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A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times
Most Anticipated Books of 2022: The Millions
Most Anticipated Books of 2022 by Women of Color: Electric Literature
Most Anticipated African Books of 2022: Brittle Paper
Winner of the 2020 Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing and the 2021 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing, Ethiopian American author Meron Hadero’s gorgeously wrought stories in A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times offer poignant, compelling narratives of those whose lives have been marked by border crossings and the risk of displacement.
Set across the U.S. and abroad, Meron Hadero’s stories feature immigrants, refugees, and those on the brink of dispossession, all struggling to begin again, all fighting to belong. Moving through diverse geographies and styles, this captivating collection follows characters on the journey toward home, which they dream of, create and redefine, lose and find and make their own. Beyond migration, these stories examine themes of race, gender, class, friendship and betrayal, the despair of loss and the enduring resilience of hope.
Winner of the 2021 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing, “The Street Sweep” is about an enterprising young man on the verge of losing his home in Addis Ababa who pursues an improbable opportunity to turn his life around. Appearing in Best American Short Stories, “The Suitcase” follows a woman visiting her country of origin for the first time and finds that an ordinary object opens up an unexpected, complex bridge between worlds. Shortlisted for the 2019 Caine Prize, “The Wall” portrays the intergenerational friendship between two refugees living in Iowa who have connections to Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. A Best American Short Stories notable, “Mekonnen aka Mack aka Huey Freakin’ Newton” is a coming-of-age tale about an Ethiopian immigrant in Brooklyn encountering nuances of race in his new country.
Kaleidoscopic, powerful, and illuminative, the stories in A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times expand our understanding of the essential and universal need for connection and the vital refuge of home—and announce a major new talent in Meron Hadero.
Most Anticipated Books of 2022 by Women of Color: Electric Literature
Most Anticipated African Books of 2022: Brittle Paper
Winner of the 2020 Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing and the 2021 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing, Ethiopian American author Meron Hadero’s gorgeously wrought stories in A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times offer poignant, compelling narratives of those whose lives have been marked by border crossings and the risk of displacement.
Set across the U.S. and abroad, Meron Hadero’s stories feature immigrants, refugees, and those on the brink of dispossession, all struggling to begin again, all fighting to belong. Moving through diverse geographies and styles, this captivating collection follows characters on the journey toward home, which they dream of, create and redefine, lose and find and make their own. Beyond migration, these stories examine themes of race, gender, class, friendship and betrayal, the despair of loss and the enduring resilience of hope.
Winner of the 2021 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing, “The Street Sweep” is about an enterprising young man on the verge of losing his home in Addis Ababa who pursues an improbable opportunity to turn his life around. Appearing in Best American Short Stories, “The Suitcase” follows a woman visiting her country of origin for the first time and finds that an ordinary object opens up an unexpected, complex bridge between worlds. Shortlisted for the 2019 Caine Prize, “The Wall” portrays the intergenerational friendship between two refugees living in Iowa who have connections to Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. A Best American Short Stories notable, “Mekonnen aka Mack aka Huey Freakin’ Newton” is a coming-of-age tale about an Ethiopian immigrant in Brooklyn encountering nuances of race in his new country.
Kaleidoscopic, powerful, and illuminative, the stories in A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times expand our understanding of the essential and universal need for connection and the vital refuge of home—and announce a major new talent in Meron Hadero.
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2022
38 people are currently reading
1223 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 16, 2023
Some stories were brilliant, others, not so much. Overall, an interesting read.
February 15, 2022
I am grateful to have received a review copy of this story collection from Restless Books and Team. Meron Hadero's debut is a downtrodden look into the lives of Ethiopian immigrants to the United States, in both the United States and Ethiopia. Some of the stories play with structure, storytelling, and point of view. Others are written in first person or in third person, with little focus on anything other than the tale being said. Hadoro's characters are almost always Ethiopian-Americans who are trying to manage their roots to their country of heritage while living an American life. Stories like "Mekonnen aka Mack aka Huey Freakin’ Newton" really get into the heart of how difficult it is for African diaspora members to be understood and assimilated into the black American community, whereas stories like "Sinkhole" depict the typical sorts of racist assignments that people of colour face growing up in predominantly white American schools. It is hard to tell whether these are experiences Hadero has lived through and chosen to write about, but given that her characters change gender, I assume that a lot of them are in fact products of her imagination. The stories are fun to read and say a lot about growing up as a person of colour in the USA, but I would have liked to see a little more depth and diversity in the types of situations Hadero's characters go through.
