Overall, what did you think of The Last Nomad? (No spoilers in this thread, please)

Overall, what did you think of The Last Nomad? (No spoilers in this thread, please)

I am 2/3 of the way through the book and am my reaction is positive. The writing flows, the descriptions excellent I am learning much about Somalia.

For me, this was a 48 hr. book, I couldn’t put it down. What do I know about Somalia? Almost nothing; and now I know more. The author writes with heart, empathy and knowledge, weaving her upbringing into an excellent story. The book was uplifting, and I so wanted to talk to someone about it when I finished it. Now, one of my book clubs will be reading it in Sept.

I finished last week and loved it. Beautifully written such that you really get a flavor of her life. I loved the stories of her life as a nomad most. I could picture so much.

“The Last Nomad” is a powerful and thought-provoking coming-of-age memoir. The author’s early life story, as well as the description of the cultural, religious, and political aspects of Somalia at the time, was very interesting. However, at times it was difficult/intense read because of a few of the topics discussed.

Candidly what I knew with regards to Somalia prior to reading Shugri Said Salh’s book was limited to what I had seen in the news over the years. “The Last Nomad” has piqued my curiosity to search out more back story.

A 4 star read for me.

What I knew about Somalia before reading the book? Nothing except it was home to pirates! I came away with a greater understanding of the culture but found some of it greatly distressing, particularly FGM and the 'giving away' of a child to be of assistance to her grandmother. Unlike previous responders, I did not particularly like the book and had to slog through nay parts,

A captivating and fast read providing insights into a life I did not know about. The author provided the details of her life in Somalia in a thought provoking way so the reader will want to read more about the people in the country. The reader not only experiences Salh’s life but gains understanding of the cultural, religious, and political life in the country during this time period. Overall, a thought-provoking memoir.

I feel like Shugri Salh has lived a million lifetimes! It seemed sad to me that each of those lifetimes was marked by potentially trauma inducing events. Yet, I don’t recall every reading a complaint or self pitying sentence in Sahl’s story. She met each diverging path in her life head on, with a positive and courageous attitude. I sometimes struggle knowing what metro line I need to take, and the author made walking across the desert, and then crossing several borders look like a walk in the park. I most likely would have been curled tightly in a ball after the first hyena attack! Salh’s positive attitude and “do the next thing in front of you” spirit serve as inspirations.

I give it a 5. The author is a very good story teller of her life. Its what her family does, tell stories

I enjoyed learning about Shurgri life, another culture in a very small country, rich in trading, and wealth before Shurgri’s time and how it shaped Somali in the 20th century. I felt she she covered life topics, which were many. However, she could have made it a little more engaging and explain some aspects more and some less. I admire her urgency and need to tell her story, that is, write this book so she has it to share with her children, and future generations and other people around the work. Otherwise this culture and history will be forgotten or loss.

I expected more about living as a nomad; although it WAS a part of the story, the title led me to believe it was the bigger part of the story. on a positive note, the author did bring to our attention the issues that many underdeveloped countries are dealing with ie warlords, famine, refugees.

Interesting. I knew next to nothing about Somalia - other than what we see on the news - or about nomads and Salh is a natural storyteller, so I was intrigued from the beginning.

As addition to my comment above and after reading other’s comments, I agree with Beverlyd. Based on the title, I was expecting the majority of the book to be about Salh’s time in the desert.

This book is exceptional. I intend to share it with my book club.

Since I really liked it, I read it the first time at too fast of a rate. Retuning to answer these question about the proverbs proved that I had to read it a second time. This book is amazing.

I think this memoir is a gem as Shugri openly shares her life as a young girl, her strengths in the time of adversity (Somali war, FSM, living in refugee camps and learning to live and adapt to many cultures), and her positive view of being an independent woman.

I loved this book! Very well written - I felt like I was really getting Shugri's story and understanding her life. I learned about the history of Somali, FGM and the struggles of being a refugee. I read this book very quickly as it was so engaging. Definitely will be recommending this book.

To be candid, I was not sure I would enjoy the book. However, as soon as I began reading, I fell into the story. Obviously, Shugri experienced a life unlike one I have known. I can only imagine the life Shugri came to know when her mother sent Shugri to live with her grandmother. I found myself totally immersed in the story and was astounded at all the things Shugri learned.

I found the book amazing. I love to read books about different people and places and this one didn't disappoint. I felt I was with the author through all of her experiences. As an American woman, it is hard to fathom some of the situations Shugri went through. I'd definitely recommend this for a book club reading.

I knew little about Somalia -- except those pirates and seemingly constant political problems from the news -- but I like to read stories about other countries and cultures. I have to admit I expected more about the nomadic life, but was not disappointed in learning about Shurgri's "other lives" in so many different environments and countries. I was constantly surprised by how much was packed into her early life, and how well she survived so many complicated situations as a young girl. It was obvious she learned much as that young nomad girl in order to become the strong person she is today.

Thought it was a great read,especially to learn about different cultures.having a neighbor from Eritrea I’ve had the opportunity to go to some gatherings and experience they’re rituals. I learned that they don’t use any eating utensils and how to make Eritrean corn!

