Said Shaiye

This book has changed my life. So many life-long questions I had were answered by Dr. Abdi in this seminal work that every Somali person should read in their lifetime. Some of the things you can expect to find in this text are: what it means to be Somali in an American/South African/UAE context, what we lost on the road "here", and how the inter-generational struggle between immigrants and their children plays out in daily life. The lives of several different Somali Diaspora locations are explored through deeply nuanced interviewing techniques, combined with socio-political commentary on economic, religious, cultural, and other barriers that stand in the way of these communities. One thing that comes up: no matter where we go, home is elusive. The heaven we thought we'd find in new migrations is always one migration away. Where one location allows some of our needs to be met, other needs are sacrificed in the process. As a child of immigrants growing up in a country that hated him for his skin, for his faith, for his native language, I found a home within the pages of this book. I felt seen in a way that I had never been before it found its way to me. I was made to understand all the pressures that had been weighing on my mind since the day we began our endless journey for heaven on earth. Now I'm an adult, and I find myself seeking the road. Looking for a better place to call home. Though my needs are met in some ways, there are so many more that still elude me like heaven. But if there's one thing this book will teach you, it's that heaven wasn't meant to be found on this earth, so make the most of what you have and do your best to find gratitude for it all.