Nonetheless, Hadero's debut is a confident one, and I would recommend these tales to any one who is interested in learning more about the immigrant experience of people in the United States.
Nonetheless, Hadero's debut is a confident one, and I would recommend these tales to any one who is interested in learning more about the immigrant experience of people in the United States.
July 31, 2022
This was probably a 4.5 for me. The stories were charming, moving, funny, and sad. Excellent writing, except for one that I thought was a bit gimmicky. I got a tiny window into an immigrant community/diaspora.
February 22, 2024
This collection spans emotionally from funny to somber, but always observant and wise. Some of the stories fluttered past me, but others stuck fast. I especially loved The Suitcase and the book's titular story, A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times.
July 25, 2022
Ethiopians' experiences, the ones who stayed and the ones who left. Children, young people trying so hard to get work, elders coming to terms with what happened under the Derg or deciding where to bury a member of their community who was murdered by white supremacists in Texas. The author is constantly exploring how people communicate and miscommunicate, how they find common languages. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite story, and whatever the author publishes next, I'll read it right away.
December 14, 2022
A moving collection of short stories based in the US and abroad from an Ethiopian-American author. These stories dealt with the themes of home, race, gender, class, and hope, to name a few.
I enjoyed some of the stories more than others. Most notable stories include; “The Suitcase”, a story showcasing the complexity of those born into two different cultures, and the seemingly small things that can piece us together. “The Street Sweep”, a young man finds himself about to lose his home in Addis Ababa and tries to turn his life around, and “A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times” a story which highlights the need for home.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Canongate Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed some of the stories more than others. Most notable stories include; “The Suitcase”, a story showcasing the complexity of those born into two different cultures, and the seemingly small things that can piece us together. “The Street Sweep”, a young man finds himself about to lose his home in Addis Ababa and tries to turn his life around, and “A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times” a story which highlights the need for home.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Canongate Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2023
4.5 stars
Melon Hadero’s debut collection of short stories is one of those debuts where the self-assurance and capability of the writing defies that label. There are novels set in Ethiopia where Hadero was born that give an insight into the culture and politics of that country beginning with the touching and amusing The Suitcase and including The Street Sweep which won the 2021 AKO Caine Prize and is a favorite in its take down of Western NGO’s promises to and ignorance of the nations they serve. There is also the haunting and uncomfortable Kind Stranger and the satirical tones of both The Life and Times of the Little Manuscript and The Case of the Missing President,
The majority of the stories, however, are set in different states in America and center on Ethiopian immigrants, from those newly arrived to those who have been in the country for decades. Many of these stories are set in the 80’s and 90’s which I appreciated not only for nostalgic reasons but because not having access to the internet or smart phones, makes any naivety or lack of knowledge of the immigrants much more plausible. Some of the stories are narrated by young boys and getting an immigrant child’s perspective on living in another country is always interesting as they adapt to and learn about their new life. In the story, Mekonnen aka Mack aka Huey Freakin Newton it is the realization for one young boy that in America, the color of your skin is the most defining attribute you have regardless of where you come from.
Several stories look at people who are strangers and very different to one another coming together and the disconnect this can lead to while others look at some unlikely friendships that can form such as another favorite, The Wall. Some look at the nature of words, how they can have power even when unspoken and words that are literally censored in The Case of the Missing President. The overwhelming theme of the collection, however, is the notion of home, leaving one home and trying to make another, the permanence or not of home and the idea of belonging. The titular story is one of the best and most heart-warming examples of this while The Elders is far harder hitting. The last two stories in the collection also deal with this theme but these felt less successful, Preludes especially feeling like snippets of longer stories with too many characters for a short story and a certain didactic feel to it. These were the only weaknesses however, in an incredibly strong collection that up until that point hadn’t faded in quality throughout the book. I can’t wait to see what else Melon Hadero writes in the coming years.
