Target New ArrivalsBack to SchoolCollegeHalloweenClothing, Shoes & AccessoriesHome & DecorKitchen & DiningOutdoor Living & GardenGroceryHousehold EssentialsBabyBeautyPersonal CareSports & OutdoorsPetsHealthWellnessSchool & Office SuppliesToys & GamesElectronics & TechVideo GamesMovies, Music & BooksParty SuppliesGift IdeasGift CardsShop by CommunityTarget OpticalDealsClearanceNew ArrivalsBack to SchoolCollegeTop DealsTarget Circle DealsWeekly AdShop Order PickupShop Same Day DeliveryRegistryRedCardTarget CircleFind Stores
Black Mamba Boy - by  Nadifa Mohamed (Paperback) - 1 of 1

Black Mamba Boy - by Nadifa Mohamed (Paperback)

$11.42Save $10.57 (48% off)

In Stock

Free & easy returns
Free & easy returns
Return this item by mail or in store within 90 days for a full refund.
Eligible for registries and wish lists

About this item

Highlights

  • Yemen, 1935.
  • About the Author: Nadifa Mohamed was born in Hargeisa, Somalia, in 1981 to a merchant marine father and a mother from a politically active family, and was trapped in exile when civil war erupted.
  • 304 Pages
  • Fiction, Literary

Description



About the Book



"Yemen, 1935. Jama is a "Market Boy," a half-feral child scavenging with his friends in the dusty streets of a great seaport. For him, life is a thrilling carnival, at least when he can fill his belly. But when his mother dies far too young, leaving him an amulet stuffed with just one hundred rupees, Jama decides to embark on a search for his never-seen father. So begins Jama's extraordinary thousand-mile journey on foot across an Africa torn asunder by the horrors of World War II and its painful wake."--Page 4 of cover.



Book Synopsis



Yemen, 1935. Jama is a "market boy," a half-feral child scavenging with his friends in the dusty streets of a great seaport. For Jama, life is a thrilling carnival, at least when he can fill his belly. When his mother--alternately raging and loving--dies young, she leaves him only an amulet stuffed with one hundred rupees. Jama decides to spend her life's meager savings on a search for his never-seen father; the rumors that travel along clan lines report that he is a driver for the British somewhere in the north. So begins Jama's extraordinary journey of more than a thousand miles north all the way to Egypt, by camel, by truck, by train, but mostly on foot. He slings himself from one perilous city to another, fiercely enjoying life on the road and relying on his vast clan network to shelter him and point the way to his father, who always seems just a day or two out of reach.

In his travels, Jama will witness scenes of great humanity and brutality; he will be caught up in the indifferent, grinding machine of war; he will crisscross the Red Sea in search of working papers and a ship. Bursting with life and a rough joyfulness, Black Mamba Boy is debut novelist Nadifa Mohamed's vibrant, moving celebration of her family's own history.



Review Quotes




"Ambitious . . . [a] phenomenal fast-forward story. . . . The novel takes on a Job-like tenor." --The New York Times Book Review

"A stunning first novel . . . This powerful novel is both a bracing lesson in World War II history and a brutal description of individual survival." --Boston Globe

"An engrossing debut . . . filled with petty cruelties and hardship, but it also overflows with life . . . Black Mamba Boy tells an important story in an engaging fashion--one with much relevance to today's world." --Bookpage




About the Author



Nadifa Mohamed was born in Hargeisa, Somalia, in 1981 to a merchant marine father and a mother from a politically active family, and was trapped in exile when civil war erupted. She studied history and politics at Oxford, and has worked as a film researcher and scriptwriter.

Dimensions (Overall): 8.4 Inches (H) x 5.4 Inches (W) x .8 Inches (D)
Weight: .75 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 304
Genre: Fiction
Sub-Genre: Literary
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Format: Paperback
Author: Nadifa Mohamed
Language: English
Street Date: August 2, 2011
TCIN: 82933702
UPC: 9780312569235
Item Number (DPCI): 247-06-0082
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
If the item details aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.

Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 0.8 inches length x 5.4 inches width x 8.4 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.75 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Guam (see also separate entry under GU), Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO, Alaska, Hawaii

Return details

This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 90 days of the date it was purchased in store, delivered to the guest, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or picked up by the guest.
See the return policy for complete information.

Additional product information and recommendations

Discover more options

Skip to next section

Best-selling Fiction

Skip to next section

Get top deals, latest trends, and more.