Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad Paperback – March 15, 2011

This story of Waris Dirie was a moving tribute to a strong Somali woman, determined to combat FGM and bring the barbaric custom to light without shaming the culture that demands it

Interesting book about something I really didn't know much about, but the outline is very disjointed. I feel like we didn't get conclusions on storylines she spent a lot of time on or glossed over things.

NOTE: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.Desert Flower is the inspiring life story of Waris Dirie's transformation from Somali desert nomad to international supermodel.The story begins with Waris' pastoralist childhood in the Somali desert, where she lives with her family. During this time, she is voluntarily circumcised, an event which greatly impacts the rest of her life. She eventually flees her desert life, when her father attempts to arrange an undesirable marriage. She lives with family in Mogadishu, before deciding to live with her uncle, an ambassador, in London.For the next four years, Waris lives as a maid in London, where she is spotted by a modeling scout. Unfortunately, she needs a passport and enters a sham marriage to acquire one. Her marriage becomes abusive, and she moves to New York to pursue her modeling career. She becomes the subject of a BBC documentary, allowing her to briefly re-unite with her mother. She meets her future husband and becomes a special ambassador for the UN, speaking out against female circumcision. Finally, she becomes pregnant, frees herself from the abusive marriage, and has her first child.Dirie's memoir is fast-paced and easy to read. It explores the vast cultural divide between a Western international supermodel and a Somali desert nomad, while remaining relatable and understandable to the average reader. It is an inspirational story, as Dirie goes against the odds and achieves the unexpected in life.One of the major themes of the memoir is violence against women. From early childhood, Dirie is the victim of rape and genital mutilation. She takes control of her life and flees the desert when her father tries to seal her fate in a hopeless marriage, but even outside of the desert, Dirie faces sexual assault and the ever-present burdens of being a Somali woman. Even when she reaches the Western world, she is still reliant on men in order to get her passport, forcing her to put up with theft and abuse.This theme of violence against women compliments another major theme, which is the individual working within detrimental political and economic structures. Whether she's working for below minimum wage at McDonalds or trying to get a passport to work internationally or not being able to return to Somalia due to warfare and political instability, Dirie must navigate these oppressive structures, and she always comes out on top. She does not allow the world to oppress her, continually seeking out better realities.Despite such violence in her life, Dirie does not remain a victim. She constantly pushes forward despite the unknown and achieves her goals in life. She has surgery to alleviate the complications of her circumcision, and works with the U.N. to speak out against the practice. She starts a family with a man that she loves and never forgets where she came from. Desert Flower is a must-read memoir for anyone hoping to better grasp the diversity and possibilities of life.

I appreciate the author's willingness to share her story. And to remind us that adversity builds character, family is everything, and happiness is not about owning things.

Waris Dirie tells us the extraordinary story of her life, beginning as a nomad in Africa, her escape on foot thru the desert from the prospect of an arranged marriage, going first to the city where her sister lived, then to England, where she knew not a word of the language, and finally to America. She became an internationally famous model, learned to speak English, got married, divorced, and remarried, and finally became a spokeswoman for the United Nations against female genital mutilation.The story of her life is fascinating, but the genital mutilation she and her sisters suffered is disgusting. Dirie relates that no man of her native culture would want to marry a woman who had not been mutilated in such a way as to make it impossible for her to feel the intense pleasure of sexual intercourse. Thus mutilated, she supposedly cannot be tempted by other men. Many young girls die from infections contracted from unsanitary instruments used in this barbarous procedure.Both men and women there are really missing out on the joy they could have, were men to give women the respect they deserve. Such a man may experience orgasm, but he can never experience the far greater joy of knowing that he has given the greatest and most intense pleasure to someone he deeply loves and respects. If I were married to a woman so mutilated, I would feel sorely cheated because I could never give her the pleasure I would want her to have. Like the Texas oilman who married a much younger wife and was warned that she would soon take on other lovers, I would rather own five percent of a gusher than lock, stock, and barrel of a dry hole.I hope Dirie's husband will always be loving, thoughtful, and kind to her, because after the hell she has been thru, she deserves all the happiness he can give her, and then some. Her story is an inspiration, but at the same time it is a challenge to the rest of us to do what we can to end the horrible practise of female genital [email protected]