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The Lion's Binding Oath and Other Stories
Religious and ethnic conflict may be the Horn of Africa’s most enduring recent legacy. But beneath its recent history of war and displacement lies human stories—families, clans, lovers, neighbors, and friends, all bound together through common cultural, religious, and historical ties.
The Lion’s Binding Oath, Ahmed Ismail Yusuf’s collection of short stories, introduces readers to the people of Somalia and their struggles: their humanity, faith, identity, friendship, and family bonds, as whispers of war grow louder around them. Through stories that span the years before and during Somalia’s civil war, Yusuf weaves together Somalia’s political, social, and religious conflicts with portrayals of the country’s love of poetry, music, and soccer. Yusuf’s collection is a powerful examination of love and resilience in a country torn apart by war, and written with deep compassion for the lives of its characters.
The Lion’s Binding Oath, Ahmed Ismail Yusuf’s collection of short stories, introduces readers to the people of Somalia and their struggles: their humanity, faith, identity, friendship, and family bonds, as whispers of war grow louder around them. Through stories that span the years before and during Somalia’s civil war, Yusuf weaves together Somalia’s political, social, and religious conflicts with portrayals of the country’s love of poetry, music, and soccer. Yusuf’s collection is a powerful examination of love and resilience in a country torn apart by war, and written with deep compassion for the lives of its characters.
- GenresShort StoriesHistory
220 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 21, 2024
So I picked this one up for two reasons: I needed an orange book for a challenge (as I love doing those scavenger challenges) and I saw the lion on the cover. I do love animal stories so that was the only prompt I needed. Other than those two things, I really had no idea what this book was about. It did seem to be a collection of short stories.
So I absolutely loved the first story in here!! It was just perfect and it's exactly the kind that I was hoping to find. It follows two brothers who are sheep and goat herders who live somewhere out in the vastness of Africa. And by that I mean an area filled with leopards and hyenas. And yes those are actually in the story! This first story was just so exciting!! There were heart stopping moments of fear and I was thinking "What if the world do you DO in that situation??!" because absolutely nothing seemed to be the right choice! We are talking life and death here. And the main character is just a kid! And then he is forced to make these huge decisions... Its powerful stuff. Dramatic. Everything you want in a short story. If you love stories set in the African savanna you definitely need to read this short story.
And so I had thought all of the stories would be like that....
But they weren't. At all.
The next one took place inside a city with two people walking down the street. Talking. And a man was delivering water to a house. And it was something about social groups... Caste. "OK..." I thought. "I can understand this.."
Then there was a really long multi chapter story in here about a woman named Mayxaano. I just couldn't get into this. The characters and the situation just didn't interest me at all. It mainly takes place inside a cafe and I think perhaps it was just too out of my experience? I also picked this book up hoping to read animal related stories and there are zero animals in here. In fact the majority of the book is animal free. But these characters and their conversation just couldn't hold my attention. And my mind started to wander to other things then...always a bad sign.
The tale called The Vultures Have Landed" - its violent and bloody but well written... Very powerful and it shows the ugly side of war. But I believe what I liked about it is its very clear what its about. I think the problem with the very long story just above - that Mayxaano one - is I really have no idea what it's actually about. It rambles on and on. So I get confused as to "why am I reading this? Its boring"... But the vulture story (and no there are no actual vultures in it) is clear, precise and packs an emotional punch. Plus it offers hope as well, a bit of light in the dark of war.
The very last story in here is The Lion's Binding Oath. And this is the other animal story in here... Its about a young boy and his very unusual friendship with a male lion that he names Kamal. Hassan and Kamal...two friends living in the jungle together. It picks up the theme of feral children being raised by animals. And the author does this in a very splendid way. I certainly felt the uncertainty at the very beginning: should he trust this lion? Can he? And even after he did start to trust Kamal I had some very serious doubts! Because what would the lion do during the night?
I would have rated this book higher but the majority of the pages in here is that super long dull story that confuses me. There's none of the intensity of the other stories in that one. Unfortunately: something about being a teacher and singing and tea in a cafe. Not my type of story.
I would be happy if this author would write more animal stories as he excels at it.
So if you can get this from your library its worth reading the two animal stories and that "Vulture" one...
So I absolutely loved the first story in here!! It was just perfect and it's exactly the kind that I was hoping to find. It follows two brothers who are sheep and goat herders who live somewhere out in the vastness of Africa. And by that I mean an area filled with leopards and hyenas. And yes those are actually in the story! This first story was just so exciting!! There were heart stopping moments of fear and I was thinking "What if the world do you DO in that situation??!" because absolutely nothing seemed to be the right choice! We are talking life and death here. And the main character is just a kid! And then he is forced to make these huge decisions... Its powerful stuff. Dramatic. Everything you want in a short story. If you love stories set in the African savanna you definitely need to read this short story.
