The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears
ABOUT
THE BOOK
Seventeen years ago, Sepha Stephanos fled the Ethiopian Revolution after witnessing soldiers beat his father to the point of certain death, selling off his parents’ jewelry to pay for passage to the United States. Now he finds himself running a grocery store in a poor African-American neighborhood in Washington, D.C. His only companions are two fellow African immigrants who share his feelings of frustration with and bitter nostalgia for their home continent. He realizes that his life has turned out completely different and far more isolated from the one he had imagined for himself years ago.
Soon Sepha’s neighborhood begins to change. Hope comes in the form of new neighbors-Judith and Naomi, a white woman and her biracial daughter-who become his friends and remind him of what having a family is like for the first time in years. But when the neighbourhood’s newfound calm is disturbed by a series of racial incidents, Sepha may lose everything all over again.
NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS
A ruefully told tale of a relationship between people from different cultural backrounds. Very well described.
Mr Mengestu’s story of love and immigration features Sepha Stephanos, an Ethiopian grocery store owner who is dealing with the conflicting ideals of his love for a Caucasian woman and his loyalty to his heritage in this moving picture of cultural acclimation.
Humanizes the immigrant experience through the fresh and insightful perspectives of these superbly drawn characters. Heart rending and richly rewarding.