Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad by Waris Dirie, Cathleen Miller Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad
Book Review: A powerful testimony from a wonderfully real person
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is at times incredibly painful, but can also be extremely entertaining. What I particularly liked about it is the fact that although Waris was clearly a victim of terrible abuse and violation, she does not come across as a flawless heroine. Even though the work is ghost-written, her voice seems very clear and her honesty is one of the most impressive things about her. In a strange way, I felt for her all the more since I knew that at times I did not necessarily side with her. Occasionally I found her morally dubious and hypocritical - not particularly bothered about having used excessive violence and possibly killed the man who tried to rape her (but at least she admits it), very willing to exploit people (but in many ways she had to), overly-impressed with the glitter of the modelling world whilst at the same time insisting that she still loves the simple life (hmm...). She does seem to rank hardship and pain in relation only to her own experiences - when describing how hard life was as nomad she comments on how "when I came to the Western world I was amazed to find people complaining.[...] I wanted to say to them "Let me give you hard work. You'll never complain about your job again."" Later on, however, we are told about what hell being a fashion model in the Western world actually is: "Then you're wondering, Why am I doing this? Why am I here?" (Call that hard work?, the reader might well wish to cry at this point). I was also a little frustrated by Waris's complaints about being fired for jobs because of her bow legs, "the legacy of growing up in a nomadic family without proper nutrition." Being a model is surely all about prejudices based on appearance. Beauty is a standard. I'd never even be offered a job modelling full stop, the legacy of growing up in a Western family where the women seem to stop growing at 5ft...
In spite of this, I really warmed to Waris precisely because her flaws were exposed and this does not detract from her suffering. On the contrary, this shows her as a real person as opposed to a perfect yet faceless sufferer. What was done to her was outrageous. Although I had read about female genital mutilation before ("Possessing the Secret of Joy") Waris's honesty about the absolute basics eg it's terrible just going to the toilet, made it so much more real and tragic. I admire this woman's courage and truly hope she can do some good. After this website I plan to go on to the one suggested at the end of the book to see what the average person can do to fight this systematic abuse.
Book Review: A perfect real-life account of a very real terror
Summary: 5 Stars
Waris Dirie's story is the second book I've read about FGM in Africa. Unlike Fauziya Kassindja (author of Do They Hear You When You Cry), Dirie actually did submit to the horrifying surgery at age five. She lived to tell about it, and she does so in a mesmerizing way. With vivid attention to detail Dirie provides an insider's view of the plight of African women, millions of whom are forced to be "circumsised" in order to be appealing to a prospective husband. Although she escaped to a life of prestige and privledge, Dirie is no stranger to hard work and hard times. Not even her supermodel status assuages the emotional and mental distress caused by her circumsision. She reiterates countless times that she is one of the lucky few--most of her fellow African women will never experience life without pain. Their story is the one worth reading within this book, and Dirie tells it beautifully.Book Review: an eye opener...
Summary: 4 Stars
I found the book and Waris' journey interesting. Amazing in that people outside our lives, can be and are so different to us. 'We' have NO ideal what goes on in other countries, especially that in Africa.Dirie begins as a nomad in Somalia. When she was forced to marry, very young, to an older man-she decided that it wasn't for her and she didn't want to do it. So she ran away in her early teens, on barefoot across the African deserts.
Dirie manages, perhaps by pure luck, to be able to make it from one place to another and eventually onto London. Everything feel into place for her. Unfortunately (but that's the law) she had to do things to get around the law. Faking passports, marrying someone to remain in Europe, etc. But I suppose desperation situations calls for desperate measures, at least this is how she clearly felt.
Dirie describes her journeys from nomad to superstar model and she is a spokesperson against Female Genital Mutilation-as she and millions of other girls has to go through (especially in tribes in Africa) which causes great physical pain, great humiliation and embarrassment and sometimes even death. But of course, growing up and living in a secluded culture, people grow to know NOTHING else.
The book is a real eye opener, especially and moreso than anything else, when it comes to FGM. I recommend the book to male or female to understand, as much as we can, how and what it feels like to be a female Somalia nomad. Short read, easy read but to the point...4 stars...
Book Review: Among my top 10 books
Summary: 5 Stars
Waris Dirie's story was stunning to me in many ways. I consider myself fairly aware of the diversity in the world, but the perspective of a woman growing up as a desert nomad was one that I could never have imagined. I love the way she captures the beauty and simplicity (in the best sense of the word) of desert life despite the life-threatening aspects she endured. Her strength, spirituality, and loving perspective remains with me a year later. Her attitude is not just a lot of nice platitudes but it is clearly built on compexity.It enlightened me more about the complexities of the female circumcision/ genital mutilation debate but this was only one of many enlightening topics. One of my favorite aspects is how she maintains her focus on nature and simplicity even during her modeling career.
Book Review: A Reason Not to Respect All Cultures Unconditionally
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the type of book to give to others who preach that all cultures should be respected. With Waris Dirie's bold description of her own female genital mutilation in Somalia, it is enough to say that every culture and religion should be examined for traditions and practices that are outright harmful, undignified for its proud people, and not worthy of rational human beings. Somalian and other Muslim men have been done a favor by Waris Dirie, as her explanation for such mutilation points out the weakness of an entire male population. I came away from reading this book convinced that it is the women who are the absolute strength of these nations, not their men. This is a courageous woman and the story told in simple terms proves it time and again.