Don't be put off by the cover, or the supermodel tag. Waris Dirie
and co-writer Jeanne D'Haem know how to tell a story. And what a
story it is. Born into a family of desert nomads in Somalia, the
12-year-old Waris ran away to escape an arranged marriage and wound
up working as a cleaner in London. Then, in a classic
rags-to-riches tale, she was 'discovered' by Terence Donovan and
catapulted to supermodel status, becoming the internationally
recognized face of Revlon skin-care products and (more to the
point) UN special ambassador for women's rights in Africa. Desert
Dawn picks up where her first book, the bestselling Desert Flower,
left off. Waris is breaking up with Dana, the African-American
father of her son Aleeke. She is also preparing to return to
Somalia, to look for her parents, who she hasn't seen in five
years, and who, for all she knows, may be dead. Candid memories of
her childhood - including her genital mutilation (Waris abhors the
euphemistic term 'circumcision') - are interspersed with her
journey, first to Amsterdam, where she is reunited with her refugee
brother Mohammed, and then, after a nightmarish couple of days in
Abu Dhabi, to Somalia, free-loading brother in tow. Told in simple
but effective prose, this is a testament to the courage and
determination of a remarkable woman who, though she fled her
homeland, never forgot the culture which moulded her. For all the
injustice it has heaped upon her, Waris Dirie sees the good as well
- above all, the courage, resilience and humour of Somalian women,
not least her mother, with whom she is finally reunited. There is
hope for the future too, as we see Mohammed change from
unreconstructed bully to righteous defender of his sister. Even her
father, now virtually blind, welcomes her back with open arms. An
affecting and eye-opening book. (Kirkus UK)
Fashion model, UN ambassador and courageous spirit, Waris Dirie is
a remarkable woman, born into a traditional family of tribal desert
nomads in Somalia. She told her story - enduring, at five years
old, the ancient and savage custom of female circumcision; running
away at twelve on foot through the desert in order to escape an
arranged marriage; being discovered by Terence Donovan as she
worked as a cleaner in London; and becoming a top fashion model -
in her book, the worldwide bestseller, Desert Flower. Although
Waris Dirie fled her homeland, she never forgot the country and
culture that moulded her. The world of famine and violence, where
women have no voice and no place - the very world that nearly
destroyed her also gave her the tools to survive. She traces the
roots of her courage, resilience and humour back to her motherland,
and most particularly to her mother. Desert Dawn is the story of
that return and a testimony to the stubborn fact that you can love
something dearly and yet not love all that it represents. Desert
Dawn is about coming home.
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