2020: Wow. This is a powerful memoir that follows the traumatic life events of a Somali refugee who succeeds in making it to the United States. I'd highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about life in Somalia in the early 2000s, the refugee process in the United States, or Muslim customs and how they might clash when integrating into Western culture.

From the beginning, there is a LOT going on here. I was frustrated to start, because Iftin opens with nomadic life in the Somalian desert, about which I know literally zero things. The story moved too fast for me to grasp the various words of Somali that Iftin scatters throughout, and I was overwhelmed by how fast his life was changing. However, as we move later into Iftin's life, his interest & integration into American culture deepens, and I became more comfortable with the various people referenced throughout the book.

I had to continuously check myself as I was going through this book, as I was feeling constantly impressed with Iftin's command of the English language. Why should I be surprised? The man learned English and then was able to use it to write a book. But I remain impressed all the same.

The majority of the book follows Iftin's life in Somalia and his journey into various other parts of Africa as he attempts to leave his home country. His life in Maine (which is where he eventually settles in the United States) is squeezed into a mere chapter at the very end of the book. This feels imbalanced, but perhaps simply because I also am living in Maine currently, and would have loved to hear more about his life here.

Iftin was on his book tour for this memoir when Trump passed the "Muslim Ban" into effect.
I look forward to Iftin's next book, hopefully an expanded tale of what it is like to be Muslim and African while living in America today. Fortunately, Iftin became a naturalized US citizen earlier this year, and Trump will be leaving office momentarily, so things are looking up!