Customer Reviews

Sister of Darkness: A Memoir

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(62)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Sister of Darkness, by Lili Bita, was an interesting book. It was at times a little confusing, but yet interesting since it shared the struggling life story of Lili Bita. Through her book, she takes us through every event in her life. The book begins with her birth, describing how from the moment she was born she wanted to be free; then, goes on to tell all of the struggles she was faced with in life. She had a life filled with rules, things she could and couldn't do. With her mom always telling her what she couldn't do and the things she should do, and then having a father who belonged in the military, she never really had the opportunity to do the things she liked. I thought that it was very interesting to see that she didn't write the book in chapters, but I believe she did this because she was just writing her life through the different stages that she was going through. I think that this was a good way to release the frustration that she felt deep inside due to all the pain and suffering she went through most of her life. As a woman, especially in that time, things weren't as easy as they are now and women had fewer opportunities in the world. When Lili Bita moved to America in search of her freedom, and her dream of becoming an actress, she was faced with the exact opposite. She was abused and mistreated by her husband, the man she thought would finally give her the freedom she had always wanted. It's great to see that she later stands up for herself and stops the abuse from Taso (her husband). I think this book would be good for people to read, so that they can see that although we are faced with many struggles in life, if we put our mind and heart into it we can achieve all that we want no matter the obstacles.

It is a wonderful book that every reader will enjoy; not only because it is interesting, but also impulsive. Lili Bita is a passionate woman that takes you to the journey of her life. She expresses herself freely, and uses words that may shock you while you are reading the book. As you read the book; you will be able to see Lili's radical changes, how she learned what the real world is about, and how much she has to suffer to become herself.
The book was written with details, honesty and passion. She is a person that does not care about what others may say, and this helped her to become the person who she is now. She suffered a lot in her life, and was not supported by anyone. Also, no one told her that "beautiful" feelings existed; and this had severe consequences, especially when she got married to Tasos.
The story begins in a Greek island, where Lili was born. She grew up with a narrow-minded family, in which she was not allowed to experience or learn about the important steps in life. As she grows up, she starts becoming curious about the changes that are occurring in her body. Lili tries to look for an answer and begins to discover her body by herself. Years later, she learns there is something called "sexual encounters". Her curiosity starts growing faster and decides to experience it. After the first time, she becomes obsessed with it until she meets Tasos. At the beginning of their relationship everything was fine; but as time passes by, their relationship changes completely and her nightmare begins. In this part, the book becomes more interesting and strong. I will highly recommend this book to anyone. I enjoyed reading it, and loved the way she portrayed her own life.

As a student who really doesn't enjoy reading for a class, this book is one of the few that ended up being a page turner. It has everything a college student needs to obtain motivation to read it. Using descriptive details, Lili Bita speaks boldly and honestly about her life's journey. She shares with us her years on a small Greek island growing up in a religious family, entrapment by war, her experiences in an unfamiliar place, her determination for freedom, and her struggle in an abusive relationship. Destined to be a feminist classic, Lili Bita's memoir is remarkable and is guaranteed to grasp your attention.
From childhood, Lili is taught by her parents how to live her life. She was to follow the rules of good girls from good families, rules she must not break. Never really understanding why, she follows them without questioning. As she gets older, her curiosity leads her to experiment with different things from her body, to breaking the rules, to boys. Lili wasn't too thrilled about the fact that she was only to marry, reproduce children, and become a housewife. She wanted more out of life. She wanted to act and write. Besides, she thought that if men could do what they wanted, why couldn't women?
Confusion strikes when she leaves the little island and is thrust into the real world. She has no idea what it's like and therefore has to find out on her own with the help of a few friends along the way. Although a lot of it is strong, the language in the novel is necessary in order to entirely grasp the author's perspective. Some of it shocked me at first, but I realized that if it were not used in the way it was, then the whole mood would change. The novel would lose its intensity, which is of major importance in the memoir.
As Lili later reveals to us the struggles of being involved in a brutal relationship, she actually becomes an inspiration to women who may be in similar situations. She shows courage, strength, and passion, all of which is truly amazing. She shows us that freedom is worth fighting for. She inspires women to hold on and to strive for their dreams no matter what the circumstances. She also shows her readers that it's okay to make mistakes because in the end, it all leads you where you're meant to be. Lili Bita, a talented, passionate writer, should be very proud of her work.

Lili Bita's "Sister of Darkness" is a book in its own class. Explicit content combined with the amount of detail pertaining to Lili Bita's sexual curiosity makes it a must read. Her style of writing caught my interest unlike any other author's. In addition to that, it revealed to me the thoughts of young women that are rarely expressed. The ability to speak her mind and the courage to write it on paper impresses me and makes the book worth reading. One of the parts that stuck out especially was her abusive relationship with a man named Tasos which I don't think many women would want to relive. I respect her for her bravery and tolerance dealing with the situation and courage to put it out there for others to read and avoid the same situation. Reading this book will open reader's eyes, women and men alike, to the complexity of her life and journey to her completeness. It's defiantly worth reading so don't think twice about getting it.

Lili Bita was a truly unique book in its way of etymology. Never had I heard such profanity, but it seems attractive to the reader. However, it maybe inappropriate for kids. In spite of all that, Lili Bita depicts a look inside of the woman's mind. It provides a trip into the female psyche, with a language that I think pulls in teens of this generation. Way back then, I don't think anyone would get past the first curse word. On the other hand the more perverse, profane, and bizarre the story got, the more I wanted to read. Lili Bita showed me that women are not beings of pure etiquette but plain human. The parallelism between our sexual curiosity and search for answers fascinates me along with her ability to speak her mind. Some may think her sexual curiosity such as taking a "pounding" may not be a trait of feminism, rather a central realization of satisfaction. Whether this leaves her as a symbol of feminism or (...)I leave to the reader. In all, my overall perspective of the book was quite enjoyable.

