The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed - review

---

Title: The Fortune Men

Author: Nadifa Mohamed

Genre: Historical fiction/Literary fiction

Pages: 372

My rating: ★★★★☆

Other notable works by author: Black Mamba Boy; The Orchard of Lost Souls

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2021

---

Nadifa Mohamed’s The Fortune Men should become a part of the required reading list in British schools. It tells a semi-fictionalised account of the story of Mahmood Hussein Mattan, a Somali former seaman, resident in Cardiff’s Tiger Bay, who was wrongly convicted of the murder of Lily Volpert (Violet Volacki in the book), in 1952.

The novel follows the events in the lives of both Mahmood and Violet in the days leading up to her murder; Mahmood’s arrest; his time in jail; and his trial. But we also see flashbacks of Mahmood’s life before these events were set in motion. We see glimpses of his childhood in Somaliland, his wandering across Africa, his life as a seaman who’s travelled the world and speaks 5 languages. We see his relationship bloom and wane with Laura, a white Welsh woman who became his wife, and we see the joys and fears of fatherhood, in his relationship with the three sons Laura bore him.

History remembers Mahmood as a wrongfully convicted man, a victim of racism and an unjust justice system. But he was so much more than that, and through Mohamed’s beautiful storytelling we get to see some of the parts that make up the sum of his life. But she doesn't stop there. Under Mohamed’s pen, Tiger Bay and its inhabitants come to life.

Tiger Bay sounded like a pretty cool place to be in the 1950s. A hubbub of cultures and people from all over the world, it is the oldest multi-ethnic community in Wales. One of my favourite characters’ was Berlin, barman and old friend of Mahmood’s. I can almost imagine myself sitting at the bar next to Mahmood, completely rapt as Berlin regales us with tales from his life before Wales.

The Fortune Men is not only a testament to the life of Mahmood, but also to all of the lives of the sailors, workers, wanderers, and dreamers who ended up in Tiger Bay.

Rest in peace Lily Volpert. Rest in peace Mahmood Hussein Mattan. Your story is being heard.