Born in a war torn country, Infidel is about  a young girl named Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who lives in Mogadishu, Somalia with her two siblings and her abusive mother.  Her father has  been  fighting the regime on the border, and recently got sent to prison.
Eventually her  father escapes prison, and her family moves to Mecca, only to find out her father is fighting the regime yet again. Her mother becomes more abusive as her sister becomes more resistant to her mother’s demands, refusing to do anything she says. The war gets worse as Ayann moves  from city to city, struggling to deal with the beliefs of Muslim customs, and traditions. When Ayann gets old enough, she goes through a procedure to become pure, or what is better known as circumcision. This weakens Ayann’s relationship with her mother, as her father strictly told her mother not to let Ayann or her sister go through this procedure. A while later Ayann’s father tells her that she will be married in six days, to a man she has never met. To escape this marriage, Ayann flees to Holland, where she becomes one of the most well known Dutch-American activists of the century.
   There are many great parts in this book, as the book documents Ayann’s life growing up in Somalia and then fleeing to Holland. There are some parts in the book which may not be for the faint of heart, as there is talk of circumcision. The book talks about many multicultural things, such as the Muslim religion, and what traditions are like in Somalia, how things are different in Holland from Somalia, and much more. The ending does drag on a little bit, as it focuses more on Ayann’s life in her political career, and may not be for those who don’t have an interest in politics.
   Overall, this book is definitely worth a read if you’re looking for a way to find out more about Muslim culture. Infidel will change your perspective on so many important issues such as women’s rights, immigration, and the sensitive topic of circumcision. I loved how Ayann describes Somalia not necessarily as a place of desolation and emptiness, but as a place of family, and bonding even with the troubles she had with her family and the war. This book is for people who want to know what life is like living in other countries, and want to learn more about different cultures. If you are looking to find out more about being a woman growing up and living in Somalia, then this is the book for you.