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Scattered: A memoir of three homecomings
Scattered ABISBOOK Bloomsbury Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 8, 2024
I don’t think I’ve read a text since Baldwin, Márquez, Saramago or Ferrante, that has taken me through such a whirlwind of emotions as ‘Scattered: The making and unmaking of a refugee’. This book is that rare combination of captivating storytelling, gut-wrenching honesty and relentless wit, all geared towards telling one family’s story of struggle against war, the global border system, racism and the affects these systems of power have on our sense of self. It’s a book that takes you through - in unflinchingly lucid and clearsighted ways - the chronicle of a refugee who has fought to make a life for themselves in a foreign country they now call home. It’s a tale of life-making, of the experience which confronts refugees, and the interpersonal and political struggles they have to wage to ensure their claim to life, freedom and a connection to the country they once lived in. It’s an account of one woman’s battle over the terms of her own subjectivity in the face of racism and the new and novel of starting a life in a new country
In this dark world that we live in, as colonial genocides rage and empires and climate change make new refugees everyday, this book is of enormous importance. It tells us that we can and must fight for a world free from racism and borders. If you read anything this year, then make it this. Even better, organise a launch or a reading group around it in your ends. This is one of those magical examples of a text that has the power to move and change people.
In this dark world that we live in, as colonial genocides rage and empires and climate change make new refugees everyday, this book is of enormous importance. It tells us that we can and must fight for a world free from racism and borders. If you read anything this year, then make it this. Even better, organise a launch or a reading group around it in your ends. This is one of those magical examples of a text that has the power to move and change people.
May 5, 2024
“This is a book about finding where I belong in the world”
A heart wrenching and thought provoking memoir from a Somali refugee. “Scattered” tells the story of Aamna and her family’s transition into British Somalis and the horror story of how they got here.
As someone who was heavily involved with the Calais refugees, I knew this was a story I’d be interested in. And it didn’t disappoint.
“I look at the similarities between the refugee crisis I was born into, and the one I report on several decades later. Their fear and desperation is the same. Their deaths are the same. The response from the neighbouring countries, the indifference and hostility - that too has remained the same”
Mama, in particular, I adored. What a brave, brave woman. What she must have gone through, as a mother, is the absolute stuff of nightmares. Deportation, imprisonment, being separated from her child. I can’t even begin to try and understand her experiences.
I learned so much about Somalia. The history, the people. And what stood out most to me was their laughter and their resilience. I found myself on instagram and Google, wanting to know more. Wanting to see pictures and try and get a bigger sense of what the author was describing and where she was. I wanted to see the photography in Kakuma that she spoke of, I wanted to see the country she felt naturally at home in.
“Why do some children get to live their lives never worrying about whether they’d see their parents again? Why am I always losing one of my parents? Why was this the life that was chosen for me? Why don’t I just get to be a child?”
The sense of family and the kindness from others was heartwarming. Aamna’s family, immediate and extended, provided great support along the way and the love she has for her parents in particular, just shines through the pages and made me smile. I found this book really emotive and I felt such a wide range of feelings throughout her story.
Aamna’s struggles didn’t end when she reached the UK. The racism she speaks of makes me cringe in embarrassment at the behaviour of my “fellow countrymen” and the story of Mama and her shoe only made me love her more!
“I scratched my legs and saw the white, ashy streaks it left behind. I started scratching myself all over, with a desperate vigour. I wanted to cover myself in those white ashy streaks. I scratched as deep into the skin as I could, wanting to tear at the blackness. I didn’t stop once I started bleeding.”
I’ll never understand why Britain seems to have open arms for the Ukrainians, yet shun the African nations. The unashamed, outwardly racist, remarks that can be read in comments sections on social media are absolutely disgusting. I wish more people would educate themselves on the harrowing histories people have suffered in these countries.
I am so proud of you Aamna, for building a wonderful career, all the while supporting your family, discovering who you are, where you come from and integrating yourself into Britain. You’re truly remarkable.
Thank you to you, and NetGalley, for allowing me to read your story. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has taught me so much and been so thought provoking. This is one story that will stay with me.
A heart wrenching and thought provoking memoir from a Somali refugee. “Scattered” tells the story of Aamna and her family’s transition into British Somalis and the horror story of how they got here.
As someone who was heavily involved with the Calais refugees, I knew this was a story I’d be interested in. And it didn’t disappoint.
“I look at the similarities between the refugee crisis I was born into, and the one I report on several decades later. Their fear and desperation is the same. Their deaths are the same. The response from the neighbouring countries, the indifference and hostility - that too has remained the same”
Mama, in particular, I adored. What a brave, brave woman. What she must have gone through, as a mother, is the absolute stuff of nightmares. Deportation, imprisonment, being separated from her child. I can’t even begin to try and understand her experiences.
I learned so much about Somalia. The history, the people. And what stood out most to me was their laughter and their resilience. I found myself on instagram and Google, wanting to know more. Wanting to see pictures and try and get a bigger sense of what the author was describing and where she was. I wanted to see the photography in Kakuma that she spoke of, I wanted to see the country she felt naturally at home in.
“Why do some children get to live their lives never worrying about whether they’d see their parents again? Why am I always losing one of my parents? Why was this the life that was chosen for me? Why don’t I just get to be a child?”
The sense of family and the kindness from others was heartwarming. Aamna’s family, immediate and extended, provided great support along the way and the love she has for her parents in particular, just shines through the pages and made me smile. I found this book really emotive and I felt such a wide range of feelings throughout her story.
Aamna’s struggles didn’t end when she reached the UK. The racism she speaks of makes me cringe in embarrassment at the behaviour of my “fellow countrymen” and the story of Mama and her shoe only made me love her more!
“I scratched my legs and saw the white, ashy streaks it left behind. I started scratching myself all over, with a desperate vigour. I wanted to cover myself in those white ashy streaks. I scratched as deep into the skin as I could, wanting to tear at the blackness. I didn’t stop once I started bleeding.”
I’ll never understand why Britain seems to have open arms for the Ukrainians, yet shun the African nations. The unashamed, outwardly racist, remarks that can be read in comments sections on social media are absolutely disgusting. I wish more people would educate themselves on the harrowing histories people have suffered in these countries.
I am so proud of you Aamna, for building a wonderful career, all the while supporting your family, discovering who you are, where you come from and integrating yourself into Britain. You’re truly remarkable.
Thank you to you, and NetGalley, for allowing me to read your story. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has taught me so much and been so thought provoking. This is one story that will stay with me.
August 12, 2025
I feel honoured to have been able to read such an intimate, gut-wrenchingly honest account of a family’s struggle with war, statelessness, border politics, and the weight of experience itself.
Cried profusely, no notes.
Cried profusely, no notes.
July 30, 2024
This memoir written by an established journalist follows the lived experiences of a Somali-British refugee. Tracing the political through the personal, and the collective through the intimate, Mohdin illustrates the ongoing struggles with her past and the lack of belonging she receives in contemporary Britain. In particular, this book documents the author's thinking on the topic as well as the conversations she held with her parents trying to dig into her own heritage and family history. Following Mohdin across time and place - both literally and figuratively, the book is structured around the different stages of the refugee experience. Altogether, this is a fascinating work which manages to intersect personal reflection with journalistic investigation.
July 30, 2024
3.5* but rounded up because I've never read a non-fiction account of a refugee or about Somali hence needing to appreciate this gem (as well as all the many great authors and poets the author includes such as Viet Thanh Nguyen). It would have received a further * if there were photos. The author encounters photographers in Mogadishu but didn't add any photos of all the beautiful and fascinating scenery she describes. In fiction I'm happy to use my imagination but for non-fiction i would rather see what the author is seeing, whether it's Italian colonial architecture, hipster cafes (they have a big coffee culture) or beaches.
