Book Review: What He Couldn’t Take by Ayshea Osman — 8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
@osmanayshea | Ayshea Osman | Mike Davies Book Review: What He Couldn’t Take by Ayshea Osman — 8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What He Couldn’t Take by Ayshea Osman is a raw, reflective and deeply personal memoir about survival, the patterns that shape us, and the long, complicated process of reclaiming yourself after domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is a cause very close to my heart, and as a survivor myself, I read this book with a level of understanding that went beyond simply reviewing the words on the page. There are parts of Ayshea’s story that will feel painfully familiar to people who have lived through controlling, frightening or damaging relationships: the gradual erosion of boundaries, the instinct to keep the peace, the hope that love and patience might somehow be enough, and the painful realisation that surviving can sometimes mean having to choose yourself. What gives this memoir strength is the way Ayshea looks beyond a single relationship and reflects on the patterns that began...