Wife's Tale: A Personal History

The Wife's Tale is an intimate memoir by Aida Edemariam that retells her grandmother's stories of a childhood surrounded by proud priests and soldiers, her husband's imprisonment, and her fight for justice in Ethiopia during the 20th century. It is a winner of the RSL Ondaatje Prize 2019 and a CBC Book of the Year.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 21 February 2019
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

The remarkable tale of a 95-year-old woman and the most remarkable century in Ethiopian history is told in the book The Wife's Tale. Yetemegnu, a young girl from Gondar in northern Ethiopia, was married to a guy two decades her senior when she was just ten years old. Over the course of the following century, her world underwent a tremendous transformation. She saw the Fascist invasion and occupation, the Allied bombardment and exile from her city, the rise and fall of Emperor Haile Selassie, the revolution and civil war. She endured all of these events alongside parenthood, widowhood, and the loss of children.

The Wife's Tale is an intimate memoir that chronicles both a life and a country. Aida Edemariam, Yetemegnu's granddaughter, recounts her grandmother's tales of a childhood surrounded by proud priests and soldiers, her husband's imprisonment, her fight for justice, all set against an ancient cycle of festivals and the rhythms of the seasons. She introduces us to a diverse cast of characters, including emperors and empresses, scholars and nuns, Marxist revolutionaries and wartime double agents. Through these encounters, Edemariam takes us deep into the landscape and culture of this multifaceted, often mischaracterized country, as well as the heart of one indomitable woman.

The Wife's Tale is a captivating and informative book that offers a unique perspective on Ethiopian history and culture. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the region and its people.

Weight: 232g
Dimension: 129 x 197 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780007459629