Tale of a Boon's Wife - by Fartumo Kusow (Paperback)

About the Book

A novel about a young Somali woman who marries the man she loves, against her family and clan's wishes. This is a moving story about love, and the lengths we will go for it.

Book Synopsis

Idil has grown up as the adored daughter in a privileged family. She worships her father, a high-ranking official in the Somali army, and all that he represents. But as she matures and watches her parents' marriage unravel, her father's image tarnishes. Always curious and questioning, Idil begins to rebel and becomes a threat and an affront to her family's social standing. When she falls in love with gentle Sidow from the lower-class Boon tribe, their love is not only taboo, it may be doomed. Idil is ready to give up her family and social status to be with the man she loves. But she cannot guess how terrifying the repercussions will be. As the country stumbles towards civil war, Idil's actions set off a war within the family that will affect her as deeply as the politics around her.

Review Quotes

At turns harrowing, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful... Though geographically distinct, in Tale of a Boon's Wife Kusow explores terrain similar to Mohsin Hamid's Exit West: the way a city or community teeters on a precipice for a time before descending into chaos and the way young lovers can go from thinking about their future together to thinking about basic security and survival in a matter of weeks, if not days... Kusow contributes a strong story to the body of contemporary literature giving voice to the lives of immigrants and refugees.-- "Harvard Review"

Fartumo Kusow's debut English novel understands the consequences of thinking freely in a space where doing so could result in death. The sorrow, anger, and shame experienced by Kusow's characters creates a haunting narrative of what it means to be selfish and selfless in a society that heavily condemns the unravelling of convention.-- "THIS Magazine"

Kusow's fully immersive second novel cracks open the life of a privileged young Somali girl as she realizes, with growing disbelief, that her life is not one of free choice but one restrained by tribe, class, gender, violence, and scandal.... Set against the backdrop of a looming civil war, Idil's story implores readers to question what matters most in this short life: love, security, acceptance, equality, or peace.-- "Booklist"