Title: Desert Flower

Authors: Waris Dirie & Cathleen Miller

Review: By Samantha Teta

Desert Flower is an autobiography depicting the extraordinary life of Somali model Waris Dirie. The book was published in 1998 and details the metamorphosis of Waris from a desert nomad into an internationally renowned fashion model and ultimately into a human rights ambassador for the United Nations.

Born into a nomadic family in 1965 in Somalia Waris describes growing up in the desert and the ways of nomads.

At age 6, Waris herds her family’s sheep and goats, fending off hyenas and wild dogs. She describes in detail the chilling and horrific circumcision she endured at the tender age 5 and the restrictions it has had on her life since then. Only through circumcision can a girl become a woman in her society.

At the age of 12 she runs away from home fleeing an arranged marriage to an old man who was paying her dowry in form of the desert-valuable camels. She endures intense hardships fleeing through the Sahara desert including travelling for days without food or water and surviving both rape and predator’s attacks.

Waris arrives in Mogadishu days later illiterate and impoverished. There, she lived with an older sister and her family before moving to London, where she resided with and worked as a house maid for an uncle who had been appointed Somali ambassador. She chose to stay on even after his time in office came to an end.

While in London she wrestles with culture shock and has her first accidental taste of the modeling life that eventually brought her into the public eye. She describes marrying for convenience to get her papers, eventually finding love in Dana her second husband and the birth of her son Aleeke.

The prime of Desert Flower is perhaps Waris’s eventual reunion with her mother in Galidi, Ethiopia near the Somali boarder in 1995. Desert flower is an intriguing, powerful and unique story that is written honestly to reflect genuine human pain and resilience.

As United Nations human rights ambassador Dirie has spoken out passionately on female genital Mutilation (FGM) and championed environmental causes too. The book mirrors her remarkable story and strength plus and the journey towards raising awareness about FGM and its terrible effects.

The writing style is effortless, the wording is simple, the story is captivating and has a charm of innocence lost to it. One can read Desert flower in a day or two but it really it is a must read.