Chapter 1: A Fine Line
The first thing I'm going to take from this is that human kindness is part of us. That hatred or indifference to suffering is harder when faced with a refugee directly in front of you rather than statistics in a tabloid. No different to witnessing lambs being slaughtered rather than seeing them in sanitised packages in a supermarket.
"She was then put on a coach, but she didn't know where it went. It was there that she met a young Indian man. 'I spoke to him in Hindi and told him what happened. I said I was caught be border guards and needed to return to my family in Holland. I told him I didn't have any money or food on me,' she says.
The man, who looked about twenty-four years old, told her to get off the bus and took her to a nearby cafe. He bought her food and drink, which she wolfed down. He then scolded her. "He said, "When you're pregnant, you shouldn't travel long distances without any food for yourself and your baby." He gave her money to use a payphone and call her family.
The Indian man paid for a ticket to get her on a train that would take her to the Netherlands. He took her to the train station.
Chapter 2: When Faatma Met Mohamed
Aamna Mohdin shreds the stereotypical image that the West has of women from developing countries, particularly of Muslim heritage. Her parents, Faatma and Mohamed have a loving relationship where they laugh constantly and Faatma, a "do-not-mess-with-me" bada$$ always has the last word. This chapter shares some of their love story.
Faatma is Yemeni on her mother's side (Arab) and Somali on her father's side and thus speaks both languages fluently. Her father was living in India, when Indra Ghandi was assassinated.
This chapter explores the changes brought by the new revolutionary government leading to the civil war that engulfs Somalia.
Chapter 3: The Great Escape
Explores the collapse of Said Barre, the former commander of the Somali National Army, who becomes the president of Somalia after the 1969 coup d'état that overthrew the Somali Republic. He was initially a Marxist–Leninist who had adopted scientific socialism (with support from the Soviet Union). He had brough in many popular reforms that allowed Somalia to flourish. But in 1977, he started the Ogaden War against the Derg in Ethopia, against the advise of the Soviet Union. Upon losing that war he pivots away from the Soviet Union and turns to the USA, which leads to inequality and corruption.
Chapter 4: The Making of a Refugee
This chapter starts with the funny account of how Somalians give each other funny nicknames e.g. Faatma's nickname is John because she had a crush on a man named John.
This details the account of the family applying for asylum and being rejected.
Chapter 5: The Separation
Details the account of how the author had to pretend her aunt was her mother so that she could remain in Saudi Arabia while her mother was deported to Kenya.
Chapter 6: Finally in Europe
The long journey to the UK. They first land in Germany in 1998 and then after many attempts manage to reunite in the UK after years of being apart.
Chapter 7: A Journey Back in Time
The author finally goes back to Somalia to understand her roots. And discovers how Somalia is a Nation of Poets
Chapter 8: You Were Once Amina
The author's name had been changed at some point. She explores how it feels to try and reclaim her original name.
Chapter 9: Lunch with the Youth of Mogadishu
Explores the women's football team, the experiences of the youth in Mogadishu including the terrorist attacks and the losing the use of one's mother tongue called "first language attrition" which Monika Schmid of the University of Essex is the leading researcher on this field.
Chapter 10: The Permeance of Exile
Explore Harmar Weyne where the author's father has renovated the house and he and Faatma lived in when they first were married. More of the diaspora who left are returning, hoping to transform the country.
Chapter 11: The Past Isn't Dead
The author visits a coastal town called Malindi, where the Italians once launched their satellites from. The Ngomeni beach is considered dangerous due to kidnappings and terrorist attacks. Lots of shipwrecked boats scatter the beach.
Chapter 12: Welcome Back to K-Town
The author visits Kakuma refugee camp, where the author had spent part of her childhood and attended school. The contrast of her, a UK citizen and the refugees is very sad.
Chapter 13: Girlhood on Two Fronts
The struggles of fitting in and navigating her identities.
