North of Dawn
About the book
A Somali couple in Norway faces the arrival of their son's family after his death in an attack.
Africa · A READING GUIDE
Somalia
Nuruddin Farah examines forced marriage, national belonging and fractured immigrant families. Nadifa Mohamed reconstructs a Somali sailor’s wrongful prosecution in postwar Cardiff. Abdi Nor Iftin’s memoir moves from civil war to migration to America. These are different perspectives on Somali experience, set both at home and in the diaspora.
WHERE TO START
- North of DawnNuruddin Farah
- The Fortune MenNadifa Mohamed
- Call Me AmericanAbdi Nor Iftin
Books to begin with
An editorial selection · not rankedNo matches. Try another language or search term.
From a Crooked Rib
About the book
Ebla escapes an arranged marriage, but must continue fighting for independence in Mogadishu.
Maps
About the book
Somali orphan Askar’s relationship with his Ethiopian guardian complicates national and familial belonging.
The Fortune Men
About the book
Based on a real case, the novel follows a Somali sailor wrongly accused of murder in Cardiff.
Call Me American
About the book
This memoir follows a childhood during Somalia’s civil war and eventual migration to the United States.
Black Mamba Boy
About the book
A boy’s journey through the colonial world draws on the author’s family history.
The Orchard of Lost Souls
About the book
Three women’s lives converge in Hargeisa on the eve of civil war.
Context and sources
Sources on authors and their connections to this country. Specific edition details appear beside each book. Polish and English originals are not labelled as translations.
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