A quote near the beginning of this novel gives a very clear description of what this book is about "When an elder dies, a library burns" (African proverb). The author, Salh, starts the story with this quote and it sets the reader up for a story that is meant to serve as a memory of the ways of the past. Salh lived with her grandmother as part of a nomadic tribe in Somalia for parts of her childhood, including a period of a few years where she was sent to live there exclusively. Her grandmother teaches her the ways of her cultural group and gives her the historical lessons she would be expected to pass on to future generations.
I really relate to this quote as someone interested in anthropology and history. Anytime a loved-one has passed in my life, I have mourned not only the person but the missed opportunities to learn their life history. I felt this especially with the loss of my mother and my paternal grandfather. I am not as close with my mother's family as my father's family. My father's family is large and live closer to me while my mother's family is smaller and lives 2-3 hours drive away, not a great distance by any means, but less convenient for get togethers. My paternal grandfather was very much the story keeper in my family as he was a brilliant man with extensive knowledge about the past. His stories always taught me things I did not know. When his memory began to decline in the years leading up to his death I began to mourn this great loss prior to mourning for him. When my mom past away I felt I lost my connection to the past on one side of my family. While there are still living members of my mother's family, there are very few people I could glean information from. I feel that a branch of my family tree is being sawed off slowly and that time is running out. Even if I were to find this information I seek, if I do not write it down, it will be lost with me. This, I feel, is the essence of The Last Nomad.
Beyond telling the story of her people, the memoir also shares about the challenging political situation in Somalia as well as her time in refugee camps prior to traveling to Canada. Some of the cultural traditions explored throughout this story include polygamy, nomadic desert life/camel and goat herding, as well as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)/Female Circumcision. While graphic at some points, FGM is a very important topic, both as part of the author's culture and for readers to understand and learn about. I liked this book quite a bit, but it was not a favourite of mine. I think that with any memoir of a person who has experienced extreme trauma, readers need to go in with a mindset that the story will jump around at times and it may be a bit confusing. There were times when I felt a bit bogged down by details that I didn't feel were super important, while there were other times where more information would have been helpful, but may be attributed to the trauma experience. As far as the too much information sections, I think that it is important for the author to include any information that she felt was necessary, even if it is not the most riveting information because she is trying to create a timeless document that can be read by her descendants to learn about their ancestry and culture.
Memoirs such as this one give readers a window into understanding other cultures and countries as well as traditions and conflict we may not understand. I so appreciate the opportunity I was given by Netgalley and the publisher to read and review this story. I hope that readers will give this book a chance as an opportunity to expand their understanding of people who are different from them.
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