Stars for CITY OF THORNS

What Katherine Boo’s BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS did for the slums of Mumbai, India, CITY OF THORNS by Ben Rawlence does for a massive refugee camp in Kenya, near the border with Somalia.

In CITY OF THORNS, Rawlence interweaves the stories of nine individuals to show what life is like in the Dabaab camp and to sketch the wider political forces that keep the refugees trapped there. Lucid, vivid and illuminating, CITY OF THORNS is an urgent human story with deep international repercussions, brought to life through the people who call Dabaab home.

This important new work has already received three starred, rave reviews:

“…an achievement in reportage that few have matched. Comparisons to Katherine Boo’s BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS are spot-on. Rawlence has written a book that just might change the world or, at the very least, awaken readers to one criminally forgotten corner of it. A tour de force.” — Booklist, starred review

“By combining his own experiences with interviews with residents of Dadaab, he makes the human rights crisis—rarely covered in the media—vivid and immediate for readers.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Essential for humanists, those who are contemplating the struggles of refugees worldwide, and those interested in how humanitarian aid and other international efforts impact those in the midst of crisis.” — Library Journal, starred review

Librarians can request a print galley by emailing library@macmillanusa.com (subject: City of Thorns) with your mailing address. If you read it and love it, you can nominate it for the January 2016 LibraryReads list (now through 11/20).

CITY OF THORNS will be available from Picador on January 5, 2016.