About the Author

This is one of a few books currently out in English that explore the pertinent issue of ‘identity’ among a new generation of displaced Ethiopians.

It describes the chaotic adoption of a little boy called Yohannes during one of Ethiopia’s most turbulent times, following which he was taken to grow up in the UK.

A series of events eventually leads Yohannes back to Addis Ababa, where he initiates, often with hilarious consequences, a quest to be accepted as one of the local people, even though he has no actual knowledge of their unique language or culture.

This is a genuinely touching, unparalleled exploration of contemporary Ethiopia by a writer who uses light humour and precise dialogue to highlight, with an economy of words, his unconditional love of this most ancient of nations and its timeless traditions.