Desert Flower

An 'outstandingly dramatic and moving' memoir of fleeing a brutal girlhood in Somalia-and becoming a supermodel and UN special ambassador (Kirkus Reviews).To escape an arranged marriage to a sixty-year-old man, Waris Dirie ran away from her oppressive life in the African desert when she was barely in her teens, illiterate and impoverished, with nothing to her name but a tattered shawl. She traveled alone across the dangerous Somali desert to Mogadishu-the first leg of a remarkable journey that would take her to London, where she worked as a house servant; then to nearly every corner of the globe as an internationally renowned fashion model; and ultimately to New York City, where she became a human rights ambassador for the U.N. Poignant and powerfully told, Desert Flower is Waris's extraordinary story.'Affecting and at times very entertaining . . . it is Dirie's remarkable lack of narcissism or entitlement that makes her so captivating a raconteur.' -Publishers Weekly'Written with innocence and warmth, this book shows how one woman's tragedy can help others.' -The New York Times Book Review'Waris's story is one of remarkable courage. From the deserts of Somalia to the world of high fashion, she battles against oppression and emerges a real champion. She is the most beautiful inspiration to anyone.' -Elton John