It was a good read but I must say I was annoyed by the main character a lot. Didn't see it mentioned in other reviews but what I noticed is that she wrote a lot of times that she would not give in to her mother but she did give in all the time. even when she had her child and he was about 3 years old, she said she wouldn't let him suffer as she had, but what did she do? She did go to her brothers shop to work for him every day even once she knew her son was not fed while she was gone and was beaten!. Okay if you do not have the strenght or the abilities to escape but do not constantly say you are standing up against them then.

She finally did leave but only because she was lucky that a nice man came in to her life. I think if that would not have happened she would still be there.

Another thing that annoyed me is again how it is shown in this book that a lot of immigrants do not want to mix with westerns. They make sure there children have to marry someone from there old country and than those men, women also receive a visum and can live in Europe. So I was not so in awe of this book as many other reviewers were. She did make me laugh when as a child, she was a muslim, she had the idea of going to houses and sing Christmas songs. So glad they were not caught. lol.

As a child she did have fight in her but they managed to beat it out of her. Still with all this said a quick read. ( )

Belonging is the true story of Sameem's struggle to break free from her past and fight back against her upbringing. Heartbreaking story of one persons struggle and survival. ( )