BOOK REVIEW: “GET HOME SAFE” BY RANA ABDELHAMID

“You have the strength, control, and authority to shape you own life,” writes Rana Abdelhamid in her book, “Get Home Safe: A guide to Self-Defense and Building Our Collective Power.”

That is a perfect summation of Abdelhamid’s guide to protecting yourself from physical danger but securing your financial life. (In fact, security is one of SoloList’s values.)

Abdelhamid is the founder of Malikah, an organization based in Queens, New York, which offers self-defense courses and mutual aid to it residents. She is a political activist and organizer who knows violence firsthand.

A man saw Abdelhamid, then a teenager wearing her hijab, and grabbed her. He yelled and spit at her. It changed Abdelhamid’s outlook, as violence does when it affects survivors.

“Gendered violence coils around your ankle like a venomous snake, dictating the way you move in all the spaces you occupy,” she writes.

Throughout the book, she provides tools, such as connecting with your intuition and sharpening your external awareness. She recommends women carry a safety bag. And, of course, she provides self-defense tactics, such as the blocks and strikes.

But she seeks out other solutions, noting that institutions are too often slow to respond.

“Safety isn’t just about knowing how to throw a punch. It’s about rent money. It’s about job security. It’s about being able to say no because you have the option.”

It’s about saving money and shopping locally so you’re building relationships with others, she says. “You meet the cashier, and over time, this becomes a safe place to leave a spare set of keys or to duck into if you’re feeling unsafe walking home.”

The author has a soothing voice. Abdelhamid is realistic but remains positive. The topic is intimidating, but she is approachable. We’re get through this together, her tone says.

“No one is coming to save us,” she says. “But we can, and we will, save each other.”