Sunday, August 8, 2010

Book Review - "desert flower"

"desert flower: the extraordinary journey of a desert nomad" by Waris Dirie
My grade: B-

For those of you who don't know who Waris Dirie is, she is a model from Somalia and a special ambassador to the United Nations. She was one of the first women to speak out about and against female circumcision, having gone through it herself at the ripe age of 5.

Her story, in many ways, truly is extraordinary. At least to me, a person who is not so familiar with Somalian/African cultures and practices. Her writing, needless to say, is not all that extraordinary, but writing a book is quite a feat in itself for a person who learned to read and write as an adult.

I was especially shocked to learn about the practices that surround female circumcision, and just how many small girls and women are affected.

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