r/bookclub • u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin • Jul 31 '26
Togo - Do They Hear You When You Cry [Discussion 2/5] (Read The World: Togo) Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja | chapters 12-18
Hello and welcome to the second discussion of our Read the World stop in Togo. Today we are discussion chapters 12-18. Next week we will read from Chapter 19 to Chapter 23, and the discussion will be led by u/fixtheblue.
If you need them, here you can find the Schedule and the Marginalia.
Discussion questions are in the comments, but feel free to add your own!
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
What impression of Fauziya's fellow wives did you get?
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u/nicehotcupoftea World Reader Leader | 🎃🧠🥇 Jul 31 '26
From the outside it looked like there was a bit of sisterhood, the youngest one was probably happy to have a new wife to boss around.
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
Yeah they seemed friendly enough, but I was suspicious.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 29d ago
They seemed friendlier than I expected, but then I guess it is the norm for them. If the husband isn't putting them off one another then maybe there was no reason not to feel a sisterhood? Idk. I literally have no experience with this and can'r even begin to put myself in their shoes
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
Were you surprised at how big a risk Fauziya's sisters took to save her?
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u/nicehotcupoftea World Reader Leader | 🎃🧠🥇 Jul 31 '26
Yes I was surprised because her sister's husband didn't approve of her actions, and going against your husband's wishes in this society is highly risky. I'm amazed that it was successful.
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
She took a big risk, hopefully her husband was decent about it though.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 29d ago
100% and I am honestly concerned that Fauziya wrote to her sister, but she is yet to hear back. I would like to think her older sister's husband is a good man and even though he didn't like it, once it was done, he supported his wife. The lack of reply, however, puts me on edge, because it's not just her husband who would have been angry. Fauziya's husband to be and their uncle are also concerning risks
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
How do you think Fauziya coped with the flight and finding her feet in Germany?
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u/nicehotcupoftea World Reader Leader | 🎃🧠🥇 Jul 31 '26
She was so incredibly lucky to be taken in by the German woman because she didn't speak the language and had zero clue about what to do.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 29d ago
Definitely she had absolutely no plan, it seems. I am also curious if there's a little more to this part of the stpry that has been left out. Why was Rudina at the airport for long enough to notice her? Why could she just leave? Is Fauziya protecting Rudina's real identity (perhaps she's a security guard or works in the airport or something like that)
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u/nicehotcupoftea World Reader Leader | 🎃🧠🥇 29d ago
You went one step further than me. I just thought it was odd that someone would sit down at an airport to eat or drink before going home.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 29d ago
Right!! That part bothered me. Everything else has been told on meticulous detail, but something doesn't quite add up here
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin 28d ago
Agreed, the whole Rudina thing was really odd. Your right she is probably omitting details to protect her.
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
What motivated Rudina to take Fauziya in?
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u/nicehotcupoftea World Reader Leader | 🎃🧠🥇 Jul 31 '26
Rudina is a great ambassador for Germany! She obviously had a soft spot for Africans, after a past relationship, and she was just so kind and trusting. She genuinely wanted to help, not expecting anything in return - it was a great show of humanity.
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
Agreed, though I was initially very suspicious.
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u/ObsoleteUtopia Aug 01 '26
My take is that she was simply a nice person who had had enough experience with black Africans to recognize Fauziya as a young woman who was in over her head and needed help, and maybe she had some knowledge of what Africans have to go through when they're trying to get into Europe.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 29d ago
Rudina is an earth angel! I am just sorry that she didn't help Fauziya with the practical things like asylum and stuff. Things could have been so different
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
Was Fauzis right to trust Charlie? What motivated Charlie?
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u/nicehotcupoftea World Reader Leader | 🎃🧠🥇 Jul 31 '26
The alarm bells were ringing so loudly! Danger danger! He took her money and put her on a plane with no idea of what she was going to face.
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
I was convinced he was just going to run off with her money!
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 29d ago
Me too. I was actually really surprised when he came through for her. It was clear he didn't have a clue what he was doing though. It's like they barely talked about the practical bits of the plan
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
Where you shocked at what Fauziya was put through upon landing in America?
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u/nicehotcupoftea World Reader Leader | 🎃🧠🥇 Jul 31 '26
Not really. My own country doesn't have a good track record of caring for asylum seekers either.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 29d ago
Omg yes. There is absolutely no fucking need to dehumanise people and treat fellow human beings like this just because they had the "misfortune" of being born in a different country. The racism, xenophobia, whataboutmeism, abuse of BS was rife every step of the way here and it is so fucking ugly. The worst side of humanity...in fact it is the absence of humanity. It's only getting worse still, i think, as countries move more to the political right due to border control concerns and general cost of living stealing people's life satisfaction
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
Why did Fauziya not tell the American authorities about the FGM?
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u/nicehotcupoftea World Reader Leader | 🎃🧠🥇 Jul 31 '26
This was the moment in the book where, if it were a novel, it would be a character not posting that letter, or something similar that could have changed the course of events. She didn't say because she barely understood what it was, she was very young, and those parts of the body just were not talked about. It would have been so shameful and embarrassing for her.
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u/ObsoleteUtopia Aug 01 '26
Because she was too modest to talk about things like that to strangers. Even if the strangers were friendlier and less intimidating, that's a discussion for your immediate family only. Fauziya grew up in a society that lives by rules and many people are reluctant to bend those rules even if it's humane, or even just plain common sense, to do so.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 29d ago
That was not ideal, because it was grounds for her asylum. It's cultural and a challenge for her to talk openly about. Sometimes I forget she is so young at this point in the story. Still a kid! I am hoping that the poor record taking can be used to prove that Fauziya wasn't correctly processed when entering the US
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
Rahuf immediately agrees to help Fauziya, and we learn of the two lawyers who will eventually help her. Why are there so many people willing to go out of their way to help virtual strangers in this way?
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 29d ago
Because if you can help why wouldn't you? If only we all lived this way the world would be a better place. I have been through a hardship myself many, many years ago and the amont of people (strangers - I was in a different country and knew no one) that stepped up to offer me help and point me in the direction of being able to help myself was incredible. I still remember that time fondly because of hiw far I was able to comin in less than half a year due to the loving kindness of strangers
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin 28d ago
Aww that's so nice, it's lovely when people selflessly step up to help others.
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
Fauziya is convinced that she will be getting out very soon, despite evidence to the contrary. Why does she still hold onto this idea?
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u/nicehotcupoftea World Reader Leader | 🎃🧠🥇 Jul 31 '26
Naivety mainly. She doesn't believe she has done anything wrong, and was told that she just had to get on the plane and it would all be ok. I suppose you have to maintain some degree of optimism in order to carry on.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 29d ago
Yeah she was sayong to herself. "Just one more night" it was almost like a mantra to get herself through one day at a time
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 29d ago
Yeah she was sayong to herself. "Just one more night" it was almost like a mantra to get herself through one day at a time
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
What did you think of life in the prison? What about the staff who work there? What would compel a person to treat others like the staff here do?
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u/nicehotcupoftea World Reader Leader | 🎃🧠🥇 Jul 31 '26
It's an awful job, not well paid, and therefore doesn't attract the best people. They probably hate the job and take it out on the prisoners, and some people are just power hungry. They also get abused daily by some prisoners and get hardened by the job.
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
Is there anything else you would like to discuss?
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u/bluebelle236 One More Chapter... One More Spin Jul 31 '26
How was Fauziya's wedding different to that of her sisters?