Desert Flower

After watching the film, I am inspired to read the book; Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad by Waris Derie. As many of us will also be finishing up Wally Lamb's book for March 5th, the shorter length of this book should hopefully fit the bill for our regular book club night in March.

A reminder about RSVP'ing. Please be considerate to others and don't hold a spot if you are not sure about attending, as changing to a no last minute does not allow people on the waiting list enough time to read the book. As always, I understand on occasion things come up that do not allow you to attend, but please change your RSVP no later than noon on the day of the event so I can give the restaurant an accurate head count.

Unfortunately we have had some events where members pulled out last minute or did not show, this is not only discourteous but causes problems for the group/restaurant. Members that routinely are a "No Show" or "Cancel last minute" will be removed from the group.

Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad by Waris Derie - 244 Pages (Amazon 4.5 stars)

Waris Dirie leads a double life -- by day, she is an international supermodel and human rights ambassador for the United Nations; by night, she dreams of the simplicity of life in her native Somalia and the family she was forced to leave behind. Desert Flower, her intimate and inspiring memoir, is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered about the beauty of African life, the chaotic existence of a supermodel, or the joys of new motherhood.

Waris was born into a traditional Somali family, desert nomads who engaged in such ancient and antiquated customs as genital mutilation and arranged marriage. At twelve, she fled an arranged marriage to an old man and traveled alone across the dangerous Somali desert to Mogadishu -- the first leg of an emotional journey that would take her to London as a house servant, around the world as a fashion model, and eventually to America, where she would find peace in motherhood and humanitarian work for the U.N.

Today, as Special Ambassador for the U.N., she travels the world speaking out against the barbaric practice of female genital mutilation, promoting women's reproductive rights, and educating people about the Africa she fled -- but still deeply loves.

Dramatic, humorous, and enormously uplifting, this is a wonderful self-portrait of a courageous woman whose spirit is as breathtaking as her beauty