A Somali refugee, now a legal resident of Maine, tells his story

LANCASTER — When the civil war began, Abdi Nor Iftin was 5 years old. He and his brother became the sole providers for the family and were forced to attend a madrassa run by a man they called the “Angel of Punishment.” Amidst the bullets and the beatings, Abdi had one escape: American movies and music, through which he taught himself English, and began to dream of a life in the United States.

In his recently completed memoir, “Call Me American,” Iftin recounts his harrowing, extraordinary, and uplifting story. His love of western culture and music earned him the name “Abdi American” (which became a liability when Islamic extremism took hold of Somalia).