Melon Hadero’s debut collection of short stories is one of those debuts where the self-assurance and capability of the writing defies that label. There are novels set in Ethiopia where Hadero was born that give an insight into the culture and politics of that country beginning with the touching and amusing The Suitcase and including The Street Sweep which won the 2021 AKO Caine Prize and is a favorite in its take down of Western NGO’s promises to and ignorance of the nations they serve. There is also the haunting and uncomfortable Kind Stranger and the satirical tones of both The Life and Times of the Little Manuscript and The Case of the Missing President,
The majority of the stories, however, are set in different states in America and center on Ethiopian immigrants, from those newly arrived to those who have been in the country for decades. Many of these stories are set in the 80’s and 90’s which I appreciated not only for nostalgic reasons but because not having access to the internet or smart phones, makes any naivety or lack of knowledge of the immigrants much more plausible. Some of the stories are narrated by young boys and getting an immigrant child’s perspective on living in another country is always interesting as they adapt to and learn about their new life. In the story, Mekonnen aka Mack aka Huey Freakin Newton it is the realization for one young boy that in America, the color of your skin is the most defining attribute you have regardless of where you come from.
Several stories look at people who are strangers and very different to one another coming together and the disconnect this can lead to while others look at some unlikely friendships that can form such as another favorite, The Wall. Some look at the nature of words, how they can have power even when unspoken and words that are literally censored in The Case of the Missing President. The overwhelming theme of the collection, however, is the notion of home, leaving one home and trying to make another, the permanence or not of home and the idea of belonging. The titular story is one of the best and most heart-warming examples of this while The Elders is far harder hitting. The last two stories in the collection also deal with this theme but these felt less successful, Preludes especially feeling like snippets of longer stories with too many characters for a short story and a certain didactic feel to it. These were the only weaknesses however, in an incredibly strong collection that up until that point hadn’t faded in quality throughout the book. I can’t wait to see what else Melon Hadero writes in the coming years.
December 28, 2025
A DOWN HOME MEAL FOR THESE DIFFICULT TIMES is Ethiopian-American writer Meron Hadero’s debut collection of short stories centering characters of Ethiopian descent, be it an American woman visiting her ancestral hometown for the first time or an Ethiopian scholar hoping to find a foothold in the promised land despite the odds stacked against him. Many of these characters have to grapple with conflicts that are internal, their identities as immigrants or the descendants of immigrants being politicised by default.
In “The Suitcase”, the main character’s extended family argue over the limited real estate of the luggage she will be bringing back with her to America; in “The Street Sweep”, a bright young man from an Ethiopian village that is being encroached upon by the government has been misled into thinking a way out of his situation is a lot easier despite his race and economic background; in “The Thief’s Tale”, an elderly man visiting his daughter in America gets lost and encounters a stranger in the park who tries to rob him, only he manages to turn the situation around through wit and feigned helplessness; in “Sinkholes”, the only Black boy in a classroom full of white students demonstrates the power of a single word, a slur, in his refusal to be the one to use it; in “The Elders”, an Ethiopian-American man dies—is murdered, it seems—and his community have to decide where it would be best to bury his body: his motherland or his adopted home. Each story is an artful blend of poignancy and humor, with Hadero demonstrating the multitudinous experiences of immigrants along distinguishing lines of citizenship, race, class, and gender.
In “The Suitcase”, the main character’s extended family argue over the limited real estate of the luggage she will be bringing back with her to America; in “The Street Sweep”, a bright young man from an Ethiopian village that is being encroached upon by the government has been misled into thinking a way out of his situation is a lot easier despite his race and economic background; in “The Thief’s Tale”, an elderly man visiting his daughter in America gets lost and encounters a stranger in the park who tries to rob him, only he manages to turn the situation around through wit and feigned helplessness; in “Sinkholes”, the only Black boy in a classroom full of white students demonstrates the power of a single word, a slur, in his refusal to be the one to use it; in “The Elders”, an Ethiopian-American man dies—is murdered, it seems—and his community have to decide where it would be best to bury his body: his motherland or his adopted home. Each story is an artful blend of poignancy and humor, with Hadero demonstrating the multitudinous experiences of immigrants along distinguishing lines of citizenship, race, class, and gender.
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August 19, 2023Short stories about Ethiopian immigrants in the US that examine identity and belonging.
