Rating: 
Summary: best book iI have read in many years. A MUST READ
Review: This is truly the most moving, exasperating, thrilling book I have read in many years. Fauziya is a woman of such unbelievble strength & courage- you just want to rush out and be-friend her. I actually wrote to OPRAH and said she MUST have Fauziya on her show and use her book for the "Club". You will not be able to put this book down and you will insist on telling everyone to read it. Please- do this- buy this book and read it- you will NEVER forget it.
Rating:
Summary: Thought prevoking
Review: After reading Do They Hear You When You Cry, I immediately joined Equality Now. Thank God for organizations such as this one that comes to the aid of refugees. Reading this book made me more respectful of other cultures and my freedom. This book is my book clubs selection which we will review in June. I can't wait to find out if the other members felt as strongly as I did after reading this book .If so I hope they too will join groups such as Equality Now. I would love to hear from Ms. Kassindja and also have her as a speaker at our club meeting. It's been a long time since I've read a book that has moved me like this one has.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!
Review: I enjoyed this book. It is the best book I have read this year. It left me thinking about alot of the things we take for granted which alot of women around the world don't have. This book showed great courage and persistance.
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Summary: One of the most moving experiences of my life
Review: This is the astonishing true story of a young woman's quest for a thing many of us take for granted: freedom. Reading "Do They Hear You When You Cry" jolted me into recognising my freedom as a gift, shamed me into realising that the many freedoms I enjoy--the freedom to come and go as I please, to eat and drink what I wish, to marry whom I love, to express what I believe in, and perhaps most intimate of all, the freedom to maintain the integrity of my body and sanity of my mind--are luxuries that millions around the world have to forfeit or else fight for. Having followed the Kassindja asylum case in the media and having studied it in graduate school, I was vaguely familiar with Fauziya's story. However, nothing prepared me for the profoundly gripping experiences that make up this book. The ordeals this seventeen year old had to go through, both in her native Togo and then in the United States, are experiences no one should ever have to live through. Fauziya's story testifies at once to the mind-boggling cruelty that millions of women suffer at the hands of tradition, and to the horrific treatment that asylum seekers are subjected to in this country. This is an unsettling, outrageous, and ultimately outstanding tale of remarkable courage and strength, a tale whose lessons are particularly applicable to immigration officials and tribal elders, but whose message applies to all who believe in the sanctity of tradition and all of us who carry on in the complacency of our everyday lives.
Rating: 
Summary: Told by a natural storyteller
Review: Fauziya Kassindja grew up in an idyllic environment in Togo but her world was turned upside down when her father passed away. Her father had denied tradition by refusing to allow his daughters to be circumcised and he believed in providing his daughters (especially Kassidja) with an education. After his death, Kassidja's aunt and uncle took charge and decided to have Kassidja marry a successful older man (who already had 3 wives) and to have her undergo female circumcision in order to please her husband. With the help of her family, she escapes to Germany and decides to start a new life as an asylum seeker in the United States. However, when she stepped off the plane and onto American soil, the true horror began. "Do They Hear You When You Cry" is a very personal account of Kassindja's ordeals and her ultimate triumph. It is as though Kassindja is in the room with you, telling you her story. While this may not make the writing style especially sensational, it makes it come to life for the readers. I couldn't put the book down! Kassindja, coming from a culture where privacy and modesty are valued, goes out of her way to share what she has gone through in order to educate (about female circumsion and about our immigration policies) and to drive people to action. While her story can break your heart, it can also give you an immense hope in the will and kindness of people, and shows how people can prevail. I believe that everyone has a right to tell their own story, and Kassindja's story is one that should definitely not be missed!
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Summary: Perseverance and Inner Strength ...
Review: As I read this book, i couldn't stop talking about it ... she stood by her principles and ultimately got the freedom she both desired and deserved .. granted, a priveledged childhood shattered by the death of her beloved father made things more complicated as it only enforced the unfairness of things and the total lack of value of the females and their rights in her country ... amazing to think that in the US folks who have committed no crimes are treated like criminals, you wouldn't think your government would do such things .. makes you rethink your attitude on immigrants .. then again, it also makes you question your beliefs on "powers beyond ourselves" .. there were folks who impacted her life (and ultimately saved her despite being utter strangers at the onset) that could only be deemed angels/miracles .. that she was able to keep her faith through the trying times and encounter folks both internal and external to prison who would bolster her faith when she could not rise to the occasion made one grateful for what they had .. she never lost her faith in god and that was admirable ..
Rating:
Summary: Told by a natural storyteller
Review: Fauziya Kassindja grew up in an idyllic environment in Togo but her world was turned upside down when her father passed away. Her father had denied tradition by refusing to allow his daughters to be circumcised and he believed in providing his daughters (especially Kassidja) with an education. After his death, Kassidja's aunt and uncle took charge and decided to have Kassidja marry a successful older man (who already had 3 wives) and to have her undergo female circumcision in order to please her husband. With the help of her family, she escapes to Germany and decides to start a new life as an asylum seeker in the United States. However, when she stepped off the plane and onto American soil, the true horror began. "Do They Hear You When You Cry" is a very personal account of Kassindja's ordeals and her ultimate triumph. It is as though Kassindja is in the room with you, telling you her story. While this may not make the writing style especially sensational, it makes it come to life for the readers. I couldn't put the book down! Kassindja, coming from a culture where privacy and modesty are valued, goes out of her way to share what she has gone through in order to educate (about female circumsion and about our immigration policies) and to drive people to action. While her story can break your heart, it can also give you an immense hope in the will and kindness of people, and shows how people can prevail. I believe that everyone has a right to tell their own story, and Kassindja's story is one that should definitely not be missed!
Rating:
Summary: I can't even imagine
Review: One of the best works I have ever read. I must read for all women of compassion and for all skeptics of the justice system. This book will makea significant impact on the lives of all those who read it.
Rating:
Summary: Unexpected Outcome
Review: Let me start by saying that this book, being one that is non-fiction, is not the type of book that I generally read. Though this is true, I do try to make a point of reading any book that I have heard to be someone's "favorite." That is how I came to embark on Fauziya's eye-opening and truly inspiring story. I must also admit that at some point during my reading I found myself thinking, "I guess it's a good book, but this is someone's favorite?!" Yet somehow I have come to give it a four-star rating. I think part of the problem I had earlier on was that I felt like I knew what was going to happen in the end, so why put myself through reading each detail? What I found later was that there is no way that I could have truly known the outcome without knowing each piece that came before it. Even knowing "what was going to happen" all along, when Fauziya's suffering finally came to an end, I couldn't help openly crying. Causing even more tears was the realization that this was a true story. All-in-all, though the writing is a little simplistic, it's message is not. And even if you think you know what that message is before reading to the end, you may not. So what could it hurt to get the whole story?
Rating:
Summary: A very fair assessment of her trials
Review: I'm rating this book higher than I thought I would simply because it was better written than I expected. Many times I find these true books about trials and hardship to be very one sided. I was so pleased to find while reading this book that the author was very fair in her portrayal of all of the events that took place. One reviewer stated that most of the book was about her experiences in American prisons and that is true. This is not a book that is going to give you any in-depth understanding about FGM. It definately touches it but primarily focuses on her personal experiences. The author(s) also provide a very interesting look into our legal system concerning immigrants. I found that part fascinating and educational. This book also provides good insight into the tribal customs of the author's home country. Very interesting. Personally, I never would have selected this book to read. Someone in my book group did so I was obligated to read it. I'm happy to say that I would definately recommend it - especially for a book group. The story is so well laid out for the reader that it has to spark great discussion.
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