Aman: The Story of a Somali GirlThis is the extraordinary first-person account of a young woman's coming of age in Somalia and her struggles against the obligations and strictures of family and society. By the time she is nine, Aman has undergone a ritual circumcision ceremony; at eleven, her innocent romance with a white boy leads to a murder; at thirteen she is given away in an arranged marriage to a stranger. Aman eventually runs away to Mogadishu, where her beauty and rebellious spirit leads her to the decadent demimonde of white colonialists. Hers is a world in which women are both chattel and freewheeling entrepreneurs, subject to the caprices of male relatives, yet keenly aware of the loopholes that lead to freedom. Aman is an astonishing history, opening a window onto traditional Somali life and the universal quest for female self-awareness. |
What people are saying - Write a review
AMAN: The Story of a Somali Girl
User Review - KirkusA lyrical first-hand account of a complex and charismatic modern-day African heroine. ``Aman'' (a pseudonym meaning ``trustworthy'' in Arabic) is a gifted narrator who recounted her tumultuous life ... Read full review
Aman: the story of a Somali girl
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictThough it could have been sensationalized, this is in fact an intimate look at the girlhood of a 20th-century Somali. At eight, Aman was circumcised; at 13, she was married to an older man who ... Read full review
Contents
Chapter 3 | |
Chapter 4 | |
Chapter 5 | |
Chapter 6 | |
Chapter 7 | |
Chapter 15 | |
Chapter 16 | |
Chapter 17 | |
Chapter 18 | |
Chapter 19 | |
Chapter 20 | |
Chapter 21 | |
Chapter 22 | |
Chapter 8 | |
Chapter 9 | |
Chapter 10 | |
Chapter 11 | |
Chapter 12 | |
Chapter 13 | |
Chapter 14 | |
Chapter 23 | |
Chapter 24 | |
Chapter 26 | |
Afterword | |
Notes | |
References | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Aman Aman’s animals Antony asked baby beautiful became began believe better blood boys bring brother brought called camels circumcision close clothes coming couldn’t daddy dance daughter don’t door drink everything face father feel felt four gave girls give go back gone hand happened happy hospital husband inside Italian kill kissed knew leave Lewis lineage lived looked Mama Mango Village marriage married military Mogadishu months morning mother move never nice night pain person police political scared sell shillings side sister sleep social Somali sometimes started stay stop talk tell thing thought told took town tribe trying wait walk wife woman women young
Bibliographic information
| Title | Aman: The Story of a Somali Girl |
| Contributors | Virginia Lee Barnes, Janice Boddy |
| Publisher | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2010 |
| ISBN | 0307554341, 9780307554345 |
| Length | 368 pages |
| Subjects | › › Biography & Autobiography / Cultural, Ethnic & Regional / General Biography & Autobiography / Women History / Africa / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |