THE FORTUNE MEN

by Nadifa Mohamed

MINI REVIEW

Shortlisted for the Booker prize, The Fortune Men, is gripping, harrowing and infuriating.  Nadifa Mohamed was born in Somalia and has lived most of her life in London, so she no doubt has experienced extreme examples of racism in the United Kingdom similar to what she writes about in The Fortune Men.  Mahmood Mattan, a young Somali sailor and father of three living in Cardiff, Wales, is accused of murdering a white female shopkeeper.  Initially dismissive of the charge and confident his innocence will prevail, Mattan finds himself irrevocably sucked into the British judicial system.  Mohamed crafts a painful, yet beautifully written, expose of the racism driving that justice system. Certainly not uplifting, but The Fortune Men opened my eyes and broke my heart. (Liz)