THE BOOK FAIR

Halima Bashir

Tears of

the Desert

Author:      Halima Bashir

Published: 2008

Genre:        Auto-Biograohy

Cover:        Paperback

Pages:         363

Review:

Halima Bashir’s “Tears of the Desert”, narrates her harrowing auto-biography of her escape from the war torn village in Darfur, Sudan.  Bashir begins with the tale of her childhood, her family, her father’s insistence that she be educated, her grandmother’s insistence that she be circumcised, and her gentle mother, who followed her own mother’s or husband’s wishes.   Halima, the eldest of four children, had two younger brothers, and a younger sister.  Her father, the wealthiest man in their village owned radios, a truck, and in later years, a television. 

Bashir’s  grandmother decides Halima, at six years old, will bear the marks of their tribe, the Zaghawa, who are known as fierce warriors.  The cuttings on the face, or body, give distinction to the different African tribes.  Halima candidly describes the ritual of circumcision she was forced to undergo before she could leave home for school.  Halima relates her grandmother’s anger, professing that girls need not be educated, her mother’s sadness to see her go, and her brothers’ envy. 

The author writes of her years away at school, the university and medical school and of the racism perpetuated against Black students.  Ms. Bashir describes the unmitigated Arab attacks on Black African tribes, brutalities against women and children, and the terrible atrocities of war in Sudan.

Well written; riveting story.  The book was co-authored by Damien Lewis, a war reporter and author. 

Halima Bashir was awarded the Victor Gollancz Human Rights Prize in 2008.