In the insular rooms of The Private Apartments, a cleaning lady marries her employer's nephew and then abandons him, a depressed young mother finds unlikely support in her community housing complex, a new bride attends weddings to escape her abusive marriage, and a failed nurse is sent to relatives in Dubai after a nervous breakdown.

These captivating and compassionate stories eloquently showcase the intricate linkages of human experience and the ways in which Somalis, even as a diaspora, are indelibly connected. (From House of Anansi Press)

Idman Nur Omar is a Calgary-based writer who also teaches at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in the communication and liberal arts department.