Born at the End of the World

Merhazion opens the borders of Ethiopia and invites the reader into the violence that birthed her. Moving between the 1960s and 1980s, this debut novel explores the historical conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the effects of this war on ordinary civilians forced to become extraordinary because of what survival requires from them. Based on the true story of how the author’s parents’ individual paths were disrupted by the Derg regime, the book is full of suspense as Elen and Girmai fight for justice while they come to terms with a love that defies their circumstances. Their parallel childhoods are marked by fear, poverty and ultimately escape – yet they both cling to the hope of freedom. Though the imminent threat of violence keeps putting that hope at risk, love restores it. This is Merhazion’s debut novel, and although the story is born from darkness it is not a traumatic read. The author handles the themes of death, poverty, abandonment and family wounds with such care that the reader feels held rather than harrowed. Somila Swaartbooi