And so I had thought all of the stories would be like that....
But they weren't. At all.
The next one took place inside a city with two people walking down the street. Talking. And a man was delivering water to a house. And it was something about social groups... Caste. "OK..." I thought. "I can understand this.."
Then there was a really long multi chapter story in here about a woman named Mayxaano. I just couldn't get into this. The characters and the situation just didn't interest me at all. It mainly takes place inside a cafe and I think perhaps it was just too out of my experience? I also picked this book up hoping to read animal related stories and there are zero animals in here. In fact the majority of the book is animal free. But these characters and their conversation just couldn't hold my attention. And my mind started to wander to other things then...always a bad sign.
The tale called The Vultures Have Landed" - its violent and bloody but well written... Very powerful and it shows the ugly side of war. But I believe what I liked about it is its very clear what its about. I think the problem with the very long story just above - that Mayxaano one - is I really have no idea what it's actually about. It rambles on and on. So I get confused as to "why am I reading this? Its boring"... But the vulture story (and no there are no actual vultures in it) is clear, precise and packs an emotional punch. Plus it offers hope as well, a bit of light in the dark of war.
The very last story in here is The Lion's Binding Oath. And this is the other animal story in here... Its about a young boy and his very unusual friendship with a male lion that he names Kamal. Hassan and Kamal...two friends living in the jungle together. It picks up the theme of feral children being raised by animals. And the author does this in a very splendid way. I certainly felt the uncertainty at the very beginning: should he trust this lion? Can he? And even after he did start to trust Kamal I had some very serious doubts! Because what would the lion do during the night?
I would have rated this book higher but the majority of the pages in here is that super long dull story that confuses me. There's none of the intensity of the other stories in that one. Unfortunately: something about being a teacher and singing and tea in a cafe. Not my type of story.
I would be happy if this author would write more animal stories as he excels at it.
So if you can get this from your library its worth reading the two animal stories and that "Vulture" one...
August 21, 2018
I didn’t love this. I liked the glimpse into Domali society and the way the stories slowly build up from the social implications of the caste system and male-female interactions to war. I also thought that he portrayed war and its horrors with a brutally honest approach that is rare.
But overall, I found the writing to be a bit confusing and it fell rather flat for me.
But overall, I found the writing to be a bit confusing and it fell rather flat for me.
July 13, 2018
Ahmed Ismail Yusuf had no idea he would be a writer when he came to the United States as a refugee from Somalia. He had not finished high school and had not even read an entire book, but his cousin gave him a stack of books and he discovered a new life within. In The Lion’s Binding Oath Yusuf gives us several short stories that give some insight into life in Somalia and in the midst of civil war.
The first story is “A Slow Moving Night” about two goat and sheep-herding brothers. The younger faces down a lion to try to save a goat, scaring his older brother out of his skin. Then, when they are unable to locate their goats, the elder spends the night outside the village looking for the goats, hiding in a tree in hopes no predators find him. In what is surely a deliberate juxtaposition, the final and title story has a young man fleeing the war with his family and getting lost, wandering into the jungle and coming under the protection of a lion. The sources of safety and danger in the first have switched places completely.
There’s a novella of sorts, a collection of five short stories featuring Mayxaano through several decades. She is a compelling young woman who becomes a compelling teacher whose influence is far greater than she suspected. I did not find these Mayxaano stories compelling at all, though. The most disturbing stories are right in the midst of the civil war. “The Vulture Has Landed” is heartbreaking, a story of a woman saving her sister and then her sister saving her. “A Delicate Hope” condemns the tribal rivalries that were the rationale for the war.
The Lion’s Binding Oath has four excellent short stories. The novella is less interesting. I lost interest about halfway through that mini-collection and almost quit reading the book which would have been a loss. The four stories that are not part of “The Mayxaano Chronicles” are fascinating. All nine stories, though, provide a look at life in a country riven by sectarian violence and tribalism.
The short story collection would have been better with a stronger editor. Yusuf is writing in a language he learned as an adult. The only story he wrote in Somali and translated is “The Vulture Has Landed.” It’s not that it is full of errors, but that there are just some odd word choices. For example, “he put the ireful one in his place” and when a character grabs some fruit and throws them “down his gullet.” These are technically correct but awkward word choices. It doesn’t happen often, but enough to take me out of the story for a moment. Editors can and should play an important role in the final book released. Just compare “To Kill a Mockingbird” to “Go Set a Watchman” to see how critically important an editor can be. Editing is more than proofreading and a good editor would make this a much better book.
I like short stories and enjoyed The Lion’s Binding Oath and thought the arc of stories from the pastoral first story to the final story of the family fleeing Somalia was well thought out. It was disconcerting to see the people who represented shelter become the predator and the lion what was so fearsome become the shelter.
