alwinburn's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
thain's review
4.0
An Ethiopian immigrant stuck in a rut running a bodega in DC finds hope in a fleeting friendship with a new neighbor and her daughter. A melancholy and introspective tale touching on issues of displacement and gentrification.
sunnyblue12's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kecordell's review
3.0
I'm still unsure if this book was plot-driven or character-driven. It explored a six month period of an Ethiopian-born U.S. resident as he interacted with his neighbors and fellow African immigrants. The overall theme of the novel boils down to the devoid the main character feels between his home country and the United States, as well as the guilt he has for causing his father's imprisonment. It was a quick read, but I was just as apathetic about reading it as the main character was about his own life.
duskyliterati's review against another edition
3.0
Ethiopian immigrant, Sepha Stephanos, who fled his country 17 years ago, is the owner of a barely profitable store in a neighborhood of Washington, DC. The reader is also introduced to his friends, Kenneth from Kenya and Joseph from the Congo. Other main characters, are Judith, a white woman, and her mixed race daughter, Naomi. Judith, who is renovating a 4-story home, represents the first wave of impending gentrification. The book’s title comes from a line in Dante’s Inferno, that Joseph believes to be “the most perfect lines of poetry ever written.”
"Some of the beautiful things that Heaven bears, Where we came forth, and once more saw the stars" — Dante’s Inferno
One of things I liked about this book was it took place in the Logan Circle neighborhood of DC (with a side trip to Silver Spring, MD). I grew up and spent over 30 years in the area. While I found the passages between Naomi and Sepha moving as they bonded through their shared reading of The Brothers Karamazov, I felt that the attraction between Sepha and Naomi’s mother, Judith, to be forced and lacking chemistry. The story came alive for me as we find out the circumstances surrounding Sepha’s life and subsequent flight from Ethiopia. I enjoyed the interaction between Sepha and his friends as they meet in their favorite bar and play their game “name the African coups and dictators.” When the action briefly moves to Silver Spring, Mengestu helps us understand how newly arrived immigrants live.
The book was honored with as the New York Times Notable Book of the Year and the Guardian First Book Award.
"Some of the beautiful things that Heaven bears, Where we came forth, and once more saw the stars" — Dante’s Inferno
One of things I liked about this book was it took place in the Logan Circle neighborhood of DC (with a side trip to Silver Spring, MD). I grew up and spent over 30 years in the area. While I found the passages between Naomi and Sepha moving as they bonded through their shared reading of The Brothers Karamazov, I felt that the attraction between Sepha and Naomi’s mother, Judith, to be forced and lacking chemistry. The story came alive for me as we find out the circumstances surrounding Sepha’s life and subsequent flight from Ethiopia. I enjoyed the interaction between Sepha and his friends as they meet in their favorite bar and play their game “name the African coups and dictators.” When the action briefly moves to Silver Spring, Mengestu helps us understand how newly arrived immigrants live.
The book was honored with as the New York Times Notable Book of the Year and the Guardian First Book Award.
lireavecbeck's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this novel. There is a lot of pain to be felt on behalf of Sepha, and the conflicting relationship he has with his memories. They burn and yet he finds himself aching for the past, Joseph and Kenneth ache too. I can't believe how easy it was to slip into the narrative, finding myself looking at the clock and 2 hours have passed without my knowing. Beautifully written. (Was I meant to have sympathy for certain characters though?)
hem's review against another edition
Sad and sweet. Kind of everything you would expect from title and cover alone.
boleary30's review
1.0
A powerful topic: Immigrants trying to get out of a poverty, but not done well.