Rarely the audience gets a chance to listen to tales about the lands like Ethiopia; it is because the writers of the modern world seldom visit such places. And if they do visit such places they know nothing about the history of the land. Only a native can tell such a tale that covers the changes that have taken place in the land over the past hundred years. Aida Edemariam the author of this book got the chance in her youth to spend a lot of time with her ninety-five years old grandmother.
Through her grandmother, the author has come to know about the cultural changes that have taken place in Ethiopia. Yetemegnu the grandmother of the author got married when she was only fourteen years of age. Her first child was born when she was fifteen and then the children they just kept on coming. Several of her children died as well because of one issue or the other. This situation made her life really tough and then her husband also got arrested because of which she was forced to protest against the Emperor.
Yetemegnu’s property was taken away from her during the attacks on her village and the revolution that followed. The lady however never lost hope in life and continue to strive for what she thought was right. Fascist movements, bomb attacks, and war the grandmother has seen all during the transformation of Ethiopia. For narration a local voice was needed and who could have served the cause better than Adjoa Andoh. Adjoa’s voice mixes nicely with the culture and the narrator just goes natural in the delivery of the dialogues.