I received an e-galley of The Lion’s Binding Oath from the publisher through Edelweiss.
The Lion’s Binding Oath at Catalyst Press
Ahmed Ismail Yusuf on Facebook
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
The first story is “A Slow Moving Night” about two goat and sheep-herding brothers. The younger faces down a lion to try to save a goat, scaring his older brother out of his skin. Then, when they are unable to locate their goats, the elder spends the night outside the village looking for the goats, hiding in a tree in hopes no predators find him. In what is surely a deliberate juxtaposition, the final and title story has a young man fleeing the war with his family and getting lost, wandering into the jungle and coming under the protection of a lion. The sources of safety and danger in the first have switched places completely.
There’s a novella of sorts, a collection of five short stories featuring Mayxaano through several decades. She is a compelling young woman who becomes a compelling teacher whose influence is far greater than she suspected. I did not find these Mayxaano stories compelling at all, though. The most disturbing stories are right in the midst of the civil war. “The Vulture Has Landed” is heartbreaking, a story of a woman saving her sister and then her sister saving her. “A Delicate Hope” condemns the tribal rivalries that were the rationale for the war.
The Lion’s Binding Oath has four excellent short stories. The novella is less interesting. I lost interest about halfway through that mini-collection and almost quit reading the book which would have been a loss. The four stories that are not part of “The Mayxaano Chronicles” are fascinating. All nine stories, though, provide a look at life in a country riven by sectarian violence and tribalism.
The short story collection would have been better with a stronger editor. Yusuf is writing in a language he learned as an adult. The only story he wrote in Somali and translated is “The Vulture Has Landed.” It’s not that it is full of errors, but that there are just some odd word choices. For example, “he put the ireful one in his place” and when a character grabs some fruit and throws them “down his gullet.” These are technically correct but awkward word choices. It doesn’t happen often, but enough to take me out of the story for a moment. Editors can and should play an important role in the final book released. Just compare “To Kill a Mockingbird” to “Go Set a Watchman” to see how critically important an editor can be. Editing is more than proofreading and a good editor would make this a much better book.
I like short stories and enjoyed The Lion’s Binding Oath and thought the arc of stories from the pastoral first story to the final story of the family fleeing Somalia was well thought out. It was disconcerting to see the people who represented shelter become the predator and the lion what was so fearsome become the shelter.
I received an e-galley of The Lion’s Binding Oath from the publisher through Edelweiss.
The Lion’s Binding Oath at Catalyst Press
Ahmed Ismail Yusuf on Facebook
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
January 14, 2020
#Thelionsbindingoath - Ahmed Ismail Yusuf
#CatalystPress
#Pasellaboek
Die skrywer het as nomadiese veewagter in Somalië grootgeword. Hy het homself later in die VSA gevestig en, alhoewel hy nou 2 grade het, onthou hy sy vormingsjare in Somalië en het het hy hierdie bundel met groot deernis geskryf.
Ek het aanvanklik gesukkel: die styl is vreemd (ek het dieselfde ervaar toe ek Skandinawiese fiksie begin lees het) en die plek- en persoonsname onuitspreekbaar (my tong het selfs in my gedagtes geknoop).
Die liriese, poëtiese styl het my egter vasgevang toe ek so halfpad was met ‘The Mayxaano Chronicles’ (beslis my gunsteling bydrae in die bundel. En toe het ek ernstig begin oplees oor die geskiedenis van Somalië van 1960-2010, veral. ‘The vulture has landed’ en ‘A delicate hope’ was hartverskeurend teen die agtergrond wat ek op die internet raakgeloop het.
Ek dink hierdie boek is ‘n herlees werd en kry ‘n welverdiende 4 sterre van my.
#Uitdieperdsebek
#CatalystPress
#Pasellaboek
Die skrywer het as nomadiese veewagter in Somalië grootgeword. Hy het homself later in die VSA gevestig en, alhoewel hy nou 2 grade het, onthou hy sy vormingsjare in Somalië en het het hy hierdie bundel met groot deernis geskryf.
Ek het aanvanklik gesukkel: die styl is vreemd (ek het dieselfde ervaar toe ek Skandinawiese fiksie begin lees het) en die plek- en persoonsname onuitspreekbaar (my tong het selfs in my gedagtes geknoop).
Die liriese, poëtiese styl het my egter vasgevang toe ek so halfpad was met ‘The Mayxaano Chronicles’ (beslis my gunsteling bydrae in die bundel. En toe het ek ernstig begin oplees oor die geskiedenis van Somalië van 1960-2010, veral. ‘The vulture has landed’ en ‘A delicate hope’ was hartverskeurend teen die agtergrond wat ek op die internet raakgeloop het.
