And Sex Changed a Nation at War - How Sisterhood

Overall, the memoir was written well and the story told was compelling and ,certainly, interesting. Living here in the US one may never know what it's like to live in the middle of a war and having to constantly be on the run for your life, meager sustenance, clothing. My respect and admiration for sister Leymah to have persevered and survived such a traumatic ordeal is unwavering. However, I feel as though the reviews were a bit over the top as it relates to the story content. Perhaps, I am victim to my being a male and not being forced to live is a war ravaged city that causes me to feel a bit disappointed in my expectations. I would, however, recommend this book for any woman who has been abused, struggling in life and made to feel subservant. I would also recommend this book to any man who's witnessed their mother, sister, aunt go through an abusive (physical, verbal and psychological) domestic experience. Leymah's story is strong and certainly makes you stop and take notice of things that are happening in the World which our US news media modifies in their reporting of what really happens. I wish Sister Leymah all the best in her efforts to lift up women everywhere.

This is an inspirational book that reminds us all of the power of the individual to affect change in the world. In the face of great challenges in society, it's easy to cower, turn a blind eye, or just complain. Leymah Gbowee shows us that if we want change, we need to take action rather than simply hope someone else will. We need to be our own hero. Gbowee's story also removes all excuses. We can't say that we have no power, no money, no network, no influence. It doesn't matter. Gbowee demonstrates that one person, no matter how imperfect, can make a huge difference. The book also demonstrates the value of non-governmental organizations (nonprofit organizations) to society.

While this is definitely a book for everyone, it is a volume that every parent should buy for their daughters. Gbowee reveals what true girl/woman power is really all about.

When people hear the name, Leymah Gbowee, they think of the woman who led the Mass Peace Movement to put an end to the Liberian Civil War. The words that pop into people’s minds when they hear of Gbowee is fearlessness and courage. Before encountering the book, Mighty Be Our Powers, one would have never thought that one embattled woman could have the strength to overcome adversity, and lead the fight toward peace. As described in her detailed autobiography, she was a phenomenal spokesperson whose message of “We want peace, no more war,” prompted leaders to act on behalf of the suffering women and children of Liberia.

Mighty Be Our Powers is written from the perspective of Gbowee, herself, as she recounts important times in her childhood as she was growing up while the Liberian Civil War was beginning to erupt. She recalls how she was successful in academics, and had a predictable future with intentions of becoming a doctor in the future. Unfortunately, her world is completely changed when Liberia became engaged in a brutal civil war between Charles Taylor’s oppressive government and rebel groups. The conflict was a never-ending period of bloodshed as women and children were suffering when countless lives were lost. Young boys were also being recruited against their will to fight as child soldiers, and the men were only adding fuel to the fire by escalating the war. Gbowee was present throughout this conflict, being forced to flee her home, getting involved in an abusive relationship, having a large sum of children, and being scrutinized by her own parents. Nevertheless, Gbowee persisted by rising above her unfortunate circumstances, and becoming the face of a forceful and unbreakable movement for peace.

Gbowee uses a superb writing style throughout the novel. There was never a moment where I felt bombarded with information since she does an effective job of building up the story. Because many Americans do not know about the Liberian Civil War, she makes sure to write for an audience who does not have as much background knowledge. Even though I had not heard of Liberia, I felt confident about the history once I read Gbowee’s book. It was also thoroughly researched since Gbowee did have the exact statistics of casualties and dates of the events, which makes the book a credible resource for informational purposes. It was also valuable to read Gbowee’s personal stories because it gave a greater sense of what was at the core of her personality. It gave additional perspective on how she became a leader because it started with her hardships, and then her eventual call to action as the situation in her country got worse. I believe it was a successful strategy to interweave her personal stories with the historical events of Liberia because the writing flowed nicely, and made it easily understandable.

One of the topics I found compelling was when Gbowee brought up her romantic relationships. It was interesting to understand how her love life shaped her as a leader. For instance, when she was married to her abusive husband, Daniel, she mentions that the only reason why she was with him was because he provided a support system since women are frowned upon without a man in their conservative West African society. This was when she was at her lowest point, and was able to learn from her experience once she met the love of her life, Tunde. He was the opposite of Daniel in which he allowed Gbowee to flourish as an assertive, independent woman. Even though it would have been a happy storybook ending if they ended up together, he was supportive of her decision of continuing her work to bring peace to her country. Another compelling topic was the long-standing dilemma at the Peace Talks. This section was eye-opening because I was able to realize the full weight of the situation. Even though peace seems like a reasonable solution, it is certainly not easy to achieve. It was shocking to realize that the warlords and officials were more interested in their own personal gains, rather than creating a prosperous future for all citizens. This was also the moment when Gbowee’s bold leadership was represented because she put her societal reputation on the line to save her fellow sisters. I must admit I was in complete awe as she threatened to strip naked, showing her dedication to stopping a war that was tearing millions of families apart. That is the essence of a true hero.

