Maps: A Novel (1) (The Blood in the Sun Trilogy) Paperback – February 2, 2016

This edition is well crafted and durable, and looks and feels like a well-made book.The content shows even more care. "Maps" is the story of Askar, a Somalian orphan born in the Ogaden, a territory under dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia. When war breaks out in earnest, Askar's foster-mother, Misra, sends him to live with his maternal uncle and his wife in Mogadiscio. Ultimately, Askar must self-identify as he grows amidst a nation whose very map changes around him.Farah's writing is simple and elegant, and each chapter is told from a different perspective. All in all, very worth the read.

I had read one of the trilogy of Maps and felt that this was a brilliant absolutely engaging literature review of a very intense time in Somalia/Ethiopia. In short it was a masterpiece. Unfortunately this specific book fell short! It went into areas that was more shock value than necessary for possibly my mindset. Especially with the focus and emphasis on woman's bodies written from a man by a male perspective. It doesn't work and it's a little insulting to have a man think he can write about menstruation and related topics with authority. Yes it happens all of the time on TV and in movies and in books and wherever else but it's a little immature at this point in my life. Possibly there are a few men that are sensitive and can write because of how they were raised about women and their bodies but most men cannot they just project their experience into what they feel may be a woman's body/mind set and in this case it's graphic and demeaning. Granted this was a young boy and his perspective on growing up at an intense time for both Somalia and Ethiopia. Possibly the author felt that the topic would work for many? However, in translation something was loss or was difficult to capture for a western audience.

A story from the Muslim world in the “Horn” of East Africa, a peninsula that juts out toward Saudi Arabia. It’s kind of blank spot on the map for many of us, but it consists of Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea and Djibouti. The story is set in the 1970’s.A young boy grows up in a world of women – his father has been killed in the endless territorial disputes of this area especially the on-going feud over Ogaden, a region disputed by Somalia and Ethiopia. His mother died at his birth, so he was adopted by the childless midwife. In this world of women he even comes to believe that he has menstruated. This is referred to more than a dozen times in the novel to the point where it seems overdone.The main character grows up as a bright, scholarly “little adult” who looks down on the games and silliness of other kids his age. He is in love with his schooling and his wall maps, trying to figure out his place in the world literally and figuratively.This is a diverse regions with many peoples. He grows up in a tiny village in a Somali-speaking world, but his adoptive mother is Oromo, from Ethiopia and she speaks Amharic (not Aramaic). This ethnic difference is critical because later in the story she is accused of treason by the Somalis and the boy has to decide if he believes this or not and deal with his feelings.The young boy ends up being quasi-adopted by a well-off uncle and his wife in the big city of Mogadishu. In the transition from tiny village to big city, a whole new world opens up to him. Contrary to stereotypes of the Muslim world, the wife is very modern and drives to work as a college professor while her husband stays home to cook and keep house. The boy loves his country and wants to go to war to defend it and to get his territory back. His aunt and uncle want him to pursue his education and forget about these endless, futile territorial wars. So a big theme is the pen vs. the sword.I found this to be a so-so read as a novel but its main value is in the local color of a part of the world that few novels emerge from. (Another that comes to mind is Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah.)

Personally , I found in this book a great writer who uses a second persona narrator to give the story a special turn. A book to read through the symbolism and metaphors. It shows the reality of countries where women are mistreated because different reasons, religion, culture. It is important to visualize a new tendency when the boy moved to Mogadiscio. A story told by dreams and symbols. Worth reading I believe Nuruddin Farah is a great story teller

This 1986 book was the choice of the international book club at my local bookstore. Basically, it is about a search for identity. Set in Somalia and Ethiopia, the orphan Askar's mother dies at his birth and he is brought up by a servant woman named Misra. There's definitely a love bond between them but these ties are strained and then broken as he grows up, especially when he is sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Mogadiscio.The story includes the thoughts of the young man, dream sequences and the complex politics of the time and the place. Interpersonal relationships are prominent, especially that between Askar and Misra as well as Askar and his aunt and uncle who are quite educated and introduce him to a more cosmopolitan world.As war rages its horrors intensify the question surfaces as to whether or not Misra is a traitor or just another pawn in the ongoing war and Askar matures has to deal with several questions about her loyalty to his country. The truth is never confronted directly. It is up to the reader to make his or her own judgments.There is no doubt that this is a fine book that introduced me to a culture I knew little or nothing about. However, the many dream sequences just add to the confusion as to what actually happened. I soon grew impatient with this book and even though I can respect it and appreciate the unique viewpoint the author brought to it, I found it difficult to follow the plot and much too sad and depressing for my taste.