Mighty be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War : a Memoir

Leymah Gbowee

Beast Books, 2011 - Biography & Autobiography - 246 pages

WINNER OF THE 2011 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

In a time of death and terror, Leymah Gbowee brought Liberia’s women together—and together they led a nation to peace.

As a young woman, Leymah Gbowee was broken by the Liberian civil war, a brutal conflict that tore apart her life and claimed the lives of countless relatives and friends. Years of fighting destroyed her country—and shattered Gbowee’s girlhood hopes and dreams. As a young mother trapped in a nightmare of domestic abuse, she found the courage to turn her bitterness into action, propelled by her realization that it is women who suffer most during conflicts—and that the power of women working together can create an unstoppable force. In 2003, the passionate and charismatic Gbowee helped organize and then led the Liberian Mass Action for Peace, a coalition of Christian and Muslim women who sat in public protest, confronting Liberia’s ruthless president and rebel warlords, and even held a sex strike. With an army of women, Gbowee helped lead her nation to peace—in the process emerging as an international leader who changed history.Mighty Be Our Powersis the gripping chronicle of a journey from hopelessness to empowerment that will touch all who dream of a better world.

 

What people are saying

Review: Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War

User Review  - Emily Cobbs - Goodreads

Not really knowing anything about Liberia before this book, it was a little overwhelming to learn a lot of history for the first time. But it was wonderful. The way Leymah speaks about her experiences ...

Review: Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War

User Review  - Rachel Barath - Goodreads

This was a phenomenal, all-inspiring book. Very well written and very informative.

Contents

• Part Two: 75
• 7 Yes You Can: 77
• 8 Taking On Taylors Boys: 85
• 9 A New Home With Geneva: 95
• 10 Helping Women Find Their Voices: 101
• 11 The Women In PeaceBuilding Network Is Born: 111
• 12 Dont Ever Stop: 121
• 13 Standing Up To Charles Taylor And Sitting Down For Peace: 133
• 14 When Peace Talks Are Just Talk Take Action: 153
• Part Three: 165
• 15 Is The War Really Over?: 167
• 16 Time To Move On: 181
• 17 An Unthinkable Loss: 191
• 18 Building A New Womens Network: 197
• 19 Pray The Devil Back To Hell: 211
• 20 Helping My Country: 217
• 21 The Story Doesnt End: 223
• Index: 231
• Acknowledgments: 245
• About the Authors: 246

About the author

Leymah Gbowee is the winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.  She is also the Newsweek and The Daily Beast’s Africa columnist. As war ravaged Liberia, Leymah Gbowee realized it is women who bear the greatest burden in prolonged conflicts. She began organizing Christian and Muslim women to demonstrate together, founding Liberian Mass Action for Peace and launching protests and a sex strike. Gbowee’s part in helping to oust Charles Taylor was featured in the documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell. Gbowee is a single mother of six, including one adopted daughter, and is based in Accra, Ghana, where she is the cofounder and executive director of the Women Peace and Security Network-Africa.

Carol Mithers is a Los Angeles-based journalist and book author. Her work has appeared in a wide variety of national publications.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Mighty be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War : a Memoir
• Author: Leymah Gbowee
• Contributor: Carol Lynn Mithers
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Beast Books, 2011
• ISBN: 0984295151, 9780984295159
• Length: 246 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Political; History / Africa / General; Social Science / Women's Studies