Desert Children [Paperback]

Waris Dirie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 28, 2008

Fashion model, UN ambassador, and courageous spirit, Waris Dirie was born into a family of tribal desert nomads in Somalia. She told her story—enduring female circumcision at five years old; running away through the desert; being discovered by Terence Donovan and becoming a top fashion model—in her book, the worldwide bestseller, Desert Flower. In Desert Dawn she wrote about becoming a UN Special Ambassador against FGM (female genital mutilation) and returning to her family in Somalia. Desert Children reveals how she and the journalist Corinna Milborn have investigated the practice of FGM in Europe—they estimate that up to 500,000 women and girls have undergone or are at risk of FGM. At the moment, France is the only European country in which offenders are convicted and no European country officially recognizes the threat of genital mutilation as a reason for asylum. Here are the voices of women who have felt encouraged and emboldened by Waris Dirie's courage. They speak out for the first time, hoping to move readers to action. At the end of the book is a comprehensive appendix listing organizations which can help.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A sobering and eye-opening account SUNDAY TIMES

About the Author

Waris Dirie is an internationally renowned model and was the face of Revlon skin-care products. In 1997 she was appointed by the UN as special ambassador against FGM. She is the author of Desert Dawn and Desert Flower.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Virago UK (May 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844082512
• ISBN-13: 978-1844082513
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #789,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You'll want to do something., June 28, 2006

By 

Pharoah S. Wail (Inner Space) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Desert Children (Paperback)

An essential read awaits you between the covers of this book.

I don't agree with the book description snippet in the official section of this page. The "Here, then, are the voices of women who have felt emboldened by Waris Dirie's courage." is innacurate. It could make one think this is a collection of happy endings. There's no "Mission Accomplished!" self-congratulatory tone here. This book is about Miss Dirie finding out the world of FGM (female genital mutilation) is much larger than she realized. Thus I also found out it's much larger than I realized. It's not just a "wow I didn't know that" type of book, though. It's not suitable to only think about it and say to oneself "those poor women". Solutions and answers are sought.

That's how this book should be viewed. It's a call to action. You'll cry. You'll gasp. You'll slam your fist on the table. It's about learning to ask the right questions so the solutions may be attained. If after (or before) reading this type of book you want an autobiography... a way to envision FGM within the life of a specific woman, I recommend "Slave" by Mende Nazer. It's also an essential read if you want to try to understand what is (and has been for decades) happening in Sudan. Slave is devastating but it also shows the beauty of which humans are capable. It's one of the best, most important autobiographies ever.

I think the research that went into Desert Children, and the writing of the book itself, was the most emotionally difficult for Miss Dirie of the 3 she's written so far. You don't have to have any sort of serious background study of FGM for you to be moved, angered and inspired by this book. It will work equally well as an introduction as it will your 10th book on the topic. Having said that, I also encourage anyone to read The Female Circumcision Controversy: An Anthropological Perspective because I always fear that many people in the West may use FGM/FGC (FGcutting) as simply another weapon in their arsenal of racism. As in the "THEY must be animals because WE would NEVER!!" mindset.

This isn't a women's issue. This isn't a religious issue. This isn't an issue that knows arbitrary political boundaries. This is about our fellow humans suffering what I think has to be the most horrific, lifelong torture any human could possibly experience. Within their own borders, Western European governments are oftentimes unfit or unwilling to help even those women who explicitly seek it out and could be easily saved/helped. The looming question for those of us who live in the USA is this... how many females in the USA have suffered this cruel act within our own borders? Thinking we're somehow immune to this would be a costly mistake.

There is the occasional phrase that would seem to suffer from awkward translation but that is of little consequence when the real message comes through loudly. Clearly. There are also helpful appendices that make this book a slim, powerful, affordable resource.