From a Crooked Rib

'God created woman from a crooked rib and anyone who trieth to straighten it, breaketh it' Traditional Somali Proverb

Ebla lives a nomadic life in rural Somalia; an orphaned teenager raised within the strictures of patriarchy. But when her grandfather tries to force her into marriage with a much older man, she flees to Mogadishu, in search of freedom, dignity and self-possession. There, she slips into a spiral of dependence, poverty and violence, fighting to retain her identity in the face of chauvinism and stifling tradition, determined to claim her own life in a world set against her.

First published in 1970, From a Crooked Rib is the unforgettable debut that announced the arrival of one of the most original voices in world literature. Fiercely political and deeply humane, it remains a daring exploration of gender, power, and resistance.