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Beneath the Lion's Gaze by Maaza Mengiste
Jan. 26th, 2010 07:14 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
seabookmonger.livejournal.comGreetings,
My first post here and a shout out of thanks to the list member who visited the indie bookstore where I work and told me about this community. I've enjoyed reading the posts, revisiting some of the books I've enjoyed and finding new ones to read and recommend. Thank you.
Beneath the Lion's Gaze, a debut novel by Maaza Mengiste, has just been published by WW Norton. I can't recommend this novel highly enough. Set in Ethiopia during the last days of Haile Selassie and the beginning of the Derg government (about 1974) this is the story of a physician and his two adult children during a time of terrible violence and tumult, and not just in their country. Some of the scenes in this novel are horrific but, at least in my opinion, not in that distancing, "how could those people do that" way. Instead, we're lead to think about the reasons why people make the choices that they do and the possible turning points along the way. She's no apologist, though, and I appreciate that. I also thought about our own government's participation in these sorts of things.
That said, I fell in love with these characters and read this book in 2 sittings. I'm going to have to read it again. Maaza Mengiste is currently on tour and if you have a chance to see her, please do.
People may compare this novel to Dinaw Mengistu's novel, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears but please not that while Dinaw's book is set primarily in the US, Maaza's book is set in Ethiopia. Both are wonderful but very different books.
My first post here and a shout out of thanks to the list member who visited the indie bookstore where I work and told me about this community. I've enjoyed reading the posts, revisiting some of the books I've enjoyed and finding new ones to read and recommend. Thank you.
Beneath the Lion's Gaze, a debut novel by Maaza Mengiste, has just been published by WW Norton. I can't recommend this novel highly enough. Set in Ethiopia during the last days of Haile Selassie and the beginning of the Derg government (about 1974) this is the story of a physician and his two adult children during a time of terrible violence and tumult, and not just in their country. Some of the scenes in this novel are horrific but, at least in my opinion, not in that distancing, "how could those people do that" way. Instead, we're lead to think about the reasons why people make the choices that they do and the possible turning points along the way. She's no apologist, though, and I appreciate that. I also thought about our own government's participation in these sorts of things.
That said, I fell in love with these characters and read this book in 2 sittings. I'm going to have to read it again. Maaza Mengiste is currently on tour and if you have a chance to see her, please do.
People may compare this novel to Dinaw Mengistu's novel, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears but please not that while Dinaw's book is set primarily in the US, Maaza's book is set in Ethiopia. Both are wonderful but very different books.
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