I find that the first 75% part of the book's mostly either a repetition of what she's already written in her previous two, if not of itself! It does get a bit long and tiring to keep having to read how she's traumatized by the procedure that's done to her or to other African women... ok, ok! I got the point! It hurts! It's traumatizing! It's bad! And?! What next?!

However, when she did finally got to the new bits it does get interesting again... took a bit long to get there, though.

Anyway. What I find really interesting in this book is that she's written something like 3 times or more in it that INDONESIA is also a well known FGM country! HUH?! What? I never knew a thing about this? Definitely didn't have it done on me, and can't say that I know anyone whom I could suspect to have ever had the procedure done to her...

Unfortunately, despite her "in depth" research to the African countries, her evidence to the statements she made about the Arabic countries are sparse, whereas to that of the Asian countries are non-existent!

Or is it that she's planning to have another book about FGM in the Arabic countries and another one in Asia?! ;P

Comments, anyone?

Een heftig verhaal gebaseerd op realiteit

En informativ och viktig bok. Jag har nu läst alla tre böckerna och upplever den sista som lite överflödig. Visst förstår jag Waris Diries mening att ytterligare förklara läget i Europa men boken är ibland repetitiv.

Augenöffnend

Waris Dirie geht in ihrem Buch auf ein sehr spannendes und wichtiges Thema ein. Ich war überrascht über die häufigen Vorkommnisse von FGM in europäischen Ländern. Und das, ohne dass ich je davon gehört habe.

Ein tolles Buch von einer bewundernswerten Autorin und Menschenrechtsaktivistin!

Nie zamierzam oceniać tej książki, uważam temat za zbyt poważny i ważny. Ocenienie w skali 1-5 byłoby dla mnie bardzo nie okej.

Co do samej książki, na pewno przybliżyła mi tematyke i równocześnie mocno zszokowała. Wręcz mogę powiedzieć że nigdy nie zapomnę tego co przeczytałam. A to dobrze, bo o takich sprawach nie powinno się zapominać.

I think this is the most interesting of her books - though you probably have to read the first two to fully get it. Having written her autobiography over the first two books, this is much more about the issue of FGM and how best to fight it.
She compares the approaches of different European countries and identifies the best from each. Hugely moving and insightful - her descriptions of how she feels now were for me more compelling than those of her suffering as a child - perhaps they underlined that this is not just a physical trauma that one eventually recovers from.

I was a great admirer of the work that Waris did and I very much enjoyed her first two books which I certainly recommend to readers. When I heard about a third book on FGM I was interested in reading it. Sadly I ended up angry and frustrated by the attitudes of Waris to Western people which bordered on racism. Not impressed at all by her now.

First thing is, I am totally opposed to FGM and I can't imagine the trauma of what these girls go through. I'm not against giving them medical help here in the UK and providing trauma therapy for their ordeal. I feel in cases where FGM is discovered, punishments need to be given. On this I agree with Waris. But I do not agree with the amount of blame that she unleashes on western governments and its people during her crusade.

Lets start with her attitude of 'do as I say, not as I do'. She talks about having a relaxed attitude to timekeeping and appointments, turning up whenever she feels like it. However, when the woman she is meeting is late, Waris makes a big fuss about there being no apology or reason given. So it is ok for Waris to do what she wants and be late but everyone else has to be on time to meet her. A bit of hypocrisy there. Still, that is a niggle and not part of my real complaints.

Waris clearly has it in for Western governments, blaming them for cases of FGM, blaming them for not doing enough. Funny, when we do intervene in African affairs we are told to mind our own business and that we don't understand African culture. If we don't intervene we are suddenly responsible for FGM and genocide and every other problem in Africa. We can't win. We give a lot of money for things like famine relief and medical care in Africa...where does that money go? It goes to government officials to buy private planes for its leaders instead of helping ordinary people. I suppose THAT is our fault as well.

Getting back to the point, I was getting pretty angry as I read on. Waris starts pointing the finger at western people for things like FGM. It seems that because we don't integrate African people into our society, they cling to traditions like FGM so it's our fault that girls are still being cut! That Waris, is a pile of steaming bullshit! A lot of African migrants don't speak English and don't WANT to be part of the local community, preferring to stick with a community of their own people. So how the hell am I meant to make friends and make them feel welcome when most aren't interested??? How is it MY fault that these families take the horrific step of mutilating their daughters??? How am I meant to know who is doing it and who to report them to? That is a bloody ridiculous thing to say!

