Ethiopian Review

Beneath the Lion’s Gaze | http://mcnallyjackson.com

Mengiste was born in Addis Ababa, and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. Her work has appeared in New York Magazine, The Baltimore Review, Ninth Letter and 42opus. She’s been nominated for a Pushcart and was chosen by New York Magazine as a “New Literary Idol”. More than all of that, however, we like that she’s local.

This, her first novel, is set in Ethiopia in the 1970′s. In 1974, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed in what Ethiopians were promised would be a “bloodless coup,” a military revolt that would oust a monarchy dating back to the days of King Solomon. Surprisingly enough, there was some measure of blood. Brutality even. And turmoil. And starvation. The country’s violence, as seen through the struggle of one family, makes for gripping, often heartbreaking reading. Chris Abani writes that Mengiste has “a compassionate imagination that transforms everything it touches on.” Be sure to sit near enough, then, and perhaps it may touch on you.