These stories explore people trying to find a 'home' and have a safe space for themselves. The Suitcase is about a woman who has lived between two cultures, visiting Addis Ababa for the first time.
Mekonnen aka Mack aka Huey Freakin Newton shows the importance Americans place on the color of one's skin and how the diaspora struggle to fit in. I enjoyed the titular story A down home meal for these difficult times the most. Here, food becomes a love language and through food immigrants try to settle in their home.
Much thanks to Canongate for a copy of the book
These stories explore people trying to find a 'home' and have a safe space for themselves. The Suitcase is about a woman who has lived between two cultures, visiting Addis Ababa for the first time.
Mekonnen aka Mack aka Huey Freakin Newton shows the importance Americans place on the color of one's skin and how the diaspora struggle to fit in. I enjoyed the titular story A down home meal for these difficult times the most. Here, food becomes a love language and through food immigrants try to settle in their home.
Much thanks to Canongate for a copy of the book
September 1, 2022
Inspiring. This should be read in high school. This should be read by any diversity, equity and inclusion group. This should be read by everyone living on American soil. What a great collection of stories that engages the reader and she'd light to a variety of perspectives. I felt like I could connect to every protagonist on each story, even if I hadnt had a similar life experience. Great anthology that left my heart warm.
August 11, 2022
These short stories were very well done and interesting. Situations and characters are varied so we get a little of everything.
The short story that the book is named after is superb but also the most optimistic.
The short story that the book is named after is superb but also the most optimistic.
July 20, 2022
One of my favorite short story collections to date. I related to each and every one. Many of stories caused me to tear up. Very touching and real. There is heart in each and every story.
January 24, 2023
If you’ve been struggling to reconnect with reading, short stories could be the solution: these bitesize slices of fiction present a chance to dip your toes, to stand in another’s life for a few short moments, before being whisked off to the next tale. This unforgettable collection is the first book from Ethiopian-American writer Meron Hadero and includes several of her award-winning shorts: including the winner of the 2021 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing, in which we’re introduced to a street sweeper in Addis Ababa who thinks he’s found a solution to the threat of losing his home and steps into another life for for an afternoon. Her confident stories segue from heartbreak to opportunity in mere sentences: these tiny, glowing vignettes sweep you up before handing you on to the next hero, and the larger themes begin to emerge from the disparate tales. All the characters are searching for home, whatever that means – whether immigrants, refugees or food truck vendors serving packed lunches to executives – and they share beautiful universal truths about race, equality, grief, serving up sentences that’ll see you reaching for your notebook or phone notes app to capture their intensity. Like the finest stories of whatever length, you are left wanting a second serving, but have to be content with what you’ve been given by this gifted author.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC!
Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC!
October 8, 2022
Immersive writing from various immigrant perspectives. I especially loved "The Wall," "The Suitcase," and "Swearing in, January 20, 2009."
Quotes:
"Funny things happen to memory over time, everyone knew that. What should never be forgotten can be lost, and all the wrong things can persist." - Preludes
"Oh, what we have been through to get here, what pains to leave our homes and start again, and we think that if we can just make it here, all will be well. Little do we realize that once we show up, that's when the hardest work begins, life's work. Leaving, crossing, arriving, pitching your home, that's prelude. The struggle, the letting go, that long voyage, that's all just prelude." - Preludes
"I could write a book on lessons for new immigrants. For your eyes and ears only, okay? First and foremost, trust no one who doesn't like the food you eat or the way you smell or the clothes you wear, and if you don't know... better safe than sorry." - Preludes
Quotes:
"Funny things happen to memory over time, everyone knew that. What should never be forgotten can be lost, and all the wrong things can persist." - Preludes
"Oh, what we have been through to get here, what pains to leave our homes and start again, and we think that if we can just make it here, all will be well. Little do we realize that once we show up, that's when the hardest work begins, life's work. Leaving, crossing, arriving, pitching your home, that's prelude. The struggle, the letting go, that long voyage, that's all just prelude." - Preludes
"I could write a book on lessons for new immigrants. For your eyes and ears only, okay? First and foremost, trust no one who doesn't like the food you eat or the way you smell or the clothes you wear, and if you don't know... better safe than sorry." - Preludes
January 5, 2023
This is a collection of short stories, originally published between 2015 and 2020 in a number of places) all around the same theme. The author was born in Ethiopia but now lives in USA, having come there via Germany. The same is true of some of the characters and their experiences may reflect hers, or those of her family. All of the stories relate to the experience of Ethiopians, occasionally at home but mainly abroad. The diaspora. The sense of not fitting anywhere. The strength it takes to success and how hard it is to do so. There's humour and a lot of sadness. I knew embarrassingly little about the history of Ethiopia but reading this has inspired me to find out more. Like so many countries, it has a troubled past and the present seems not much better.
