. She began organizing Christian and Muslim women to demonstrate together, founding Liberian Mass Action for Peace, launching protests and even a sex strike.
Gbowee’s memoir, Mighty Be Our Powers, chronicles the unthinkable violence she’s faced throughout her life and the peace she has helped broker by empowering hundreds of her countrywomen and others around the world to take action and takes listeners along on her continuing journey as she harnesses the power of women to bring her country peace, saves herself, and changes history.
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"For several years, I've been telling everyone that Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide is a must-read. I still say that, but now I've added a second book to that must-read recommendation: Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War. I was deeply moved by this book, and surprised by much of what I found there. I had expected to read about the peace movement of the Liberian women--I've seen the documentary "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" so I knew the basic story. However, not only does the book give a much more complete picture of the story the documentary tells, but Gbowee begins with a very honest description of her childhood and early adult years, experiences of domestic violence, and her own personal experiences during the war. She also addresses the painful difficulty of her work for peace and justice in terms of being a mother. Throughout, Gbowee is honest, humble, and discerning; she speaks highly of many others side-by-side with critiques of some. This story addresses so many issues facing women worldwide that it's hard to place it in any particular box. I can't recommend it highly enough."
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Sandy (5 out of 5 stars)