Sister of Darkness was one of the most fascinating books I have read in quite some time. Lili Bita's life story will not only shock you, but also keep you reading and keep you interested. Starting from her birth, she brings you on a journey through her life of struggles. The transformation of Lili is startling; she goes from growing up on a small island in Greece with very religious parents, to almost the total opposite. In the book, Lili becomes a very sexual girl at such a young age. Lili says and thinks things no one will anticipate, which makes the book even more exciting. She shows openness, honesty, and her rebellious side throughout the book, which women were forbidden to talk about let alone think such things. Although she was put down by her parents and society Lili struggled, but with her hard work and dedication she made something of herself. She finally moved out of the small island due to a war, her parent's wealth diminishes quickly. After the struggle, she moved to Athens, which is where her exploration of her sexuality begins. She moved in with her cousin whom showed her things in which she didn't know because she was so naive. After, she was told about all these things, you could only imagine what was going to happen next, she wanted to try them. In order for Lili to overcome all the obstacles and succeed it was imperative for her to sleep with those of high rankings. All this sleeping around goes on until she meets Tasos, a soldier, whom later becomes her future husband. Their relationship slowly turned very controlling and abusive. For instance, she became pregnant with his kid and he made her get an abortion because they were not married. Although Lili takes all of this because she thinks she is getting punished due to her past and all the sins she's committed.
Sister of Darkness became more fascinating at the turn of each page. I personally gave this book a 5 star rating. Not only is it such a well written and honest book, but the fact that you don't know what is going to happen next, it is so unpredictable.

Lili Bita is not your typical author. Coming from a small town in Greece and being able to tell her life as a child, growing up is one amazing accomplishment. It's not everyday people get to hear the real side and stories that people have to tell, most importantly in their perspective. She is a woman who proved herself to everyone who judged her from her past. She does not hold back vivid detail, or hesitate to tell the truth and everything behind it. This is what makes the book what it is, and why no one can put it down after reading only the first chapter. Lili Bita proves to be a strong, passionate woman. Growing up in a strict environment with very religious parents, this held Lili back from growing up too fast, but little did they know, she already did. She was anxious to be someone her family had forbidden her to become. Sex was her drug and she surely became addicted. This is the result of strict over the edge parents who wouldn't let her move as a child. She became too rebellious and there was no turning back. This book was an eye opener for many readers who didn't expect the explicit content. She was a brave and real down to earth writer ho expressed herself completely free. I would recommend anyone mature enough to read this book, and admire Lili Bita as much as I do.

Sister of Darkness was a book that truly portrayed the life journey of a person, a hard journey that is. The story here is that of a pretty rebellious girl, Lili, who struggles with her identity and her thirst for freedom as she grows up. Her dad is a very strict man, just like her mother. She is raised up with commandments that pretty much dictate the way she must live her life, no questions asked. This whole strict dictatorship feeling connected with me a little bit, because just as her, I was an immigrant at an early age and I also had very strict parents. I also had to go to church every Sunday and had to follow the ten commandments, just like her.
The book itself is not written in chapters, and sometimes she goes back and forth which may lose you if you are not totally into the book. Besides this small detail, the other thing I didn't like about the book was how she became an extreme feminist (which is fine by itself) but then also started labeling every man the same, and began to use them just like if she were a whore. I could see it coming when her husband accused her of cheating, I guess it was karma coming back for all the stuff she did with men all through her life.
The good thing about this book is that it's a very satisfying read, because the ending is really good. All throughout the book she is oppressed and held back by countless rules, just like a bird inside a cage. But near the end, she finally has enough of people telling her what to do and she begins to stand up to them, to stand up for herself. I don't want to spoil the ending, but let's just say she is like a tigress defending her little cubs! It was very satisfying to see her come full circle from a little naive girl with a million stupid rules, to a very individual woman who won't take no for an answer from the world, she has become a go-getter.
In conclusion, if you can get past the sometimes-confusing chapter structure and the extreme feminism, it's a very compelling book and a good read about how hard women's lives are in this world.

Most people can relate to Lili Bita's, Sister of Darkness in many ways. She tells us her life story, starting from her childhood in Greece, to her move to America. Her childhood is what was most interesting to me. Her parents we're extremely strict with her and she was brought up with these "rules" that nice girls must follow. Struggling to find her independence, Bita breaks these rules- like most teenagers. She actually reminds me of my sister. If you want her to do something you cannot simply tell her to do it. You must say it in such a way to make her think that she thought of it because if not, she'll do the exact opposite- just like Lili. Lili ends up marrying an abusive man and moves to America, but later she proudly leaves him. I respect the fact that she went against what her parents told her and decided to figure things out for herself. Lili's story is an inspiration to men and women. It teaches you not to be afraid to make mistakes and take chances. That is the only way we learn who we truly are and therefore feel free.

Sister of darkness wasn't that great in my opinion. In the first part of the book the author jumps from different examples and memories and ages and I got lost a lot. Later on the book becomes a autobiography. Pretty cool, learning about peoples life and culture, along with the hardships passed is always interesting. I had a hard time getting through the book since it drags in lots of places with detail and because I stopped caring sometimes too.