LoveReading Says
I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of Valarie Kaur before reading her memoir, See No Stranger. She’s led a fascinating life: from a childhood in California and university education at Stamford, to becoming a legal observer at Guantanamo Bay and documentary-maker on gun violence and racial injustice.
Kaur is now a renowned activist championing compassion. Her rallying cry in See No Stranger is for us to embrace ‘revolutionary love’ – a philosophy to show love to everyone, even our enemies. Kaur’s own troubling experiences make her pledge to end animosity all the more applaudable, and she provides steps on how we can reach that stage.
Readers who enjoy memoir mixed with self-help and spirituality will find Kaur’s kind words a balm for these divisive times.
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Reviewed by Julie VuongJulie Vuong is a journalist working at the centre of UK publishing, serving as feature writer at news service, BookBrunch, and columnist for Mslexia, the iconic magazine for women…
More reviews by Julie Vuong About See No Stranger
#1 LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER FINALIST FOR THE DAYTON LITERARY PEACE PRIZE An urgent manifesto and a dramatic memoir of awakening, this is the story of revolutionary love.
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See No Stranger Synopsis
#1 LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER FINALIST FOR THE DAYTON LITERARY PEACE PRIZE An urgent manifesto and a dramatic memoir of awakening, this is the story of revolutionary love.
"In a world stricken with fear and turmoil, Valarie Kaur shows us how to summon our deepest wisdom."-Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love
How do we love in a time of rage? How do we fix a broken world while not breaking ourselves? Valarie Kaur-renowned Sikh activist, filmmaker, and civil rights lawyer-describes revolutionary love as the call of our time, a radical, joyful practice that extends in three directions: to others, to our opponents, and to ourselves.
It enjoins us to see no stranger but instead look at others and say: You are part of me I do not yet know. Starting from that place of wonder, the world begins to change: It is a practice that can transform a relationship, a community, a culture, even a nation.
Kaur takes readers through her own riveting journey-as a brown girl growing up in California farmland finding her place in the world; as a young adult galvanized by the murders of Sikhs after 9/11; as a law student fighting injustices in American prisons and on Guantánamo Bay; as an activist working with communities recovering from xenophobic attacks; and as a woman trying to heal from her own experiences with police violence and sexual assault. Drawing from the wisdom of sages, scientists, and activists, Kaur reclaims love as an active, public, and revolutionary force that creates new possibilities for ourselves, our communities, and our world. See No Stranger helps us imagine new ways of being with each other-and with ourselves-so that together we can begin to build the world we want to see.
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Valarie Kaur Press Reviews
Valarie Kaur is a prophetic voice of our generation. Her wisdom ignites and inspires me, lighting the way through the darkness. This book will do the same for you. -- America Ferrera, actress and activist
Valarie Kaur is a visionary worker for justice and this book is her radiant offering. -- Eve Ensler, author of THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES
See No Stranger is rooted in radical honesty, vulnerability, and fierce commitment to building a world in which we all belong. -- Michelle Alexander, author of THE NEW JIM CROW
Valarie Kaur is a revolutionary for justice who shows us how to labor for the world we dream. In my darkest moments, I remember my Sikh sister's call to breathe and push!
Her wisdom inspires us to build movements and seek the change that love demands. -- Rev. William J. Barber, II, president of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival
In a world ravaged by anger and hatred, Valarie Kaur offers a vision of 'Revolutionary Love,' not as platitude or panacea, but rather as a powerful weapon against intolerance and injustice. It may well be our only hope for peace and understanding in these troubled times. -- Reza Asian, author of ZEALOT: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JEASUS OF NAZARETH
This is the book we have been waiting for. It calls us up and calls us into the hard and necessary work to heal our wounds and reimagine the world. -- Van Jones, CEO of REFORM
Alliance and CNN host Love-firebrand...Part personal history, part inspiring manifesto, Kaur's immensely readable book implores and inspires us toward love as sweet labor: bloody, fierce, imperfect, and life-giving. -- Rainn Wilson, actor
This book and the woman who gave birth to it have so much to offer the struggle for peace and justice as we move into a most complex and crucial century. Open up your heart as you open these pages and let yourself be inspired and invigorated by the way Ms Kaur breaks it down. -- Ani DiFranco
Inspires us to become who we believe we are. -- Lawrence Lessig, legal scholar
Tested and tempered by suffering, but rising up with hope and joy, Kaur shows us how to love others, opponents, and ourselves in ways that will bring us closer to the Beloved Community. This book will change your life. -- Parker J. Palmer, author of LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK
A book of remarkable courage and deep insight...Kaur maps singularly personal experiences of suffering and shared collective agonies of inequality as she seeks to understand the terrain of our humanity. -- Melissa Harris-Perry, Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University
The intimate, raw stories in See No Stranger will break and awaken your heart; the profound teachings and compelling vision will inspire you to serve and savor our precious world. -- Tara Brach, author of RADICAL ACCEPTANCE