Chapter 14: Black and British
Accepting her Black British identity and racism in the UK (the rise and fall of the BNP) as well as gaining British citizenship (the meaning of being Stateless to being a citizen of one of the richest countries in the world).
Chapter 15: The Trauma that Binds Us
Her mother's panic attacks and the trauma they both share.
Chapter 16: We Were Girls Together
The other thing I learned from this book is that women who are denied stability and education seem to have a lot of children. Whether it's the author's mother or the author's childhood friend, who had 3 children while living in a refugee camp and then another while being resettled in The Netherlands. And she's barely 30 years old. In contrast the author is hoping to pursue her career before considering children. This isn't said in judgement against refugees. I've noticed this with my own family who arrived to the UK as first generation immigrants
Part One
Chapter 1: A Fine Line
The first thing I'm going to take from this is that human kindness is part of us. That hatred or indifference to suffering is harder when faced with a refugee directly in front of you rather than statistics in a tabloid. No different to witnessing lambs being slaughtered rather than seeing them in sanitised packages in a supermarket.
"She was then put on a coach, but she didn't know where it went. It was there that she met a young Indian man. 'I spoke to him in Hindi and told him what happened. I said I was caught be border guards and needed to return to my family in Holland. I told him I didn't have any money or food on me,' she says.
The man, who looked about twenty-four years old, told her to get off the bus and took her to a nearby cafe. He bought her food and drink, which she wolfed down. He then scolded her. "He said, "When you're pregnant, you shouldn't travel long distances without any food for yourself and your baby." He gave her money to use a payphone and call her family.
The Indian man paid for a ticket to get her on a train that would take her to the Netherlands. He took her to the train station.
Chapter 2: When Faatma Met Mohamed
Aamna Mohdin shreds the stereotypical image that the West has of women from developing countries, particularly of Muslim heritage. Her parents, Faatma and Mohamed have a loving relationship where they laugh constantly and Faatma, a "do-not-mess-with-me" bada$$ always has the last word. This chapter shares some of their love story.
Faatma is Yemeni on her mother's side (Arab) and Somali on her father's side and thus speaks both languages fluently. Her father was living in India, when Indra Ghandi was assassinated.
This chapter explores the changes brought by the new revolutionary government leading to the civil war that engulfs Somalia.
Chapter 3: The Great Escape
Explores the collapse of Said Barre, the former commander of the Somali National Army, who becomes the president of Somalia after the 1969 coup d'état that overthrew the Somali Republic. He was initially a Marxist–Leninist who had adopted scientific socialism (with support from the Soviet Union). He had brough in many popular reforms that allowed Somalia to flourish. But in 1977, he started the Ogaden War against the Derg in Ethopia, against the advise of the Soviet Union. Upon losing that war he pivots away from the Soviet Union and turns to the USA, which leads to inequality and corruption.
Chapter 4: The Making of a Refugee
This chapter starts with the funny account of how Somalians give each other funny nicknames e.g. Faatma's nickname is John because she had a crush on a man named John.
This details the account of the family applying for asylum and being rejected.
Chapter 5: The Separation
Details the account of how the author had to pretend her aunt was her mother so that she could remain in Saudi Arabia while her mother was deported to Kenya.
Chapter 6: Finally in Europe
The long journey to the UK. They first land in Germany in 1998 and then after many attempts manage to reunite in the UK after years of being apart.
Part Two
Chapter 7: A Journey Back in Time
The author finally goes back to Somalia to understand her roots. And discovers how Somalia is a Nation of Poets
Chapter 8: You Were Once Amina
The author's name had been changed at some point. She explores how it feels to try and reclaim her original name.
Chapter 9: Lunch with the Youth of Mogadishu
Explores the women's football team, the experiences of the youth in Mogadishu including the terrorist attacks and the losing the use of one's mother tongue called "first language attrition" which Monika Schmid of the University of Essex is the leading researcher on this field.
