Bookcrossing journal:

Very fascinating read about Somalia - of which I knew so little beforehand. And in some respects it sounds a bit nightmarish living there - eg. repression of women, female circumcision. But Waris is a Somalian herself, equally frustrated by these problems and yet she still loves her country and her people and this really comes through in her writing and allows you to see other aspects of the country.

She ran away from the country in her early teens to escape an arranged marriage and ended up becoming a model in the States - knowing little about fashion, I have never heard of her! This book is about a trip she takes back to Somalia to see her parents again after 20 years of living abroad. Her mother is an amazing character - so tough and independant.

It's also interesting to see the comparisons between Western and African lifestyles and attitudes. The chapter about her baby and the shock attitude of the American mother-in-law was one particular example. Although I get the impression that the mother-in-law would still have been telling her what to do whether she was African or not.