Waris Dirie leads a double life -- by day, she is an international supermodel and human rights ambassador for
the United Nations; by night, she dreams of the simplicity of life in her native Somalia and the family she was
forced to leave behind. Desert Flower, her intimate and inspiring memoir, is a must-read for anyone who
has ever wondered about the beauty of African life, the chaotic existence of a supermodel, or the joys of new motherhood.
Waris was born into a traditional Somali family, desert nomads who engaged in such ancient and antiquated customs
as genital mutilation and arranged marriage. At twelve, she fled an arranged marriage to an old man and traveled
alone across the dangerous Somali desert to Mogadishu -- the first leg of an emotional journey that would take
her to London as a house servant, around the world as a fashion model, and eventually to America, where she would
find peace in motherhood and humanitarian work for the U.N.
Today, as Special Ambassador for the U.N., she travels the world speaking out against the barbaric practice
of female genital mutilation, promoting women's reproductive rights, and educating people about the Africa she
fled -- but still deeply loves.
Desert Flower will be published simultaneously in eleven languages throughout the world and is currently
being produced as a feature film by Rocket Pictures UK.