This would have had 5 stars were it not for a couple of stories: The Case of the Missing XXXXX and Preludes. Favourites were A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times, which I absolutely loved, and The Drought that Drowned Us.
This would have had 5 stars were it not for a couple of stories: The Case of the Missing XXXXX and Preludes. Favourites were A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times, which I absolutely loved, and The Drought that Drowned Us.
September 10, 2023
A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times is a collection of short stories exploring migration; the process, impact and importance, the fear and suspicion that accompanies, the time it takes to replant roots, the need to keep contact with home and the connection with home that might be lost. Through these stories, you can tell Hadero is very perceptive, the character interactions are so genuine and raw.
"First we mourn the grief we bear, then later we mourn the grief we've caused"
"And for you all, stand steady against the harshness around us, and declare with conviction, that here or away, you will find your home. Peace be with you."
Each story follow a different dynamic, from a young woman visiting home for the first time to a young boy acclimatising to American culture and the societal enforcement and erasure of identity to gain belonging and masculinity.
Thanks to Canongate Books for sending this copy to me.
"First we mourn the grief we bear, then later we mourn the grief we've caused"
"And for you all, stand steady against the harshness around us, and declare with conviction, that here or away, you will find your home. Peace be with you."
Each story follow a different dynamic, from a young woman visiting home for the first time to a young boy acclimatising to American culture and the societal enforcement and erasure of identity to gain belonging and masculinity.
Thanks to Canongate Books for sending this copy to me.
January 23, 2023
“The American flag he hung the day he signed the mortgage was still waving from the porch the day he was set to leave.” Ethiopian-American writer Hadero, in her first book, published by *Restless Books, Inc., has collected fifteen of her short stories, giving readers a window into the immigrant experience.
Hadero’s window is accessible. While some of her stories germinate out of Ethiopian culture and history, her stories echo, for all of us, our narratives of hoping, adapting, changing, struggling, reaching for something better.
* Restless Books “is an independent, nonprofit publisher devoted to championing essential voices from around the world whose stories speak to us across linguistic and cultural borders, [aiming] to celebrate immigrant writing…”
Hadero’s window is accessible. While some of her stories germinate out of Ethiopian culture and history, her stories echo, for all of us, our narratives of hoping, adapting, changing, struggling, reaching for something better.
* Restless Books “is an independent, nonprofit publisher devoted to championing essential voices from around the world whose stories speak to us across linguistic and cultural borders, [aiming] to celebrate immigrant writing…”
March 4, 2023
The Wall: it’s about immigrants, but it’s also about friendship—how fragile it is even when both parties like each other and mean well.
The Street Sweep: Interesting to see how NGO workers are seen by locals. This is also about friendship, and I don’t blame that white dude. I like how the story ends with a touch of hope.
Mekonnen aka Mack aka Huey Freakin’ Newton: Immigrant father and son each having different experiences.
I liked these stories best. The kind of hope behind these stories—resilient and smart—is hard to find elsewhere. There are characters who are bitter or cynical (and I understand they have good reasons to be that way), but the main characters and their viewpoints…worth reading.
The Street Sweep: Interesting to see how NGO workers are seen by locals. This is also about friendship, and I don’t blame that white dude. I like how the story ends with a touch of hope.
Mekonnen aka Mack aka Huey Freakin’ Newton: Immigrant father and son each having different experiences.
I liked these stories best. The kind of hope behind these stories—resilient and smart—is hard to find elsewhere. There are characters who are bitter or cynical (and I understand they have good reasons to be that way), but the main characters and their viewpoints…worth reading.