Chapter 10: The Permeance of Exile
Explore Harmar Weyne where the author's father has renovated the house and he and Faatma lived in when they first were married. More of the diaspora who left are returning, hoping to transform the country.
Chapter 11: The Past Isn't Dead
The author visits a coastal town called Malindi, where the Italians once launched their satellites from. The Ngomeni beach is considered dangerous due to kidnappings and terrorist attacks. Lots of shipwrecked boats scatter the beach.
Chapter 12: Welcome Back to K-Town
The author visits Kakuma refugee camp, where the author had spent part of her childhood and attended school. The contrast of her, a UK citizen and the refugees is very sad.
Part Three
Chapter 13: Girlhood on Two Fronts
The struggles of fitting in and navigating her identities.
Chapter 14: Black and British
Accepting her Black British identity and racism in the UK (the rise and fall of the BNP) as well as gaining British citizenship (the meaning of being Stateless to being a citizen of one of the richest countries in the world).
Chapter 15: The Trauma that Binds Us
Her mother's panic attacks and the trauma they both share.
Chapter 16: We Were Girls Together
The other thing I learned from this book is that women who are denied stability and education seem to have a lot of children. Whether it's the author's mother or the author's childhood friend, who had 3 children while living in a refugee camp and then another while being resettled in The Netherlands. And she's barely 30 years old. In contrast the author is hoping to pursue her career before considering children. This isn't said in judgement against refugees. I've noticed this with my own family who arrived to the UK as first generation immigrants
October 1, 2024
Amazing! Amazing! A must read !!!!
May 27, 2024
Scattered is a bittersweet memoir about the refugee experience, and an honest and thought-provoking exploration of how it shapes a family and a girlhood.
Mohdin takes a sensitive and considered approach to her subject matter, starting with a brief history of the Somali Civil War and her family's flight from Mogadishu. It's a deeply personal story, but always carefully contextualised by time and place, and the views and experiences of others. Mohdin approaches every stage of her journey with a warmth, honesty and understanding that celebrates the complexity of experience, and as a reader I felt like I was right there with her every step of the way.
Thoughtful and compassionate, brave and vulnerable, Scattered feels like a very special autobiography.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
Mohdin takes a sensitive and considered approach to her subject matter, starting with a brief history of the Somali Civil War and her family's flight from Mogadishu. It's a deeply personal story, but always carefully contextualised by time and place, and the views and experiences of others. Mohdin approaches every stage of her journey with a warmth, honesty and understanding that celebrates the complexity of experience, and as a reader I felt like I was right there with her every step of the way.
Thoughtful and compassionate, brave and vulnerable, Scattered feels like a very special autobiography.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
January 24, 2026
This book should be compulsory reading for all those who speak disparagingly about refugees. The difficulties and separations that the author's family faced in firstly escaping from the war in Somalia , then when they were in Saudi Arabia and Kenya are unsettling to say the least. How they came through it to eventually settle in London, a move that again involved separation, is nothing short of miraculous.
I was aware of the author as a journalist before I read this but it has opened my eyes to what it is like to be a refugee and to some extent what it is like to be non-white and British. I have nothing but admiration for the author and her family
I was aware of the author as a journalist before I read this but it has opened my eyes to what it is like to be a refugee and to some extent what it is like to be non-white and British. I have nothing but admiration for the author and her family
July 6, 2024
Absolutely incredible. I hardly have words for it, but I’ll try. This is beautiful and powerful memoir that tells the story of a family and a country that is worth telling a thousand times over. I learned so much and the book also does a great serve to society by showing, with such compassion, the lives of people before and after their identities get flattened into the status of refugee. This story is also filled with joy and laughter. I loved this book so much.
July 21, 2024
A beautiful and illuminating book. It’s a gift to be able to accompany such an engaging, empathetic writer on a deeply personal journey to understand her own experience and identity. Highly recommend.