I chose this book because I know nothing of the county, traditions or people. It proved to a very hard read for me, but very worthwhile. Have recommended to several friends and few who are reading it now and we will discuss soon.

This book was fascinating! Learning about Somalia's culture, traditions, food, wars, etc was eye-opening. How Salh recounts her upbringing was amazing; she is a natural storyteller. Her life was unlike any I've read before...worrying about lions, raising goats (at 6 yrs old), living the nomadic ways, shuffling between family members, living in an orphanage, female circumcisions/mutilation, connectedness of tribes, immigrating to Canada, and so much more!

I found this book to read as though I had received a letter from a far-away friend or was sitting with someone who was sharing their very personal story. I found the book geographically educational and an important read for women who can so easily forget or ignore what other women are continuing to endure in other parts of the world. I will be recommending this book to friends for their book clubs. What great discussions can be had when processing this book.

My review of this book is much harsher than other readers and reviewers. I felt that Sahl came across as an apologist for her country: it wasn't "wonderful" that she was given away as a child, like an extra piece of furniture. Her father was an abusive bastard, not "a man of his times". She wrote of FGM as some sort of natural function of growing up female (like menstruation) instead of as a horrifying, barbaric practice. I will admit--this story has, and will, stick with me for a long time. I found the most believable descriptions in the book were when she and her family were fleeing the civil war.

I thought that Sahl was an amazing writer. Her descriptions of life as a nomad and the cultural practices of her people transported me to world that I knew nothing about.
Whenever I start a new book I find it helpful to think about librarian Nancy Pearl's "Four Doorways to Literature. The “Doorways” that pull a reader into (or shut them out of!) a book. Think of a pie-chart, and there are four ways to divide the pie. These are the four doorways of Character, Story, Setting, and Language. For me, this book opened up to me though all four doorways. I usually love books that are character driven and Salh's resiliency and introspection drew me in. I loved how she is a cultural broker and will always understand two very different worlds. The doorway of character was definitely there. As far as the Story doorway, the narrative was lively, informative and very interesting. I was transported to a new set of problems and a proximity to nature that I knew nothing about. The Setting Doorway was solid. I keep using the word transported but the author took us on a journey to a world few Americans know about. Finally, the language doorway was open too. Not only does Salh tell a story but she uses great description. There were many lyrical passages as were discussed in another one of the group questions. Rarely am I drawn to a book through all four doorways. However, "The Last Nomad" was an excellent example of how to pull a reader in using all four.

I was not familiar with Nancy Pearl's "Four Doorways to Literature". Thank you so much for sharing that Lagunalee! I think it will be very helpful in articulating why (or why not) a book works for me. I can't wait to introduce it to my book club. Yay!

Oh Acstrine...You are so kind to thank me. I have to tell you that Nancy Pearl's ideas about reading books has been life changing to me. You can google her and you will find that she is considered " America's Librarian". I'm a member of 5 book clubs ( I know, that is crazy) and every time I have introduced her template, my friends have been in awe. For me, personally, her 4 doorways model has helped me when I don't like a book. I think about the doorway that is opened to readers and realize that it just isn't for me. For example, this month one of my groups is reading a book that is story driven. The story is fantastic. It has even been made into a play, "Come From Away". Although I enjoyed the book about what happened in Gander during 9/ 11, I realize that it is not "Character driven" enough for me. Thinking of the four doorways, allows me to read on when maybe I wouldn't and to think that the action "story" doorway is what this book is about and accept and enjoy it for that, instead of being frustrated. Hope this makes sense.

Lagunalee -- thought you might be interested to know that Nancy Pearl's Four doors inform how we choose readalikes on BookBrowse. More on this at https://www.bookbrowse.com/blogs/editor/index.cfm/ReadAlikes
-- Davina

What a joy to read this BookBrowse article. It articulates the concept behind the four doorways. I'm going to save it and share it with my book loving friends. I loved learning about how BookBrowse uses this model to choose readalikes. Thank you so much.

I choose memoirs to read when I desire to learn about an individual's life experience, especially if theirs is different than my own, and less to judge their writing style. In this case, my compliments flow toward Shugri Said Salh and her stellar ability to convey an unfamiliar upbringing in a clear, concise style. The author acknowledges both positive and negative influences in her childhood, yet never seems impacted other than to learn from the experience and find a better way or another opportunity that would benefit herself or her siblings. Hindsight is always an excellent teacher, but I do believe that the author learned at a young age to value family and those cultural influences that do not harm, but keep centuries of tradition known as a legacy of her home country.

I enjoyed the book. I like reading about different cultures and traditions and this book did not disappoint. I think I will recommend it to my book club as it would bring about great discussions!

This memoir is a well written, timely, and informative book about traditional Somali nomads, Somalian customs, the country’s civil war, and resulting mass exodus. At times, it is hard to imagine that Salh’s story takes place in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. I am in awe of this woman who ran from and survived wild beasts in the desert, human predators in urban areas of Somali, and exploiters at the border when seeking refuge in Kenya. This book helped me gain insight to further understand the Somali citizens who seek refuge in the United States and other countries.