A review by ashleyspilk
The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu

3.0

This book tricks you into believing that our situations in life are hopeless. As he casually chronicles African coup history as conversation between friends, what he's really saying is, the names change but the situation is the same. And as he tells of a D.C. neighborhood divided by race and economics, he again re-iterates that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Not true. If everyone adopted the same, hopeless apathy and inertia as the main character, life would be pointless. Dear friends, life is not hopeless- unless you seek Truth where it cannot be found, peace where it does not exist, and fulfillment in the vast nothingness of society. Then, yes, yours is a hopeless pursuit. However, the God of the universe, who created everything we see and hear and feel and know, loves you intimately and gave Himself as a ransom for our lives- He calls us His own. He loves us inexplicably though we cannot nor will not ever deserve or earn His love. And it is His love who defines who we are, what we are, and why we are. Not being an American, an African, nor any other label we own. The world can change, but not by the short-sighted methods we've employed. By Love, honest, authentic Love for God and for all people.