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. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - HHS-Students - LibraryThingReviewed by kelsey (Class of 2014) She lost the love of her life. She lost her family’s respect. She lost her dignity. Aman is the story of a young girl in Somali, Africa, named Aman. Aman recounted ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - HHS-Students - LibraryThingReviewed by Nicole (Class of 2014) Most people know very little about what it’s like growing up in another culture. Aman is a true story of a young Somali girl who endured many hardships during her ... 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 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abdalla Allah Aman Aman’s angry Antony Arabic asked baby Baidoa beautiful began boys brother brought camels circumcision clan clothes cousin daddy dance daughter didn’t know didn’t want divorce door drink Ethiopia everything father felt female circumcision gave girls give go back grandmama happened husband infibulation inside Islamic Italian Kenya kill kissed knew Laila Laitin and Samatar leave Lee Barnes Lewis lineage lived looked Mama Mama’s Mango Village marriage married milk Mogadishu morning mother Muslim Nairobi never nice night Nuur o’clock pain patrilineal police Qur’an Rahima scared sharmuuto shillings sister sleep Somali started stay Sudan Swahili talk Tanzania tell thing thought told took town tribe uncle wait walk want to go wasn’t wife woman women you’re zar ceremony Zaytuun
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 |