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North of Dawn
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Sam Dastor
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
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North of Dawn
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Publisher's Summary
A couple's tranquil life abroad is irrevocably transformed by the arrival of their son's widow and children, in the latest from Somalia's most celebrated novelist.
For decades, Gacalo and Mugdi have lived in Oslo, where they've led a peaceful, largely assimilated life and raised two children. Their beloved son, Dhaqaneh, however, is driven by feelings of alienation to jihadism in Somalia, where he kills himself in a suicide attack. The couple reluctantly offers a haven to his family. But on arrival in Oslo, their daughter-in-law cloaks herself even more deeply in religion, while her children hunger for the freedoms of their new homeland, a rift that will have life-altering consequences for the entire family.
Set against the backdrop of real events, North of Dawn is a provocative, devastating story of love, loyalty, and national identity that asks whether it is ever possible to escape a legacy of violence - and if so, at what cost.
Critic Reviews
“A nuanced, quietly devastating family soap opera...Farah has been writing books for nearly half a century, his name aligned with Nadine Gordimer and Chinua Achebe. Like them, he uses the intimate as allegory for the national....Farah is a deeply sophisticated writer, his prose almost aromatic, like rich, sweet Somali tea.” (The New York Times Book Review)
“North of Dawn is a story we rarely hear, a tale concerning the terrorist’s family that takes place in the long shadow of grief, shame and twisted loyalty. It’s also a story pulsing with the adrenaline of our era: a toxic mix of zealotry and xenophobia.” (Washington Post)
“Internationally renowned and perennially rumored for a Nobel, Farah, an exile himself, explores the Somali diaspora, examining the aftermath of violence and posing questions about identity and assimilation. A timely, necessary addition to his body of work.” (Library Journal, starred review)
“As one of the characters puts it, "Art is a humanizer," and Farah's insistence on isolating the humanity in even the most difficult characters is a beacon of hope against fear and loathing.” (Kirkus, starred review)
