I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book since I've read it.

It's such a thought-provoking and deeply introspective novel that blends the everyday struggles of a young woman, a child of immigrant parents, whilst providing the possibility of an alternate reality. Sirad's journey from her flat in South London to a reimagined Mogadishu offers a powerful reflection on the roads not taken and the impact of migration, family, and identity.

The novel’s premise is so unique and left me wondering about what could have been. Ibrahim does an amazing job at showing Sirad being burdened by the weight of her responsibilities, and suddenly finds herself in an alternate version of her life in Mogadishu. The contrast between her existence in Greenwich and the streets of Somalia is vividly portrayed, and the emotional weight of Sirad confronting her double, Ubah, is captivating. Ubah represents the life she could have had, and the novel explores how the choices of parents and the forces of history shape the destiny and ultimate outcome of her life.

Sirad’s internal struggle is the heart of the novel, dealing with themes of displacement and belonging. Ibrahim's portrayal is so real and raw, and as the story develops, I was hooked at the way small decision impact her future, especially with her relationship with Omar.

Salutation Road is such a fantastic novel that leaves you constantly thinking. Its exploration of duality, fate, and the immigrant experience is so powerful.

A must read.

Salutation Road is a meditation on the paths we take in life and how the outcomes of certain decisions can be very different indeed depending on which fork in the road is chosen.

Sirad Ali's parents free the civil war in Somalia for the UK but her father does not stick around for the duration. Instead, Sirad finds herself living a life that she did not really choose, and perhaps would not have chosen, had the choice been hers. Who would she be if her family had stayed together, for example?

But this is more than just a "sliding doors" story of what might have happened to Sirad if her parents had remained in Mogadishu. It is about how we become who we become, and the things that are at the core of us.

An interesting literary fiction novel about identity, destiny, immigration and kinship it gets 3. 5 stars.