Blue Daughter of the Red Sea: A Memoir - Tapa dura

"When I began to read this memoir, I could not put it down. There is an intensity of experience, a poignancy in the voice of the child-narrator that tells her own harrowing story of poverty and marginality. But at the same time, there is a lyrical tone to her writing. She is able to capture beauty amidst the horrors. And also, she is able to continue becoming human in a dehumanized world." Virgil Suarez, author of Guide to the Blue Tongue" "This is a world of violence, turmoil, strife. . . . I was completely taken by the plight of [Birabiro s] characters, the life she represents of this part of the world so few of us know anything about. The impact it made on me as a reader is a devastating one. It s a reminder that people will rise against all odds to survive and prevail." Marjorie Agosin, author of At the Threshold of Memories: New and Selected Poems " "This is a world of violence, turmoil, strife. . . . I was completely taken by the plight of [Birabiro s] characters, the life she represents of this part of the world so few of us know anything about. The impact it made on me as a reader is a devastating one. It s a reminder that people will rise against all odds to survive and prevail." Marjorie Agosin, author of "At the Threshold of Memories: New and Selected Poems"" "This is a world of violence, turmoil, strife. . . . I was completely taken by the plight of [Birabiro's] characters, the life she represents of this part of the world so few of us know anything about. The impact it made on me as a reader is a devastating one. It's a reminder that people will rise against all odds to survive and prevail."--Marjorie Agosin, author of "At the Threshold of Memories: New and Selected Poems" "This is a world of violence, turmoil, strife. . . . I was completely taken by the plight of [Birabiro's] characters, the life she represents of this part of the world so few of us know anything about. The impact it made on me as a reader is a devastating one. It's a reminder that people will rise against all odds to survive and prevail."--Marjorie Agosin, author of "At the Threshold of Memories: New and Selected Poems"

Born into a life of constant financial, physical, and moral threat, Meti Birabiro takes refuge in literature and the fantastic. Blue Daughter of the Red Sea is Birabiro's poetic account of the harsh reality of her young life spread across three continents. Her voice is a fresh melange of child and adult perspectives, at once brutally honest and wise beyond her years. Through the journey from Ethiopia to Italy, and finally to the United States, we encounter Birabiro's relatives, friends, and enemies - relationships so intense that these people become her vampires, devils, angels, and saints. These character designations always lead her back to the truth. They help her to decipher what is fair and good, to understand what she must cherish and what she must rage against.