Book Review: If I Tell You the Truth by Jasmin Kaur
This story really took me by surprise. In reviewing If I Tell You the Truth, I realized how absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking, and so important for so many different people it is.
Book Information
Kiran comes to Canada for one reason according to her parents: to attend university to bring honor to the man she is betrothed to. So when she breaks off the engagement and tells her mother that she is pregnant, her mother is livid. When Kiran tells her mother, though, that this baby is the result of a rape carried out by her fiancé’s brother, her mother outright calls her a liar. As Kiran learns to navigate the world she must now live in, her problems range from victim blaming, sexual assault, immigration laws, and much more.
Review | Heidi Dischler
Reading Kiran’s story and learning about the ways that her attack left her a shell of the person that she once was gives the reader a deeper insight into the empathy that it takes to not only believe victims, but to help them as they heal.
I felt that the plot was well thought-out and the characters were so very lifelike. I think Jasmin Kaur did a wonderful job in developing this story, and it was even more interesting that she added an epilogue of sorts to describe how the story would’ve taken place during COVID-19.
Spoilers ahead.
If I Tell You the Truth gave so many real-life examples of how hard it is to be a survivor of sexual assault, a single mother, and an illegal immigrant. It has given me so much empathy for individuals who are going through similar circumstances. The part in the book where Kiran talked about being a prisoner in her own body really broke my heart but seemed completely true.
MY absolute favorite part in this book was when Kiran called her rapist out on live television, finally showing him that he has no power over her. She was fierce, courageous, and emanated strength during this scene. I wanted to stand up and clap with her. Not to mention the way her daughter wanted to stick up for her and protect Kiran.
Overall, if you love poetry, you love words, and you love when an author can make something sound lyrically beautiful, this book is absolutely for you. If you like heavy subjects that give you an insight into what it’s like to survive something so terrible, this is also for you. This book will give you empathy and teach you lessons you never thought you needed to learn.
Source: Audiobook from Overdrive local library
