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A gripping new novel from today´s "most important African novelist" (The New York Times Book Review), the internationally acclaimed author of North of Dawn

A dozen years after his last visit, Jeebleh returns to his beloved Mogadiscio to see old friends. He is accompanied by his son-in-law, Malik, a journalist intent on covering the region´s ongoing turmoil. What greets them at first is not the chaos Jeebleh remembers, however, but an eerie calm enforced by ubiquitous white-robed figures bearing whips.

Meanwhile, Malik´s brother, Ahl, has arrived in Puntland, the region notorious as a pirates´ base. Ahl is searching for his stepson, Taxliil, who has vanished from Minneapolis, apparently recruited by an imam allied to Somalia´s rising religious insurgency. The brothers´ efforts draw them closer to Taxliil and deeper into the fabric of the country, even as Somalis brace themselves for an Ethiopian invasion. Jeebleh leaves Mogadiscio only a few hours before the borders are breached and raids descend from land and sea. As the uneasy quiet shatters and the city turns into a battle zone, the brothers experience firsthand the derailments of war.

Completing the trilogy that began with Links and Knots, Crossbones is a fascinating look at individuals caught in the maw of zealotry, profiteering, and political conflict, by one of our most highly acclaimed international writers.

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"Politically courageous and often gripping... Crossbones provides a sophisticated introduction to present-day Somalia, and to the circle of poverty and violence that continues to blight the country." -The New York Times Book Review

"Mesmerizing... A searing look at individuals caught in the chaos of anarchy." -The Daily Beast
"A fiercely critical, ruefully funny, profoundly compassionate portrait... [that] humanizes the dire complexities inherent to a place fractured by perpetual violence, corruption, outside exploitation, bone-deep poverty, and fanaticism. A writer of charm, wit, conscience, and penetrating vision, Farah is a commanding and essential global writer." -Booklist

"Often reads like a taut, tense thriller... a thought-provoking read as well as an absorbing look into a culture and a people in extreme circumstances." -The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Farah has become the voice of the Somalian diaspora, telling stories of political, religious, and family conflict without sentimentality... Like Conrad, Farah proves a master of his adopted language, enhancing his narratives with proverbs and instances of institutionalized irrationality." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Harrowing without resorting to sensationalism... It is dense, complex stuff, but [Farah´s] brave and imperfect characters are a pleasure to follow. [A] gripping but utterly humane thriller set in one of the least understood regions on earth." -Kirkus Reviews

"Combines an intimate dissection of power within the family with a strong dose of skepticism about the machinations of national and global power." -The Economist

"Farah´s accomplishment is, through art, showing us both the value and the devaluing of life through the machinations of historical, political and social power." -The Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"Adopts an almost thriller-like realism to give an account of modern-day Somalia... Crossbones is well worth the read." -The Boston Globe

"Vivid and detailed... [Farah´s] understanding of human relationships is spot on, as are the twists and turns in this suspenseful drama." -Ebony

"Farah writes enthrallingly about his native Somalia... Expect sharp insight into both human nature and secretarian strife, told in illuminating language free of cant." -Library Journal

"[Farah] writes beautifully and prolifically about his native Somalia." -TheMillions.com

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