January 20, 2026
At times this is a difficult harrowing read but in other parts it is joyful and uplifting. It is certainly thought provoking and I learned so much about refugee experiences and difficulties and how these are glossed over and ignored. Highly recommend
June 2, 2025
Nicely written personal memoir of the events of Ammina’s childhood as a
Somalian refugee. Highlights the plight of all refugees and the displacement from their homeland. And how they can struggle to assimilate into their new homes and the prejudices they face. An important record and a deep wish from me that the western world would be more sympathetic to a refugees struggle
Somalian refugee. Highlights the plight of all refugees and the displacement from their homeland. And how they can struggle to assimilate into their new homes and the prejudices they face. An important record and a deep wish from me that the western world would be more sympathetic to a refugees struggle
August 31, 2025
This is an essential read—I want everyone to experience it. It's a deeply honest account of the struggles faced by those who are displaced and the lasting impact this has on individuals and families. How brave her parents were (and had to be) stands out powerfully throughout.
The book sheds light on the harsh realities of seeking asylum when there are no legal pathways, the immense challenges of settling in a new country, and the ongoing search for belonging. I appreciate how we come to know not just the author, but also her parents personalities and the people who crossed their paths, some of whom offered help and compassion. This renews my faith in humanity.
The storytelling is vivid and evocative—it made me want to visit Somalia myself. One thing that struck me, and that I hadn't fully considered before reading Scattered, is the experience of children who grow up in safety, yet feel disconnected both from their heritage and the country they now live in. The emotional support needed by those from different cultural backgrounds is sorely lacking, and this book highlights that gap with clarity.
By the end, I wasn't sure what to feel. The journey stirred so many emotions—hope, anger, sadness, admiration. The world it portrays is undeniably cruel: marked by racism, corruption, profiteering, and political inaction. The injustice is overwhelming—calling it unfair feels like an understatement.
The book sheds light on the harsh realities of seeking asylum when there are no legal pathways, the immense challenges of settling in a new country, and the ongoing search for belonging. I appreciate how we come to know not just the author, but also her parents personalities and the people who crossed their paths, some of whom offered help and compassion. This renews my faith in humanity.
The storytelling is vivid and evocative—it made me want to visit Somalia myself. One thing that struck me, and that I hadn't fully considered before reading Scattered, is the experience of children who grow up in safety, yet feel disconnected both from their heritage and the country they now live in. The emotional support needed by those from different cultural backgrounds is sorely lacking, and this book highlights that gap with clarity.
By the end, I wasn't sure what to feel. The journey stirred so many emotions—hope, anger, sadness, admiration. The world it portrays is undeniably cruel: marked by racism, corruption, profiteering, and political inaction. The injustice is overwhelming—calling it unfair feels like an understatement.
December 2, 2025
An interesting read about displacement, family and love.
January 21, 2026
I really struggled with the first part of this book, and was going to give it two stars initially. Inconsistent writing (names spelled one way on one page, another way on the next), muddled up tenses (jumping from the present to the past, and back again, within one paragraph), history of Somalia mixed up with personal reflection, dotted with Americanisms when there wasn’t a US person speaking, etc. I love to learn about the history of a country, and I don’t know very much about Somalia at all - it was interesting, but I felt that the author should have decided what kind of book she was writing and stuck to it, or divided it into two clear parts, or something. The second and third parts, which were much more about the author’s experiences and consisted of much more personal reflection, were easier to read, however, and I enjoyed them much more. I did wonder why her name was changed, and never found out - although I don’t think she knows herself, to be fair. Also, there was very little mention of her husband. He gets a mention once or twice, and is thanked in the acknowledgements (his family too), but that’s it. Did she deal with all this trauma on her own? Does he work? What does he do? Is he white, Black, Asian? His name (Chris) suggests he’s white, but we never find out. Maybe he didn’t want to be mentioned, but it seems a significant omission from the narrative for me. My husband has been an integral part of my life, and supported me through the trauma of my stroke and the recovery. The author’s family is clearly very important to her, but her husband barely gets a mention. Finally, I found the section on mental health very interesting (ch. 15 - The Trauma That Binds Us) as I have studied counselling and worked for a mental health charity. It deals with the shortcomings of CBT (which I’ve experienced myself!) and how mental health is viewed differently in different cultures, and the importance of family, religion/faith, and spirituality. In summary, this book was hard going overall, and not very engaging, which is why I’ve only given it three stars. Interestingly, the same night I finished it, I was watching Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club on TV, which featured a Somali-British novelist (Nadifa Mohamed) who’s mentioned in the book. I hadn’t heard of her until she’s mentioned as one of the authors whose work Aamna Mohdin loves, and wouldn’t have looked her up if she’d not then appeared on TV the same night!
