ምንትዋብ

by Hiwot Teffera

270 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2016

About the author

Born and raised in Harar, Ethiopia. Hiwot Teffera is author of two books that are now translated in to Amharic language.

Reviews

[Fanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mine to Win is another interesting book from Hiwot Tefera. I say interesting because the subject areas I find in her books are different from what I usually read and still enjoy reading them. A fictitious book that bases its story on Ethiopian literature is something I would not normally pick, for instance. What I like about Hiwot's writing is that she describes a scenario in a very simple, clear and succinct way. One could never get bored of her storytelling. Her books are based on so much history and facts, another aspect that makes it more interesting. In Mine to Win, tells not only of a young boy's journey from a rural village in Northen Ethiopia in search of wisdom but the culture of the society that raised him, their traditions, and the church education system in ancient Ethiopia. Amazing. The book might lack depth for the consumption of those who are more knowledgeable of the Church education system and the Ethiopian literature. However, it fits well for the general public consumption and maybe could strike a fire to dig deeper for those who are in search of their artistic interests.

[Kidist G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book ,and beyond grateful you wrote it . You helped me to reimagine the Gondar castle , helped me to see the great ones we were given .
Mintwab👑was a Pionner in every aspect ,she was a fearless leader she was ahead of her time .
👍 how the story is built
👌 how you captured every angle
👍how you tried to make it into a small book when you’re telling this huge history .
It would be the highlight of my 2014reads .
Thanks for helping me reimagine all of it .
Thanks for your research now I am beyond curious to know more and read more .
I don’t know how you transitioned from telling us your story in Tower in the sky to this talented historian .

[Yohannes Fassika · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5. Excellent work from Hiwot Teffera. It vividly depicts the toils of kolo temari and the astonishing elements of the traditional education. The details she captured in the book show how well she researched for the book. Describing all the details of such a complex system the way she did in a work of fiction is evidence of her brilliance. Her storytelling is very engaging. Particularly, I could only say wow on how she narrated the Boru Meda debate.

[Alexander Cai · Rating 4 out of 5]

My close friend and roommate from Ethiopia gifted a copy of this book to me, so I'm a bit biased in my review. It follows a young boy with an unusual name, Tewaney, as he leaves home in pursuit of a religious education and improves through the tiers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church (የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ በተ ክርስቲያን).

Summary below:


The first half of the story is filled with struggle as Tewaney experiences the difficult life of a religious student: fighting dogs as he goes begging for food, fearing that disease might take his life or one of his friends' lives. Eventually he masters the Psalms (መዝሙረ ዳዊት mezmurä Dawit) and religious song (ዜማ zema). Then in the second half, he goes from school to school in pursuit of the grand goal of becoming a scholar of qene (ቅኔ ሊቅ qïne liq) -- a sacred, improvised, oral poetry that is at once art, prayer, and lifestyle. As a reward for a successful performance at a grand feast, Tewaney is invited to attend the (true historical) theological debate of Boru Meda ቦሩ ሜዳ in 1878 that affirmed the Täwahïdo doctrine. As someone who had read about Täwahïdo (usually romanized "Tewahedo") belief on the Internet and was still confused about how exactly it differed from "Dyophysitism" -- well, I'm still confused, to be honest. But it was interesting to read a detailed narration that I couldn't find elsewhere.


If there is anything I gained from this book, it is a desire to experience and understand the beauty of ቅኔ qïne, and a frustration that I probably won't get to within my lifetime.

The book isn't quite without flaws. The side characters pop in and out sporadically throughout the book so it was hard to form any relationships with them. The book moves very quickly from place to place, and I don't remember there being detailed descriptions of Tewaney's environment, so it was hard for me, not knowing the places beforehand, to keep track of what was going on. The simple language is nice and has a soothing rhythm, but it does come a bit at the expense of detail or any imagery, leaving the experience of reading the book a little flat. Overall it showed me a perspective, a lifestyle, that I wouldn't have known otherwise, and in that it certainly succeeded!

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very lively book worth reading.

[Firesenay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Feven · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good historical fiction book, and I enjoy the story. However, the characters and the plot are fast-paced.

[Minte Habtie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zo schoon en zo leerrijk!

[Eden Zewdu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mine to Win is an interesting historical fiction, that takes the readers back to the late 19th century. It gives an insight into the Ethiopian traditional education system through one student's life (Tewanay). It is fascinating how the traditional school system encourages students to observe their environment and enhance philosophical inquiries. Hiwot's narrative vividly pictures all the exploration of 'Kolo Temari', leaving us captivated by her every word. The detailed portrayal of the Boru Meda debate within the book seemed excessive and I am uncertain about its contribution to the overall storyline. In general, it is an interesting book to read. I recommend it!