


I have an enduring respect for Sikhs, and this part of the book only deepened it. Kaur paints us a thorough, intimate portrait of the grief and pain felt by the American Sikh community and gives us a primer in the faith that has empowered many of the people in that community to forgive and rebuild. Prior to reading this I was not aware of the deadly extent of anti-Sikh domestic terrorism in the US, or the way it has increased, as has most domestic terror, in recent years. There’s a stunning vulnerability and bold femininity in these stories that speaks to the breadth and depth of womanhood–not only love, softness and warrior triumph but also abusive relationships, assault, sexism, reproductive issues and the unique trauma that Black and brown women face in America when feeling the need to choose between protecting the men in our communities who are often victimized by law enforcement and seeking legal justice when some of those same men choose to victimize us. Kaur intersperses calls to love and action with her own experiences growing up Sikh on a California farm, going to Harvard & Yale, becoming an activist, falling in love, having children, and building communities of love and power.

It’s warm, empowering, & sharply attuned to our current times and their particular dangers.⠀ It’s a manifesto–a revolutionary encouragement to love not only with community and caring, but with law, protests, and the pent up rage that comes from receiving injustice. This book is so many things, and I loved them all.