One pro of this book was how straightforward Gbowee narrated the story. She went right to the point with all the topics she brought up. All the information she wrote was relevant to the message she was trying to convey. There was not a moment where she strayed off topic. Because I like to understand exactly what I’m reading, the book was effortless to page through. One con was the dismal and pessimistic content of the storyline. I sometimes felt as if Gbowee was too clouded in her negative energy because she was suffering from chronic depression. It made reading the book difficult, considering I did not want to end on a low note at the end of each chapter. I believe Gbowee should work on being a hopeful writer, shedding a light on happiness for once. I recommend this novel to anybody who wants to know more about the Liberian Civil War, and this phenomenal woman who took a stand in the face of danger. I would also refer it to women who want to develop their inner qualities of perseverance, persistence, and confidence. They can for sure count on Leymah Gbowee to teach them how to acquire those valuable traits.

Mighty Be Our Powers, what a great and inspirational book for so many people to enjoy. Leymah Gbowee, a very brave woman, is not afraid to oppose the government of Liberia and fight for what she believes was right which is Peace. Growing up as a shy person the War will transform all her personality into a confident, persistent, strong and courageous woman. The author reveals the political situation in Liberia during the time of one tyrant, the president Charles Taylor. After 14 years of Civil War this single woman decides to speak up and break the silence before it was too late. Her courage will grow to a future leader and strong mother. Persistent to her vision of Building Peace and Democracy in Liberia she will soon involve a thousand women to fight aside her. Many people will recognize her as the leader of a Mass Action for peace In Liberia, but the book reveals more about her such as the important turning points of her life.

Her romantic relationship is one thing that will shape her in a way. She shared a lot of her personal life stories and help the reader to have a better understanding and even to relate to her. In contrary to some Biography books, Mighty Be Our Powers, is really easy to understand and the honesty of the author make it more enjoyable. Leymah Gbowee is not afraid to share the darkest time of her life and her personal fear as a human. This is what make this book so interesting because it is easy to love something or someone when they are willing to open up to you.

Self- sacrifice is one common characteristic in so many leaders and Leymah Gbowee's life story demonstrate it perfectly. It is also an important theme in the book and the author explain it so perfectly with different examples of Leymah's life story. Another important theme discuss in the book is the one of family, it is something that Leymah Gbowee values the most in her life and that pushed her to keep on working for her country. Like all mothers her children are what inspired her to fight for Peace in order to provide them and other kids a better future.

Her faith is something that defines her and that she relies to as a source of strength. A very interesting theme in the book that the author discusses very openly. Leymah Gbowee is a woman who proves that we can come from nothing and become the hero of an entire Nation. She proved that everything is possible through determination and conviction into something that you believe in. Despite the criticisms about her gender and especially in an African country she proved that it does not define people but instead it is their strength and determination.

This book is so important for future leaders and we are all leaders in a way. So, I recommend this book to young people as well as adults you never know but it might inspire you in so many ways. It is also a great source of information about a country, Liberia, and it will expose you to so many realities of life. You are not just going to enjoy it, but it will give you hope for the future.
Leymah Gbowee's life story is the living proof of the words said by the Indian activist Mahatma Gandhi on quote: "Be the change that you wish to see in the world."

Written by Reidun Kubisa

Mighty Be Our Powers is an incredible book. Through this thoroughly written autobiography, Leymah Gbowee tells of her life in Liberia, stricken with awful violence and war. She exposes the unfortunate realities that many women, like herself, faced during wartime. She also shares how she drew from her values and made her vision (peace now, no more war) and enlisted others to make act on it. Given that this book focuses on her life’s work and advocating for what she believed in, she is an extremely credible author.

In writing about her personal triumphs and tribulations, Leymah brings in readers and gives them a true sense and personal connection to who she is. I assure you that nearly every one of your emotions will be tugged while reading this book (anger, fear, joy, etc.). By appealing to these emotions, Leymah makes the book incredibly easy and enjoyable to read. Her chapters are a moderate length and leave readers wanting more at the end of each. She also uses symbolic and sophisticated language. However, I never found her words to be too dense or too complex to comprehend. This book is not difficult nor is it time consuming to read. Leymah is such an authentic and clear communicator that I never found myself lost in her words or uninterested in what she had written.

Because of the fact that it is so easy to read, I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those who love a strong, fearless woman unafraid to fight for what’s right. A lack of information about the Peace Prize, Leymah Gbowee, or even the country of Liberia should stop no one from picking up this book and being educated as well as inspired.

After reading and being inspired by Mighty Be Our Powers, it was impossible not to reflect on the themes of this autobiography. First- persistence. Many times, in the book, Leymah talks about her struggles in life. From her alcoholism, to depression, all the way to her abusive relationships, Leymah keeps on persisting to achieve peace for her country. She never let her hardships deter her work.

Another theme, faith, was present in this book. It was admirable to see how Leymah was through able to steadfastly cling to her Christian faith throughout her this book and her work. Her faith in God served as a driving force behind her vision and her relationships with others and is undeniably the foundation of her leadership.

Before reading this book, the only thing I knew about Leymah Gbowee was that she had won a Nobel Peace Prize. I did not where she was from, I did not know what she did, I didn’t know her story. After reading this book, not only do I now know her impeccable story, but I also know more about Leymah Gbowee as a leader. This well-written autobiography is worth the read. I strongly encourage others to simply pick it up and I wouldn’t be surprised if they find themselves unable to put it down.

Leymah Gbowee’s memoir tracks her journey from optimistic, confident, and even privileged child in Liberia to a woman broken by a nation at war and domestic abuse until finally she sees the necessity to band women together and campaign for peace in Liberia.

Gbowee’s writing often feels intimate and conversational, which drew me into her story. Through this style of writing I saw how vulnerable Gbowee is allowing herself to be. She reveals not just the successes of her life, but the darkness and depression she more often faced. As a counterpart to her conversational tone, she can also be factual. Throughout her memoir she peppers in information about the different organizations she worked for as well as information about the previous and current political situation that plays a vital part in the Liberian Civil War. These two styles blend to form an insightful and easy to read narrative.

Here I’ll mention that I read this memoir in a class about leadership, so I will address some themes of leadership that were addressed.
Gbowee’s memoir reveals her values of peace, justice, and her faith and how these values have fluctuated over the many years she writes about. Values guide one’s principles and behavior and it’s clear in her writing how her values impacted her actions. Most obviously, Gbowee’s value of justice is fostered when she begins her social work with children soldiers and other women. When she is confronted with the discrimination she and other women face, her sense of justice grows until it’s a driving force in her life. Closely tied to her sense of justice is her sense of peace. Without peace there cannot be justice. Faith is a touchy subject in her life. She often feels that God motivates her to do more, but she also feels at conflict with religion because aspects of her personal life to not adhere to her religious traditions.
As a leader, her story also reveals how she enlisted others to her cause. Her job with a trauma center gave her the foundation she needed to meet and connect with other women. She quickly realized that the civil war was having an enormously negative impact on the livelihood and dignity of women. Gbowee was able to relate to these women and with them created the vision to seek peace for Liberia so that the brutality women and children encountered could begin to decrease. She also enlisted others by being passionate about the cause. She devoted her life to make sure this protest achieved the women’s goal. In doing so she made great sacrifices that prove that leadership does not come easily.

Overall, this was an inspiring memoir about rising from the tragedies of life to create something greater then oneself. However, there were some things that I felt lacking.
First, while Gbowee gives detailed descriptions of the events in her life which contribute to a better understanding of what shaped her into such a compelling leader, I felt that I may have preferred if she had chosen fewer moments to divulge and reflected more deeply on what she felt in that moment and what she realizes now in retrospect. After all, she is writing about her life over many years and 250 pages of minute details can easily get confused, especially with the numerous names and acronyms mentioned.
Second, while I understand this is a memoir, I am still curious about the people that inspired and supported her and worked alongside her. Gbowee lists many organizations and people she encountered but it all seems surface level. I would have liked to learn more about these people. What traits did they exhibit? What was it about them that inspired Gbowee? What faults did she find with them? I feel that having more information about these people would help me understand how Gbowee became a leader and maintained that leadership.
Despite these flaws, I immensely enjoyed getting a look into Leymah Gbowee’s mind during some of the darkest moments of her life and how she persevered to become such an inspiration to women’s rights in Africa.

