Before The Winter Ends – Khadro Mohamed

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS

Set during a cold Wellington winter, Before The Winter Ends explores the immigrant experience via Omar, a teen whose grades are slipping and is losing connection with his best friend, and his mother who recalls her life two decades earlier in Mogadishu, trying to build a life amidst political conflict.

His mother didn’t think he looked good at all. She thought the afro was too outdated – that it drew too much attention to them whenever they went out. It was problematic, Omar thought, especially since his hair was just naturally like this. He didn’t style it or anything … Omar had to stop himself asking why she admired his father’s afro in the blurry photo she kept in the corner of her mirror.

RACHEL:
The main character in this novel is Omar, a young man who is stuck between worlds in identity, appearance and language. He never feels completely at ease as he studies at university, cares for his struggling mother and relies heavily on his friend Nick. After familiarising ourselves with Omar and his struggles to fit in in Wellington, the novel then heads back to the ‘90s to understand his mother’s young adulthood set in the midst of conflict. The final chapters return to the present where each character tries to find redemption and hope after some tough life choices. 

There is a lot grief, for people lost and experiences not realised. As a Somali New Zealander, Mohamed writes with sensitivity about how displacement and the immigrant experience affect parent-child relationships, regrets, traditions and faith, and details how important language and communication are. This was a emotional read and I really felt for all the characters.

The locations featured, Wellington, Cairo and Mogadishu, mimic Mohamed’s own travels, and it’s clear she is intimate with all three cities. I felt there was a strong sense of place in the descriptions of Wellington with its well-known neighbourhoods and atmosphere at the centre of the storytelling.

Published 2025
Tender Press
288 pages