Waris Dirie

Waris Dirie is a Somali model, author, actress, and human rights activist in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Born in 1965, she fled from an arranged marriage at a young age and eventually became a top fashion model. She has authored several books, including her autobiography 'Desert Flower', which recounts her harrowing experience with FGM and her journey from a nomadic life in Somalia to the world of high fashion.

Books

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. Desert Flower

    "Desert Flower" is a powerful autobiography that tells the story of a girl born into a nomadic tribe in the Somali desert. The girl, subjected to the brutal tradition of female genital mutilation at a young age, escapes an arranged marriage at 13 and ends up in London, where she works various jobs before being discovered as a model. Her rise to fame in the fashion industry is juxtaposed with her personal journey to raise awareness about the harmful cultural practice she endured and advocate for its eradication.