July 7, 2024
Scattered is a beautiful memoir, a modern history of Somalia, and a philosophical investigation of what it means to become a refugee. But above all it's a great story, with the author driven to try and resolve a mystery at the heart of her own identity, and its twists and turns kept me so hooked I read the book in a couple of days. Makes a valuable contribution to the themes of exile and return that are prominent in diaspora literature: I liked the idea of the refugee as a time-traveller, and at times there was an almost magical-realist quality to the book. Away from the central familial narrative, the book pushes the reader to reflect on the stories of other refugees, with similarly extraordinary experiences: I'm sure it will inspire many others to tell their story.
July 15, 2024
Through the story of one Somali family, this book gives real insight into the journeys and travails of refugees.
The middle part of the book is the weakest section. The story of her parents’ landing on the Kenyan coast is gripping but her re-imagining of it is not. The prose style is a bit plodding at times: do we need to be told that on arrival at Mogadishu she went through passport control? While it is good to have a positive view of the country, the warm people, beautiful surroundings and yummy food feel a bit superficial.
However the first and third parts more than compensate for these complaints. The family’s challenges on arrival in the UK and their triumph over them, conflicting identities and the importance of language are all considered with lucidity and depth.
The middle part of the book is the weakest section. The story of her parents’ landing on the Kenyan coast is gripping but her re-imagining of it is not. The prose style is a bit plodding at times: do we need to be told that on arrival at Mogadishu she went through passport control? While it is good to have a positive view of the country, the warm people, beautiful surroundings and yummy food feel a bit superficial.
However the first and third parts more than compensate for these complaints. The family’s challenges on arrival in the UK and their triumph over them, conflicting identities and the importance of language are all considered with lucidity and depth.
January 22, 2026
I came to this book as one who grew up in a warm loving family in a Lancashire town. I can trace my roots in Britain and I’m part of the white, working class population. As a primary school teacher I taught many children from immigrant families and several who had just arrived in Britain from Bangladesh, Yemen or other countries. I had good relationships with these families and respected them but reading this book makes me realise that I had no idea what they might have suffered or how living in two worlds might affect them beyond language acquisition and cultural differences.
There is a lot to take in with the three homecomings but it gave me an insight into the complex experience of an immigrant.
There is a lot to take in with the three homecomings but it gave me an insight into the complex experience of an immigrant.
June 3, 2024
This is a story the world should know. It is Aamna's story, a Somali refugee who through many difficulties was able to find a place in the UK. But it is also story that shows the huge challenges that millions of refugees in the world face. A story of displacement, broken worlds, scattered memories, and a pieced-together self. It is rare to find a person with such a story who both has the skill to tell it and the strength to face the difficulties necessary in telling it. Read it to have your horizons broadened and your heart made bigger.
September 28, 2025
I was drawn to this autobiography to learn more of such desperate people’s lives, but it disappointed me . Whilst I have the greatest admiration for the author and her meteoric rise in the world of journalism I was not drawn into her story and found it easy to put it down
January 29, 2026
So honest, visceral and moving. This book will stay with me for a long time.
June 25, 2025
This book is a classic.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews