Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

A nun gives birth to conjoined twins in a mission
hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The mother dies in childbirth and the father, a British surgeon named Thomas Stone, disappears. It is this birth that sets in motion the action of Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese's first novel.

To read more, or listen to a reading by the author. Click here.

My Fathers' Daughter

In 2004, Hannah Pool knew more about next season's lipstick colors than she did about Africa: a beauty editor for The Guardian newspaper, she juggled lattes and cocktails, handbags and hangouts through her twenties just like any other beautiful, independent Londoner. Her white, English adoptive relatives were beloved to her and were all the family she needed.

Contacted by relatives she didn't know, she decided to visit Eritrea, the war-torn African country of her birth, and answer for herself the daunting questions every adopted child asks.

What Hannah Pool learned on her journey forms a narrative of insight, wisdom, wit, and warmth beyond all expectations.

Available from Amharic Kids.

E is for Ethiopia

I just ordered this book on-line. We have a similar book, C is for China - and I thought this might be useful in helping Mei Le understand where Little Sister is coming from.

It's written by a Canadian couple that spent two years in Ethiopia with VSO. Cost: $12 + shipping. Visit their web site for more info: http://members.shaw.ca/eisforethiopia/