Gifts — Nuruddin Farah

The second novel in Farah's acclaimed Blood in the Sun trilogy, Gifts tells the story of Duniya, a single mother working at the hospital in Mogadiscio, Somalia's capital city. Times are hard, but they get even more complicated when Duniya's rebellious daughter brings home a mysterious foundling infant and Duniya gets involved in a romance with a charming, wealthy family friend. Meanwhile, the hospital is overrun with people ravaged by war, drought, disease, and famine, as well as relief organizations from America and Europe that are resented by the helpless Somalis, who chafe at the forced charity. In luxuriant prose, Farah weaves these events into a tapestry of dreams, memories, family lore, folktales, and journalistic accounts. Both personal and political, Gifts explores the values, challenges, and sufferings of one family -- and an entire people.