A harsh yet beautiful account of Jama's journey from boy to man, his search for his father and for wealth and an exploration of the effects of conflict and colonialism across Africa and Europe. Mohamed makes each character detailed and unforgettable, so that even as Jama encounters friends and kin again and again, the reader is able to recognise and remember their importance - and what I loved about Black Mamba Boy particularly is that characters reappear and echo throughout the narrative, that they all play a purpose in Jama's life. From Musa, an alcoholic Somali who plays his part in bringing Jama to England, to his mother Ambaro; her strength and love recalled in the Jewish mothers Jama would end up transporting, and his friends Shidane and Abdhi, from whom Jama would learn some of his most important lessons, including his place in the new world.

I loved the circular nature of Black Mamba Boy - Guure gone travelling, in search of himself and purpose and money for his family, to his son taking on the same burden and responsibility; a love for a sensible woman and a son left behind. Jama is such a strong, resilient character, with an enduring sense of wonder and humour, yet he is not flawless - unable to be rid of some of that childishness, indecisiveness - but Mohamed makes an effort to explain the reasons behind his actions, like why he chooses to work for the foreigners and his drive in moving from place to place in search of something, anything that will tie him to the world.

Black Mamba Boy was brimming with colorful characters- vain, fat women, cruel Italian soldiers, resourceful street boys- accompanied by events and happenings so rich and devastating that it made me cry. It provided a glimpse of the sweeping African landscapes - the golden sands and heat on the way to Port Said, the mess and noise and chatter of Aden, the jumble of alliances and kinship among the Somalis. And all throughout, Jama - a sulky child, not understanding family politics or the depth of his mother's love, to a stripling teen. From a member of the Italian army to a wealthy land owner, to a poor boy of eighteen with nothing, I have loved every second of his journey and his learning. 4.7 stars.

To dissect misogyny confronting Black Mamba Boy isn't even to dissect racism/xenophobia, and that's not even to dissect the scary/thrilling family evisceration we see. Mohamed tells the painful but good and deep story of her father's life in Yemen in the 1930s and 40s, when it was still under colonial rule by the British, and then his trek through Sudan, Egypt, Palestine, the Mediterranean, and then Britain.

In an account I guess half fictional and half true (but what is fiction if not fully true?), young boy Jama -- after dealing with his mother (Mira Nair's film Queen of Katwe is about the only non-Western maternal I've seen), his friend Abdi, and others in the city of Aden in Yemen -- decides to set out in search of Guure, his own long-missing father. Surprisingly lush masculine identity we stay with for a while then.

But everything's crisp, really lived-in, really quick and smart. I like how racial pressure is nicely unrolled into smaller (I guess) questions of colonial politics, but it's also in language of course (Somali, Arabic, English, Italian, whatnot), and then in education ("On hard benches the children were taught everything French and nothing about themselves; they were only dark slates to be written over with white chalk"). "Ferengi" are the whites in Africa and "Yahudi", I guess, is a slur for non-Somali Africans.

Jama meets various people of course, soaks up the positive and repels the negative mostly, thinks about it all subtly. A man named Idea he meets in Djibouti, a former teacher and now intellectual; then, an Italian soldier named Leon he meets in Ethiopia. The one-after-the-next, down-the-line, benevolent-and-then-cruel new center for each place, each chapter, it can seem a little wearying. But I don't know, maybe that's how you have to construct it, especially historical fiction about a boy's journey, I suppose.

The whole premise seems plenty to keep Black Mamba Boy afloat. From a woman looking at a father/son relationship, from a place of privilege looking at the roughness of decades past, the West can keep a fascist hold on East Africa. Jama's life darkens considerably along with all the other elements.

It's always bound to the ground, though, and that's what's true and fine about it. The Hajj, Mecca, Allah among the few references to Islam, and Louis Armstrong's "Go Down Moses" ("Pharaoh, let my people go") a tiny one to Christianity. It's mostly not devout at all: just a boy's life quotidian, terrestrial, real.

I loved this historical novel (based on the author's father's adolescence) featuring a Somali boy's decade-long journey across the Horn of Africa around WWII - searching for his father, making friends, coming of age, and finding meaning along the way. The boy is traversing the Horn of Africa while British and Italians are fighting each other for control of the region and the reverberations of WWII were being felt. This book was so well-researched and did such a wonderful job of dropping you into a place and point in time, describing in vibrant detail the cities we passed through, in Yemen, Somaliland, Djibouti, Eritrea, Egypt, Palestine, and more. The beginning was slow for me but the book was ultimately so engaging. 4.5/5

Actually a 2.5 star. Easy read, It's not very different from other 'journey' books - but that's not the author's fault. A window to African history.

Loved this story and it had me up late at night. A lyrical and strong debut that is inspired by the life of Mohamed's father, Jama. Jama was born in Somalia and went to Aden as a young boy with his mother, while his father went to Sudan to chase a dream of driving cars. Jama's mother dies in Aden and Jama then comes back to Somalia. From here he leaves to find his father, travelling through Eritrea and Djibouti, eventually to Sudan, Egypt, and eventually the UK. He is caught up in the Italian invasion and occupation of East Africa still as a young boy.
I learned a lot from reading this story and it had me reading more on the side about the invasion and occupation of East Africa by the Italians, as well as general history regarding the region, and reading more about the people in the region.
Jama's story is compelling, and while some parts may have been embellished, as is the way with novels, Jama is a complex and layered protagonist. His journey is believable and as is the way with life, the more "unbelievable" events, such as meeting up across time and space, are what are probably the truest.
I loved going on this journey with Jama and I feel that tendrils of the story are still with me. Mohamed's words get under the skin, and the details have me thinking of the story as a movie. I feel close to Jama, wanting to learn more about him. I know the next novel Mohamed wrote doesn't carry Jama's story on, rather it focuses on mothers and daughters. I'm very much looking forward to reading it.

A dense and interesting story about a boy's journey, both in time and space. Jama is an inspiration, and we can learn so much from his view on life, culture and love. In addition, I learnt so much about North East Africa during the 30s and 40s, especially how the World War affected the areas people and land. I am glad I spent time reading this book.

just no.

It’s books like this that make me hate my English degree