September 29, 2023
These stories about community and belonging--about loneliness and carving out a place for ourselves in the world--are stunning in their complex simplicity. Besides being an exceptional writer, Hadero brings the immigrant experience to the forefront in a way that is painfully relatable yet manages to be somehow surprising. There are some myths about America that Americans cling to (especially white Americans), that Hadero disabuses the reader of... while still holding out the hope that America offers to the immigrant imagination. If it sounds complex... it is. And it made a great book club book, because there are multiple stories and themes to unpack.
November 25, 2023
Some of these were fantastic, many I really did not like at all and did not much for me.
My absolute 5 star amazing stories:
• The Wall: being an outsider and then finding a place but leaving behind other outsiders, really sad, slow, eroding sadness of growing up and moving on
• The Drought That Drowned Us ⭐️: short, devastatingly sad, fairytale like unhappy ending, refugees, no escape, hope does not die
• A Down Home For These Difficult Times: lovely, heartwarming story with food, women, power and belonging and the immigrant experience
Excited to see if this author will publish anything else as her skill is very evident!
My absolute 5 star amazing stories:
• The Wall: being an outsider and then finding a place but leaving behind other outsiders, really sad, slow, eroding sadness of growing up and moving on
• The Drought That Drowned Us ⭐️: short, devastatingly sad, fairytale like unhappy ending, refugees, no escape, hope does not die
• A Down Home For These Difficult Times: lovely, heartwarming story with food, women, power and belonging and the immigrant experience
Excited to see if this author will publish anything else as her skill is very evident!
January 29, 2025
The author subverts traditional narratives about immigration to America, in that these characters have arrived and stepped into a new life receiving not the benefit of greater opportunity but the burden of impossible choices. And there is surprising and incisive humor in Hadero's depictions of Ethiopian immigrant life, which are handled with candid realism around living an existence defined by racism, and also with generosity, kindness and compassion.
-Lisa Butts
Read the full review at: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/review...
-Lisa Butts
Read the full review at: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/review...
December 5, 2022
A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times is a collection of short stories by new author Meron Hadero. The stories are all quite unique, written in different styles and using different voices. However, there is a truth and authenticity about the stories that imply some autobiographical basis. The stories may not have happened to the author themselves, but I feel that aspects of the stories are true to some extent. There is a lot of carefully observed reality on the pages. I hope Meron Hadero has a novel on the way, I would very much like to read it.
August 15, 2022
More like 3.5. However, I rounded up because the stories were unique and it was interesting reading stories about Ethiopian immigrants. In fact, after finished the book, I googled to learn more about the social/political climate in Ethiopia today. Needless to say, I will not be visiting anytime soon!
September 17, 2022
I enjoyed this book a great deal. Meron is a new voice to me, and I was very taken with the range of her stories. It gives an interesting picture of what Ethiopian Americans might feel when they encounter our culture. It is contemporary and insightful. I look forward to reading more by her in the future.
September 28, 2022
Meron Hadero is a gifted and talented teller of stories. She sucks you into the lives of her characters and one immediately feels affection for and concern about them. The stories cover a wide range of experiences of displaced persons, immigrants, stuck people. The politics affecting their lives is ever present without being a sledgehammer.
December 13, 2022
I wish I could rate each story individually- some were SO good and moving and I felt like a learned a lot. Others (one in particular) were incredibly tedious and felt unnecessary and repetitive. I did listen to the audio version of this, so I’m not sure if I would have felt differently if I’d read the stories myself, but I did enjoy the different narrators.
September 17, 2022
3.5 stars. Really unique batch of short stories. I loved some of them but others felt more forgettable (or else it was just really hard to stay awake and finish them!!). I would absolutely recommend the book for its immigrant perspectives.
November 19, 2022
I really enjoyed this. Each story was unique and touched on a different aspect of migration/homeland and offered a great insight into Ethiopia and the Ethiopian diaspora - thanks for the advance copy on NetGalley!
December 19, 2022
Not since Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (one of my all time favorites) have I read such moving stories of the experiences of immigrants, whether in their new home or returning to their homeland.
February 13, 2023
Hadero’s stories are compelling and moving. The prize-winning stories are clearly worthy of their recognition. I did not understand “The Case of the Missing _________@ but every other story hits the mark. The title story is a haunting gem that helps us remember what matters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews