(Read by Adjoa Andoh; Penguin Audio; six CDs; seven hours and 30 minutes)
This fictionalized version of Samia Omar's brief life is an emotional minefield lingers long after you've turned it off. Translated from the Italian, it details a childhood in Somalia made increasingly difficult under a strict Muslim regime and continues to the 2008 Olympics, where Omar ran as part of a two-person delegation. Trying desperately to flee Somalia for a country where she could be properly trained, fed, and allowed to run freely, she drowned in the Mediterranean after a harrowing and lengthy journey. Andoh's Somali accent is thick and overly dramatic, which was unnecessary considering the difficult and emotional material, which desperately needed a lighter touch. Grade: B+
