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The History of a Difficult Child

by Mihret Sibhat

The History of a Difficult Child

by Mihret Sibhat

In the political turmoil of 1980s Ethiopia, Selam Asmelash finds herself grappling with the realities of growing up in a household caught in the crosshairs of a socialist revolution. As the youngest member of the once-prosperous Asmelash family, her precociousness contrasts with the chaos enveloping her world. Secretly tuning into the radio with her father, they witness the government's downfall, property confiscations, and the rising civil strife in the North. Their family, stripped of status and property, is entrenched in a bitter struggle for dignity and survival. Degitu, Selam's formidable mother, becomes a beacon of unwavering resilience as she copes with illness and converts to Pentecostalism, demanding her family follow in faith. In defiance of this turbulence, Selam's journey is fueled by vengeance against tyrannical officials, local tormentors, and a questioning of divine will. This novel is a portrait of a girl crafting her identity amid a clash with her mother, her God, and her nation, as she vehemently chases the liberties of education, love, and the right to be heard.

  • Historical
  • Literary
  • Fiction
  • Coming of Age
  • Cultural
  • Family
  • Revolution
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