The Somali Pirate (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781439239865)

The Somali Pirate, by Noor Fayrus of the Darod clan, chronicles his growing up in a fishing village under the tutelage of his savvy father to his coming of age in adulthood as a modern-day pirate. Living in Somalia presents a unique set of obstacles that constantly threaten to drag his family down. Noor stays close to his father, whose resourcefulness and charisma keep the family afloat. But when his father goes missing at sea, Noor must find his own way forward and provide for his family.

Unable to compete against the unlicensed foreign trawlers, whose illegal fishing practices have all but wiped out the local fish stocks, and with a family member gravely ill, but no money to pay for treatment, Noor becomes a pirate by default.

While in his skiff on a piratical mission, Noor's mothership is sunk by a Navy cutter. Stranded on the high seas with a boatful of foreign hostages, Noor must face his greatest test: completing the mission alone.

The Somali Pirate is a gripping, first person narrative. Factual backstory has been added by historical writer Quinn Haber for the benefit of those not familiar with the subject matter.

If there's anything the reader will take away from this book, is the knowledge that piracy off the Horn of Africa is not as black-and-white as the news portrays it to be.

HISTORICAL FICTION