Review
An engagingly perplexing book that represents different cultures as more syrtic than solid, and individual identity as a process of life-long struggle between these cultures. While focusing on Somali experiences within London…it has relevance for anybody affected by frictions between age and group loyalties. That must include all of us. (Books for Keeps )
The strong story of Safia's quest to discover who she is means that From Somalia With Love, will, I am sure strike a resonance with many of today's teenagers. (School Librarian )
The story proceeds as a sensitive, sometimes painful, examination of this coming to terms [with her father coming home] and the disturbances it makes, both domestically and in wider society, for Safia and her family... Warm engaging and intensely thought-provoking [with] the power to widen horizons and increase understanding of the richness of contemporary Britain's various cultures. It should be widely read. (Carousel )
A vivid and sympathetic novel written from the view point of a teenage girl who has many different perspectives to intergrate into her life: not only those of her own personal development and identity, but also those of her Somali family following their reunion after a long separation caused by civil war. The adjustments to be made of settling in a country that is not their homeland are clearly described and also the importance of maintaining cultural, traditional and religious ways of life. The integration into the general narrative of unfamiliar words and phrases gives authenticity to the reader's experience, comprehension being assured by the provision of an extensive glossary. (Ibby Link )
This book will engage teenagers of all cultures. The author, Na'ima B. Robert, succeeds in maintaining the suspense about which pathway Safia will choose and gives a valuable insight into the family-centric Somalian culture. Safia is an engaging heroine with whom girls will idenntify. This is an excellent debut novel which should become a firm favourite. (Ink Pellet )
Does a good job of showing the richness of Somali culture as something positive and separate from the war that has torn the country apart for decades. A unique title. (School Library Journal )
Encourages Muslim teens living in Western societies to be proud of their differences and to embrace Islam as part of their individuality, and through Safia's story, readers will come to see Islam not just as a set of practices but instead as a way of life. (Muslim Voices (USA) )
The strong story of Safia's quest to discover who she is means that From Somalia With Love, will, I am sure strike a resonance with many of today's teenagers. (School Librarian )
The story proceeds as a sensitive, sometimes painful, examination of this coming to terms [with her father coming home] and the disturbances it makes, both domestically and in wider society, for Safia and her family... Warm engaging and intensely thought-provoking [with] the power to widen horizons and increase understanding of the richness of contemporary Britain's various cultures. It should be widely read. (Carousel )
A vivid and sympathetic novel written from the view point of a teenage girl who has many different perspectives to intergrate into her life: not only those of her own personal development and identity, but also those of her Somali family following their reunion after a long separation caused by civil war. The adjustments to be made of settling in a country that is not their homeland are clearly described and also the importance of maintaining cultural, traditional and religious ways of life. The integration into the general narrative of unfamiliar words and phrases gives authenticity to the reader's experience, comprehension being assured by the provision of an extensive glossary. (Ibby Link )
This book will engage teenagers of all cultures. The author, Na'ima B. Robert, succeeds in maintaining the suspense about which pathway Safia will choose and gives a valuable insight into the family-centric Somalian culture. Safia is an engaging heroine with whom girls will idenntify. This is an excellent debut novel which should become a firm favourite. (Ink Pellet )
Does a good job of showing the richness of Somali culture as something positive and separate from the war that has torn the country apart for decades. A unique title. (School Library Journal )
Encourages Muslim teens living in Western societies to be proud of their differences and to embrace Islam as part of their individuality, and through Safia's story, readers will come to see Islam not just as a set of practices but instead as a way of life. (Muslim Voices (USA) )
Product Description
Safia Dirie is a teenage girl living in East London with her mother, Hoyo, and two older brothers, Ahmed and Abdullahi. Though she was born in Somalia, she doesn’t really remember it — Safia’s a London girl, through and through. But now, after 12 long years, her father, Abo, has returned to the family from war-torn Mogadishu. Safia knew things would change, but nothing could have prepared her for the reality of dealing with Abo’s cultural expectations. Or that Ahmed, her favorite brother, would start to run wild. And she herself certainly didn’t expect to find her cousin Firdous’ party-girl lifestyle so tempting. Safia must come to terms with who she is — as a Muslim, as a teenager, as a poet, as a friend, but most of all, as a daughter to a father she’s never known. Rooted in Somali and Muslim life, this poignant and beautifully written novel about one girl’s quest to find her own place in the world strikes a chord with young readers everywhere.
