The History of a Difficult Child

An extraordinary novel. At once a story of a sharp-witted young girl trying to hold herself together during political upheaval, and an achingly tender tale of community, family, grief and forgiveness – Maaza Mengiste, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of THE SHADOW KINGA major new writing talent. Not only does the novel confront history, masculinity and gender in refreshing but uncompromising ways, it also has a remarkably original voice, fresh and irreverent. Sibhat will soon be one of the most influential voices in the literature of Africa – Chris Abani, author of GRACELANDA brilliant powerhouse of a novel, an incandescent read from an electrifying writer – Patricia Hampl, author of THE ART OF THE WASTED DAYSelam, Mihret Sibhat’s ferociously witty young narrator, depicts her family’s religious and political struggles in Ethiopia in extraordinarily rich and original prose… Deeply moving as well as hilarious. A one-of-a-kind must-read debut – Julie Schumacher, author of DEAR COMMITTEE MEMBERSAn unexpected and hilarious voice with a velocity all its own… razor-sharp. Tender and merciless, full of human and political insight. I couldn’t stop turning the pages – V. V. Ganeshananthan, author of BROTHERLESS NIGHTAn exhilarating novel by a powerful new writer * Elif Batuman, author of Pulitzer-Prize finalist The Idiot and Either/Or *

Mihret Sibhat was born and raised in a small town in western Ethiopia before moving to California when she was seventeen. A graduate of University of Minnesota’s MFA program, she was a 2019 Public Space Fellow and a 2019 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative grantee. In a previous life, she was a waitress, a nanny, an occasional shoe shiner, a propagandist, and a terrible gospel singer. She’s currently a miserable Arsenal fan.

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