Genre: Biography
Author: Guiseppe Catozzella
Translator: Anne Milano Appel
Year published: 2016 (English translation)
TWs: Profanity, Graphic Violence, SA, Death
Rating: 4/5
What does it mean to chase a dream when the world tells you it is impossible? ‘Don’t Tell Me You’re Afraid’ by Guiseppe Catozzella tells the story of Samia Yusuf Omar, a Somali teenager who only wanted to run. She dreamed of competing at the Olympics, even though she grew up in a country torn apart by war, violence, and restrictions on women. This bestselling Italian novel is her story, told with honesty and heartbreak, and it left me thinking about it long after I closed it.
“We were free, free to run again.”
Synopsis
Samia starts running when she is just eight years old, training with her best friend Ali, who takes on the role of her coach. They practice in the middle of Mogadishu, dodging broken glass and debris while Al-Shabaab’s power grows stronger every day. Music is banned, women must be covered, and even sports are considered dangerous. Still, Samia runs at night when no one is watching, her dream too important to give up.
In 2008 she makes it all the way to the Olympics in Beijing, representing Somalia on the world stage. She does not win, but her determination wins hearts and makes her a symbol of hope. After that, she sets her sights on London 2012. But as conditions in Somalia get worse, she has to make a difficult choice. To keep her dream alive, she puts her trust in traffickers and begins a dangerous journey across Africa and the Mediterranean.
“I got off the bus with the strange feeling of being in a country at peace.”
My Thoughts
This book is one of the most moving pieces of translated literature I’ve read. Samia’s determination made me admire her from the very beginning. She felt real, like someone you could know, someone who still laughed and argued and loved her family even while living in a world filled with fear. Her friendship with Ali and her relationship with her sister gave the story warmth, and her courage was inspiring.
There were also many things I genuinely liked about the book. The descriptions of Somalia were vivid and layered: I could almost feel the heat of Mogadishu’s streets, the danger lurking around every corner, and the small flashes of joy that kept people going. I thought the way Catozzella wrote about running itself was beautiful. It wasn’t just about speed or training but about freedom, about what it means to move forward even when everything else is falling apart.
There were parts I struggled with. The opening chapters, when Samia was very young, sometimes sounded too grown up for an eight-year-old. The amount of swearing surprised me too, especially from children. And there were side characters who came and went without much development, which made certain parts of the story feel unfinished.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this book. The ending in particular was written beautifully and stayed with me long after I finished. I found myself going online to read more about Samia and her real life. For me, that shows how much the story mattered.
What I also appreciated was how the book placed Samia’s personal dream inside a bigger picture. It is not just about one girl running. It is about Somalia, about Al-Shabaab’s control, about the refugee crisis, and about the way war steals the future from ordinary people. Reading it made me think of the Olympics in a completely different way. When we see small delegations march in the opening ceremony, smiling and waving their flags, we rarely stop to think about what it took for them to get there. Samia’s story makes you stop and think.
Happy Reading!
About the Author
Giuseppe Catozzella was born in Milan and studied philosophy at the University of Milan. He has published novels, plays, and short stories. His work often deals with social and political issues, and he has written for major Italian newspapers like ‘La Repubblica’ and ‘L’Espresso’. ‘Don’t Tell Me You’re Afraid’ was a bestseller in Italy and around the world, winning the Premio Strega Giovani in 2014. Catozzella has also served as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, and a film adaptation of Samia’s story is in the works.
Find more his Goodreads page!
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