Better than fiction It is rare to find a non-fiction book that is as gripping as a good thriller. This one is in the cannot put it down genre. It is such an amazing story that if written as fiction it would have been beyond belief. Here is a woman who goes from communist Somalia to Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Germany, Holland and America. She becomes Dutch and nearly loses her citizenship. In the process she is in part the cause of the fall of the government of The Netherlands. Several times she nearly loses her life. She... more info
An amazing woman who fought her way out of the clutches of Islam Amazing, not a word I use often, but this word describes Aayan Hirsi Ali perfectly. She was born with a sense of justice in Somalia to Somalian parents,her father was heavily involved in politics, but not so involved with his family.
Aayan was the stalwart of the family,the well behaved elder daughter badly treated by her mother, but this giving her a sense of survival from the harsh family,harsh country & cruel Islamic teachings.
She tells her story without self pity,just the events &... more info
Alleviating the darkness Light in The Darkness, 17 Oct 2007
By Philip Minchom - See all my reviews This is a very good, very readable and fascinating book ; the fascination is the description of the clan-system of Somali society and its mores and customs, all within the context of Islam and different only in degree and detail from related cultures. The interest is in how this talented woman overcame all the difficulties inherent in her origins to achieve a degree of personal enlightenment and a desire to help others to... more info
Brilliant history and autobiography It is rare to find autobiography as absorbing as this. Not only because of the author's unusual path from the desert of Somalia to the USA via the Netherlands, but also on account of the engaging writing style. Clear and descriptive, the narrative of her eventful life had a profound impact on this reader. Born and raised in Somalia, she spent part of her youth in neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Kenya, describing through the eyes of a child what it was like to live there. She makes... more info
