amanda

I love the way this book is written! It is full of honesty and compassion. The author describes his childhood experiences first through the lens of a child and then each experience is reflected upon with the maturity of age. He perfectly captures the genuine curiosity and logical conclusions that a child of those ages would come to when faced with these extraordinary life events.

I like that I didn’t need to know anything about Ethiopia. There is a great deal of detail about the culture, religion, and political history of Ethiopia but these details are masterfully woven throughout the journey of this boy bringing context and revealing a deep, thoughtful understanding of the complexities of the human experience.

As a mother myself, I was really drawn to the heartfelt relationships he had with all the adults in his life. It’s amazing that a person could go through what he did and still have such a positive outlook on life. An excellent read!