Menghedi

by Semhar Gebre

Two women. Two journeys. One hope for freedom.

On a quest to avenge her riven family and murdered friends, Timneet Melke leaves behind a burgeoning romance to join the Eritrean liberation effort. Covert operations and guerilla warfare transform her into a warrior woman until a chance reunion with an old love forces Timneet to reconsider her path.

Orphaned Ma'arinet Neguse may have escaped war when swept away to America, but the turmoil of her past locks her into a brutal battle of her own. Engulfed in distress after her second miscarriage, Ma'arinet flees for her life again - this time from a volatile relationship.

The end of the war brings Ma'arinet back to her homeland where her world collides with Timneet's. It takes Almaz, the nurse with the memory of an elephant, to unlock the secrets of their pasts. Will the encounters bring Ma'arinat closure, or will they leave her stranded with no resolve?

In her debut novel, Gebre invites us on a journey, or menghedi, [men-ge-dee]. Offering an inspiring message, Menghedi reminds us that when the soul suffers, no damage is ever too grand for the healing powers of hope.

234 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2013

About the author

The Eritrean-American author SEMHAR GEBRE was born in 1982 in Chicago, Illinois to two Eritrean refugees. Before committing her life to literature, she earned a doctorate in chiropractic from Cleveland Chiropractic College of Los Angeles, California, (2010). In 2011, her calling placed her on an unexpected journey in pursuit of a lifelong passion for writing when she was awarded the Lull Mengesha Publishing Scholarship for First-Time Authors. In the same year, GEBRE embarked on a journey to Eritrea, an experience which cultivated inspiration for her debut novel, "Menghedi: Two Women. Two Journeys. One Hope for Freedom." GEBRE resides in Los Angeles, California, where she is working on her second novel.

Reviews

[Feven · Rating 5 out of 5]

"While reading Menghedi, I instantly remembered stories of my mother’s childhood. Friendships were thicker than blood and walks to school with her best friend were the most cherished parts of her day. Gebre revived those memories and also cleverly illustrates the backdrop of a war-torn Eritrea, where leaving home and joining the resistance to free a small, yet far from vulnerable country was on every young person’s mind.

Above all, Menghedi is the journey of two women on different paths in life. Through their hardships, love and sacrifice, we are led into an intimate and yet tumultuous ride, which personally left me asking after every chapter, 'What would I do?' In addition to Gebre’s passionate storytelling, Menghedi can’t help but inspire to look into oneself and recognize the journey we are on."

[Michaela Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was too short! I liked how the two stories intertwined with each other. I also was happy to learn more about the fight for Eritrea's freedom because I really did not know anything about it prior to reading this book.