Woman At Point Zero

 

Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'll admit that the narration of an Egyptian prostitute's life as she waits for death in prison does not sound like something someone would willingly sit down with. But not only is it beautifully written, but uncovers some deep truths about women and their bodies and power. How do you rise above being a victim when you have no power, money, or influence? How do you show courage in the face of oppression? How do you show agency when you are literally trapped? It's a strangely empowering and hopeful book despite its description.

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Its passivity was a form of resistance, a strange ability not to feel either pleasure or pain, not to let a single hair on my head, or on my body, be moved.