I would recommend this memoir to people who are interested in seeing examples of conflict resolution and peace building. Gbowee’s memoir is honest about the many obstacles in conflict resolution. From uniting different groups to funding, she shows the difficulty of achieving a goal and the personal doubt and exhaustion that may occur. She is also a wonderful example of the persistence and determination needed to achieve something great.
I would also recommend this to people who want the chance to learn about incredible women leaders in the world. If you’re anything like me, you were not often given the chance to learn about women leaders and Leymah Gbowee is a good place to start. She is also an example of women empowering women and continuing the fight for women’s rights.

After watching Ms. Gbowee on The Daily Show two weeks ago, I picked up her book the next day and quickly became engrossed in her words. Her candor and honesty was heartbreakingly beautiful. The moments where she described her distance from her children (she sent them to live in safety while she supported her family financially by working in Liberia during the war) brought me to tears, while the joy she expressed after seeing real results come from the actions of the women of Liberia made me cheer aloud. This is a genuine look into the life of an incredible woman who is as modest as she is fascinating. I only wish I hadn't devoured her words so quickly!

As a huge non-fiction junkie and someone who loves reading about the lives of strong women who make change in their community and our world, I absolutely loved this autobiography. I cannot recommend it more highly!

Can you imagine the fear and frustration of a civil war that waged/raged on for more than a decade? The civil war in Liberia, West Africa was excessively violent. Here comes Leymah Gbowee, a woman in a society dominated by ferocious men. Ms. Gbowee decided she had had enough. She organized Liberian mothers, who sat on the soccer field in the heart of the capital city, Monrovia, facing the soldiers as they made their way to and from their efforts. When peace talks in Ghana looked like they were going nowhere, Ms. Gbowee challenged the mothers to do something they had previously thought they could not do: make their presence known to humble their men into negotiating a peace settlement. Good for Leymah Gbowee for understanding the power of motherhood, and for helping other women to dig deep into their inner resources to find ways to use them effectively to bring peace to a desperately war-torn country.

I personally love, love, love books that tell historical stories in a non-history "boring" way. This book is exactly that. It may not give you ALL the "facts" about the Liberian civil wars, but it gives you one woman's perspective. And her perspective is a very enlightening one. Leymah was at the heart of the women's movement for peace and she therefore got to see much of the action "up close." I am guessing if you are looking at this book then you know she won the Nobel Peace prize (jointly with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf) but I thought I'd mention it in case someone stumbled upon it randomly. This is the story of WHY she was awarded the prize. It's as much as a autobiography of Leymah as it is a contemporary historical work, and I think that she has an important voice as an African woman living through a time of crisis. It's something that we as Americans read and hear about in the news, but this is her story from in the midst of it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in: Liberia, women's rights, women's movements, African women, peace-making, interesting (auto)biographies, or just a touching story that inspires you and makes you stand a little taller.

This was not just an incredible and inspiring story but it was also beautifully written. The booked drew me in and I was hooked, reading it in a 24hr period. Although our lives are very different, I felt able to relate and learn from so much of her experience. When I saw where she was able to come from mentally - the deep depression, turning to alcohol to get through the loneliness, and how much she achieved for herself and for Liberia and women's rights globally, I felt so empowered and inspired. Beautiful brave book, Beautiful brave person - I will be telling everyone about Leymah and this book for some time!

I personally love, love, love books that tell historical stories in a non-history "boring" way. This book is exactly that. It may not give you ALL the "facts" about the Liberian civil wars, but it gives you one woman's perspective. And her perspective is a very enlightening one. Leymah was at the heart of the women's movement for peace and she therefore got to see much of the action "up close." I am guessing if you are looking at this book then you know she won the Nobel Peace prize (jointly with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf) but I thought I'd mention it in case someone stumbled upon it randomly. This is the story of WHY she was awarded the prize. It's as much as a autobiography of Leymah as it is a contemporary historical work, and I think that she has an important voice as an African woman living through a time of crisis. It's something that we as Americans read and hear about in the news, but this is her story from in the midst of it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in: Liberia, women's rights, women's movements, African women, peace-making, interesting (auto)biographies, or just a touching story that inspires you and makes you stand a little taller.

This was not just an incredible and inspiring story but it was also beautifully written. The booked drew me in and I was hooked, reading it in a 24hr period. Although our lives are very different, I felt able to relate and learn from so much of her experience. When I saw where she was able to come from mentally - the deep depression, turning to alcohol to get through the loneliness, and how much she achieved for herself and for Liberia and women's rights globally, I felt so empowered and inspired. Beautiful brave book, Beautiful brave person - I will be telling everyone about Leymah and this book for some time!