The Orchard of Lost Souls by Nafida Mohamed is set in Hargeisa, Somalia in 1987during the civil war. It tells the stories of three different women, Kawsar, a widow in her late 50’s who has been badly beaten in prison, Filsan a soldier in her late 20’s from Mogadishu, and nine year old Deqo, an orphan who has run away from the refugee camp where she was born, and is trying to survive on her own in the city.

This is a beautifully written book about a tragic time in a country on the verge of revolution. It shows the cost of war to ordinary people. These three women are ultimately drawn together as they try to hold on to their humanity in the most inhumane of circumstances.

A recommended read.