Book Review: Menghedi: Two Women. Two Journeys. One Hope for Freedom.

Menghedi. Semhar Gebre. Halpin Publishing, February 26, 2014, Trade Paperback, 234 pages.

Reviewed by Dipika Mukherjee.

Menghedi means “Journey” and Gebre’s book traces the journey of two very different women: Ma’arinet is an American girl, having been brought up by Eritrean immigrants to Chicago; Timneet’s story takes place amidst the brutality of a civil war for Eritrean freedom from Ethiopia. Gebre does a good job of shining a spotlight on Eritrea, an area of the world that is rarely covered by the international news media.

There is some fine fiction written in English highlighting the Ethiopian revolution (Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and Beneath the Lion's Gaze come to mind), but the Eritrean struggle for freedom is still largely unknown, especially as Eritrean independence was achieved as recently as in 1991.

Timneet’s story is full of the brutality of war and occupation, sparing neither the children nor the old, and provides brief glimpses into the lives of child soldiers and the desperation that leads them to make inhumane choices.

Ma’arinet’s life is a depiction of domestic violence; also horrific although it focuses on the personal rather than the oppression of an entire people. This brutal story only ends when the victim understands a basic truth about her life: “I’ve learned that nothin’ is more frightenin’ than the realization you could be a prisoner in your own life.”

The book would have benefited from the attention of a good editor, as it tends to veer into the melodramatic:

“Director Almaz allowed another long pause to pass before she closed her gaping mouth and stared with no words to explain her behavior. She cupped both her hands over her eyes in utter disbelief and sobbed like a motherless newborn”

Despite some occasional hiccups, Menghedi is a very engrossing story about two remarkable women who fight the violence in their lives and choose personal freedom, even if it could lead to death. The description of life in Eritrea, with close-knit and loving communities of women dealing with loss but fortifying each other, is especially charming. The storyline has a nice twist at the end that explains how Ma’arinet and Timneet are connected.

The story is brutally graphic at times, especially with the mass shooting of schoolchildren and the callousness of child soldiers. However, for those who stay with the story, it offers an insight into a relatively untold story of human history and exemplifies the strength of the human spirit despite all odds.