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Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad
Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad
Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad
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Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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An “outstandingly dramatic and moving” memoir of fleeing a brutal girlhood in Somalia—and becoming a supermodel and UN special ambassador (Kirkus Reviews).

To escape an arranged marriage to a sixty-year-old man, Waris Dirie ran away from her oppressive life in the African desert when she was barely in her teens, illiterate and impoverished, with nothing to her name but a tattered shawl. She traveled alone across the dangerous Somali desert to Mogadishu—the first leg of a remarkable journey that would take her to London, where she worked as a house servant; then to nearly every corner of the globe as an internationally renowned fashion model; and ultimately to New York City, where she became a human rights ambassador for the U.N. Poignant and powerfully told, Desert Flower is Waris’s extraordinary story.

“Affecting and at times very entertaining . . . it is Dirie’s remarkable lack of narcissism or entitlement that makes her so captivating a raconteur.” —Publishers Weekly

“Written with innocence and warmth, this book shows how one woman’s tragedy can help others.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Waris’s story is one of remarkable courage. From the deserts of Somalia to the world of high fashion, she battles against oppression and emerges a real champion. She is the most beautiful inspiration to anyone.” —Elton John
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 6, 2009
ISBN9780061952272
Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad

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Reviews for Desert Flower

Rating: 3.787267048447205 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Dense, informative, and it moved along well enough. I recommend.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The back story of an international model who grew up living a nomadic life in desert Somalia and how she broke away to change her life but still maintained her love and connection to her roots.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Angus and Robertson Top 100 (2006-2008) Book #100This autobiography was very enjoyable to read. It contained some very tragic elements, but I believe that it is a book that everyone should read. It provides a direct insight into the treatment of women and young girls in Africa.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ich habe mich lange davor gedrückt dieses Buch zu lesen, denn ich dachte, es ginge in diesem Buch in erster Linie um die Genitialverstümmelung von Mädchen - so wichtig dieses Thema ist, das was ich bislang davon gelesen hatte reichte mir so schon, da brauchte ich eigentlich nicht noch ein ganzes Buch. Deshalb habe ich es nur gelesen, weil es zu denn 100 beliebtesten Büchern der Deutschen gehört und ich bei einer Challenge mitlese, in derem Rahmen diese Bücher gelesen werden.Und dann kam die große Überraschung: von der ersten Seite an war ich von der Autorin und ihrer Geschichte gefesselt. Die Schilderung des Nomadenlebens in ihrer Kindheit ist faszinierend und hinter allem steht ihr positives Denken - wenn man abends nichts zu essen bekommt, schläft man halt hungrig, am nächsten Tag wird es schon wieder etwas geben. Und so geht sie generell mit dem Leben um - sie denkt unheimlich positiv und jammert nicht sondern versucht etwas zu ändern.Natürlich ist die Genitialverstümmelung ein Thema - immerhin wird sie im Alter von 5 Jahren beschnitten und dementsprechend gehört diese Erfahrung zu ihrem Leben, aber es steht mit Ausnahme von wenigen Seiten nie so im Vordergrund wie ich es erwartet hatte. Sie schildert es genauso wie alles andere, das ihr im Leben widerfahren ist - positives und negatives.Auch die Zwangsehe ist ein Thema - aber auch dieses wird nur soweit behandelt, wie es in ihr Leben gehört. Denn der ausgesuchte Ehemann ist der Grund dafür, dass sie wegläuft - und irgendwann zum Topmodel wird.Für mich ist dieses Buch die Geschichte eines schwierigen aber auch faszinierenden Lebens, die mich gefesselt hat.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the story of a Somali nomad girl who becomes a famous international model. After learning at age 12 that her father wants to marry her to a 60-year-old man in exchange for five camels, Waris (meaning 'desert flower') runs away from home. She makes it to London, working as a servant-girl for her uncle, the ambassador. Later she is discovered, and goes on to work as a top model and a UN spokeswoman on women's rights in Africa. This autobiography delves into Waris's childhood as part of a nomadic tribe living off what they could find in the desert. It also describes her horrific circumcision at the age of five and the ongoing legacy of that ordeal. It is an inspiring story, made all the more sad by the fact that the barbaric practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is still be carried out on little girls, without anesthetic, leaving them with a lifetime of pain and discomfort. Shocking!'I had to learn new survival skills for this new world, which were different from the ones I was raised with in the desert. Here I needed to learn English, and how to communicate with all sorts of people. Knowing about camels and goats wasn't going to keep me alive in London' (p. 123).'The health problems I've coped with since my circumcision also plague millions of girls and women throughout the world. Because of a ritual of ignorance, most of the women on the continent of Africa live their lives in pain. Who is going to help the women in the desert - like my mother - with no money and now power? Somebody must speak out for the little girl with no voice' (p. 225).
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Though some of us cringed as we read parts of this book, it was enlightening but terribly sad. We felt that parts of the book seemed to be written by two different people ..... perhaps the presence of the writer who helped her write the book? Never mind all that .................. at least the book is serving to make the world aware of the terrible procedure that is still occuring today..... and hopefully one day help will come and things will change.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    after reading INFIDELITY I was hope to get more inside of the situation of women in Africa and I got it, but I am scared that young girl might stat to think it is easy to run and away and then your become a model and famous and rich. These stories are single stories and so many young girl vanish and die. I just hopethese books will open the eyes of a lot of people and they will start to make a change.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A Somalian nomad tells of her harrowing childhood in the dessert (including genital mutilation), and her rise to fame as a model.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Desert Flower is as an excellent introduction to the nomadic culture of the Somali desert. Somalia, as described by Dirie, is a beautiful and dangerous place. The people who inhabit the desert must use all their strength to create a life using only sand and the little water that can be found. It is this strength that enabled Dirie to survive female genital mutilation, her flight across the desert to avoid an arranged marriage, living as a servant in England, and finally achieving success as a model. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, finding it to be easy to read and well-written. Dirie manages to describe the more intimate events in her life with just enough detail to get her point across. She is factual, but not over the top. I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Desert Dawn.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a powerful book about Warus Dirie. As a child she ran away from her Somali nomad life. Through many amazing circumstances she made it to England and then into the high fashion industry. It is very eye-opening into the tribal life of Africa for women, particularly the continuing practice of female genitalia mutilation.

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Desert Flower - Waris Dirie

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