Waris also blames us for not putting enough money towards FGM and other issues. Right. The people in Africa are the ones who are mutilating their daughters. Let Africa pay the money to re-educate people and pay for corrective surgery and other procedures! Let them police this! Most FGM is still happening in Africa itself with girls being sent home to stay with relatives where they can be cut, safe from western justice. So I say again, how is this all our fault Waris??? Are we meant to send troops into Africa to examine every girl and arrest countless parents? Oh please!

We are also not doing enough to stop FGM in our western countries. Right. These families pay women from their community to come and do the cutting. They don't tend to seek treatment in western hospitals for fear of the results of FGM being seen. They keep this secret in their own community. They don't cooperate with the police, social workers or health professionals . They don't shop others in their community. Yet Waris thinks we are doing nothing. She wants girls to be examined in schools for evidence of FGM! Are you serious??? Can you imagine the outrage it would cause if you take every girl who does not have white skin out of class for an examination like that??? Parents would go mental! And I expect the British taxpayer is expected to pay for it too.

Waris also complains about people not integrating in the community because they have no papers, living in grotty bedsits and are hiding like criminals, making them cling to the old traditions. They are ILLEGALS for fuck's sake! What are we meant to do, put them up in The Dorchester??? It's not our fault that they sneak into Britain and hide away and cut their daughters! We didn't put them there!

Waris needs to get her head out of her arse and point the finger in the right direction. It is the elders in the tribes and towns who tell parents that this tradition needs to be upheld. It is African governments who are not making FGM illegal or enforcing punishment. It is African communities in western countries who keep having their daughters cut and hushing it up. It is African people who are not telling the authorities about girls they know who are in danger. Perhaps Waris should concentrate on going to Africa and telling the people there to change their ways instead of blaming the countries who have taken in so many African refugees and given them a chance at a new life.

If they are all at grateful as Waris, maybe we shouldn't bother.

I knew of the practice of FGM before starting the book, but I had no clue just how widespread the issue was. I was part way through when I realised it was the third book. After a search at the library and on the internet the other two books will arrive at some point so I can read the beginning of this incredible woman’s story. This book gave me a mix of emotions from horror, disgust, anger, and disappointment. At one point I had to stop reading on my lunch break at work as I knew I was heading into some serious s* and most likely tears.

Šiek tiek kitokia Waris Dirie knyga, lyginant su pirmosiomis.
Vargiai pavadinčiau šią dalį romanu, veikiau moksliniu veikalu ar straipsniu apie MLOŽ statistiką Europoje.

Pirmose dalyse pasakojama pačios Waris istorija ir tai suteikia kūriniui žavesio, tačiau šioje dalyje būtent tos asmeniškos dalies man trūko. Pirmuose skyriuose informacija, papasakota pirmose dalyse, kartojasi, o kituose skyriuose aprašomos skirtingų šalių (Jungtinės Karalystės, Vokietijos, Prancūzijos, Austrijos, Nyderlandų ir kt.) situacijos MLOŽ atžvilgiu, taip pat nagrinėjamas MLOŽ ir religijos santykis.

Nepaisant to, puikiai suprantu šios knygos tikslą. Waris aktyviai kovojo prieš MLOŽ visame pasaulyje ir ši knyga buvo puikus įrankis šviesti visuomenę, tad šią paskirtį knyga puikiai įvykdė. Nors originalas parašytas dar 2007, kuomet statistika ir situacija pasaulyje buvo kitokia, paskutinis knygos priedas papildomas Waris komentaru, parašytu 2015, kokį pokytį ši knyga iššaukė visuomenėje, kuris yra neįtikėtinai pozityvus.

Įkvepiantis pasakojimas apie kovą su žalingomis tradicijomis, neveikiančiomis politinėmis sistemomis ir žmonių abejingumu.

Miałam wielkie nadzieje co do tej książki po przeczytaniu „kwiat pustyni” jednak trochę się zawiodłam. Książka pożyteczna bo o FGM ale momentami nie widziałam o czym czytam niestety, sama się gubiłam

Astonishing, heart wrenching but beautiful… I remember reading this in my teenage years and it really impacted me deeply