Ek dink hierdie boek is ‘n herlees werd en kry ‘n welverdiende 4 sterre van my.
#Uitdieperdsebek
October 15, 2018
Thank you Mr. Yusuf for sharing stories of Somalia. Your stories illuminated both the good and the sadness of your home country. Like all places there are people who make the world a sunnier, happier place and those that bring terror and darkness. I was glad you shared both. As the reader, I felt how much you missed friends, families and home country, yet the war and tragedy inflicted explains why you and others would flee the place you loved for an unknown future.
I hope you and your family are finding Minnesota to be a secondary home which can provide, solace, comfort, opportunity and peace.
I hope you and your family are finding Minnesota to be a secondary home which can provide, solace, comfort, opportunity and peace.
June 19, 2018
As soon as I started the first story in this book I was hooked. I couldn't help but feel for the young nomad who gets caught outside at night away from his flock and family. The same was true for The Mayxaano Chronicles. I enjoyed getting to the know the characters, and I loved the fact that the stories moved through the significant events in their lives showing the changes that were occurring in Somali culture, society, and politics. While war and conflict loom in some of these stories I like the fact that war and strife did not dominate the book. The fact that it focused instead on individuals and how they coped with everyday occurrences made it hard for me to put the book down.
To anyone who has read or intends to read this book, it will come as no surprise that my favorite story was The Lion's Binding Oath. In this tale, Hassan gets separated from his family on a trek to find a refugee camp, and he is forced to rely on an oath with a lion he names Kamal, to find a path to his future. It was touching and moving, and I found the author had a way of making me feel included in his enchanting stories. I hope Mr. Yusuf is hard at work on more tales from Somali because I know I want to read more.
Thanks to Catalyst Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at: www.susannesbooklist.blogspot.com
To anyone who has read or intends to read this book, it will come as no surprise that my favorite story was The Lion's Binding Oath. In this tale, Hassan gets separated from his family on a trek to find a refugee camp, and he is forced to rely on an oath with a lion he names Kamal, to find a path to his future. It was touching and moving, and I found the author had a way of making me feel included in his enchanting stories. I hope Mr. Yusuf is hard at work on more tales from Somali because I know I want to read more.
Thanks to Catalyst Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at: www.susannesbooklist.blogspot.com
November 25, 2018
An absolutely fascinating read. I believe the stories' beauty and depth would've been enhanced by a translation (only one of the stories is translated) but even so, the themes and character development come through. Reading these stories makes me hungry to read more Somali authors. I feel strongly that we are about to see a generation of young Somali writers emerge, especially from Minnesota, where the diaspora is most active--if they are given a chance to be heard by mainstream publishers.
December 23, 2021
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Overall, I thought this was a very interesting collection and the author's voice comes through very strongly in each piece. However, I struggled a bit to get through the book because I thought the stories lacked attention-grabbing details. For the most part, a lot of the stories felt flat and I didn't think it really got engaging until the end of the book. My favorite short stories from this collection were A Delicate Hope and The Lion's Binding Oath.
Overall, I thought this was a very interesting collection and the author's voice comes through very strongly in each piece. However, I struggled a bit to get through the book because I thought the stories lacked attention-grabbing details. For the most part, a lot of the stories felt flat and I didn't think it really got engaging until the end of the book. My favorite short stories from this collection were A Delicate Hope and The Lion's Binding Oath.
January 11, 2019
Yusuf has an unusual and bold narrative voice. The stories here are uneven, clumsy and have some nonsensical word choices, possibly because (my assumption is) he's more practiced at non-fiction, but I suspect he will develop into a v powerful fiction writer through the coming years
August 2, 2019
These stories are leaded with Somalia’s political history, and offer the rest of us an idea of the effects that years of inter tribal and clan conflict has had on multiple generations. Without veering into deep ends, there is a range of tempers in the collection. Sometimes the cadence is off-beat, but intelligent and not intrusive. imo I feel like mastery of tone - esp. when doing justice to depth of regional history and lived experience of war, while staying grounded in normal human anxieties and humor, and just generally not sounding totally full of it - is super difficult to achieve. Ahmed Yusuf does it gracefully. At first I was turned off by the publisher’s formatting choices, which of course proved irrelevant to the writing. I only mention this in case sans serif prejudice deters anybody else from starting this book.
July 18, 2021
I got this book while in Minneapolis and living in a neighborhood with a large Somali population. I found the book in one of the many Little Libraries locations. This was an introduction for me into the Somali world. These stories are diverse in their subject matter and engaging for me.
July 7, 2018
DNF. Interesting view into somali culture but I just struggled to get into the characters for each story. Short stories are such an investment that the pay-off needs to be big.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews