Held at a Distance: A Rediscovery of Ethiopia

Held at a Distance: A Rediscovery of Ethiopia
by Rebecca G. Haile

Held at a Distance: A Rediscovery of Ethiopia
List Price: $17.95
Our Price: $10.35
You Save: $7.60 (42%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $9.95 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


(Click here)
Buy this book at online book store in your country
Canada | UK | Germany | France

Book Summary Information

Author: Rebecca G. Haile
Edition: Paperback
Published: 2007-05-01
ISBN: 0897335562
Number of pages: 200
Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers

Book Reviews of Held at a Distance: A Rediscovery of Ethiopia

Book Review: wonderful!
Summary: 5 Stars

Rebecca's book was so informative when reading through the lens of Ethiopian adoption. It is a window into the mind of a woman who is Ethiopian and American as she works through her thoughts and relationship with Ethiopia, its politics, people and land - something our family will be doing for the rest of our lives. All the history and culture was a bonus! I loved the book.

Summary of Held at a Distance: A Rediscovery of Ethiopia

"Part travelogue, part history, part memoir, Rebecca Haile's Held at a Distance shines a bright and unique light on Ethiopia, a country in whose fortunes we as Americans and Westerners have been concerned for some time, but which remains in large part a mystery to many of us. . . . Today, Ethiopia, for far too many people, is synonymous with poverty and warfare; but for generations of African Americans, it was the font of black civilization itself, the spiritual source of visions of a united and prosperous Pan-Africa, the living testament to the glories that were Black Africa. In her bold new book, Haile moves far beyond the one-dimensional headlines that encapsulate Ethiopia in the Western press to provide as rich and nuanced a portrait of her native land as I have seen. It's an important and beautifully written volume."--HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR., Harvard University

"This is the story of an Ethiopian child who became an American adult, and then returned to rediscover her country of origin after 25 years. What she discovers is the difficulty and dangers of defining identity in our contemporary world, a well-nigh universal problem. This is a memoir that reads like a novel, and encourages thoughtful reflection on our dilemmas."--IMMANUEL WALLERSTEIN, Yale University

In this first hand account of a woman's journey back to her homeland, Rebecca Haile's Held at a Distance: My Rediscovery of Ethiopia gives readers a powerful and unique glimpse into a fascinating African country. Haile was born in Ethiopia in 1965 and lived there until she was eleven years old. When the Emperor was deposed by a military coup, Haile's father, a leading academic in Addis Ababa, was shot while "resisting arrest." Barely surviving, he escaped with his family and settled in central Minnesota where they struggled with the cultural and financial strain of their drastically changed circumstances.

Haile grew up in America harboring her precious childhood memories, but in time saw herself as more American than Ethiopian. She attended Williams College and went on to graduate from Harvard Law School. In 2001, she was the first member of her family to return to Ethiopia. Her trip profiles key family members who are still living in the country, and she writes movingly about Ethiopia's recent past and its ancient history.

Few books have dealt with the millions of Ethiopians affected by war and strife in their country. Rebecca Haile's book brings into focus the challenges and consequences of three decades of political upheaval in Ethiopia. She offers a clear-eyed analysis of the country today, and her keen observations and personal experiences will resonate with readers.

African-American & Black Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in African-American & Black Books
The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America ImageThe Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America
by Joe Posnanski
William Morrow; Published: 2007-02-27; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.96
Price in other shops: $24.95
Roots: The Saga of an American Family ImageRoots: The Saga of an American Family
by Alex Haley
Vanguard Press; Published: 2007-05-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.49
Price in other shops: $15.95
The Autobiography of Malcolm X : As Told to Alex Haley ImageThe Autobiography of Malcolm X : As Told to Alex Haley
Ballantine Books; Published: 1987-10-12; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.10
Price in other shops: $7.99
Black Boy: A Record of Childhood and Youth ImageBlack Boy: A Record of Childhood and Youth
by Richard Wright
Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Published: 2007-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.44
Price in other shops: $14.95
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ImageI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou
Bantam; Published: 1983-05-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.72
Price in other shops: $6.99
Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life ImageQuiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life
by Tony Dungy, Nathan Whitaker
Tyndale; Published: 2007-07-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.75
Price in other shops: $26.99
The Color of Water 10th Anniversary Edition ImageThe Color of Water 10th Anniversary Edition
by James McBride
Riverhead Trade; Published: 2006-02-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.39
Price in other shops: $14.00
Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together ImageSame Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together
by Ron Hall, Denver Moore
Thomas Nelson; Published: 2008-03-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.93
Price in other shops: $14.99
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance ImageDreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
by Barack Obama
Three Rivers Press; Published: 2004-08-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.49
Price in other shops: $14.95
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream ImageThe Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
by Barack Obama
Three Rivers Press; Published: 2007-11-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.64
Price in other shops: $14.95
Similar Books and other products
Ethiopia & Eritrea (Country Guide) ImageEthiopia & Eritrea (Country Guide)
by Matt Phillips
Lonely Planet; Published: 2006-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $16.30
Price in other shops: $25.99
A History of Ethiopia Updated Edition ImageA History of Ethiopia Updated Edition
by Harold G. Marcus
University of California Press; Published: 2002-01-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.40
Price in other shops: $21.95
Fire on the Mountain (Aladdin Picture Books) ImageFire on the Mountain (Aladdin Picture Books)
by Jane Kurtz
Aladdin; Published: 1998-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.01
Price in other shops: $7.99
I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World ImageI'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World
by Marguerite Wright
Jossey-Bass; Published: 2000-05-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.83
Price in other shops: $15.95
Notes from the Hyena's Belly: An Ethiopian Boyhood ImageNotes from the Hyena's Belly: An Ethiopian Boyhood
by Nega Mezlekia
Picador; Published: 2002-01-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.92
Price in other shops: $14.00
The Perfect Orange: A Tale from Ethiopia (Toucan Tales Series ; Vol. 2) (Toucan Tales Series ; Vol. 2) ImageThe Perfect Orange: A Tale from Ethiopia (Toucan Tales Series ; Vol. 2) (Toucan Tales Series ; Vol. 2)
by Frank P. Araujo
Rayve Productions; Published: 1994-12-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $11.04
Price in other shops: $17.95
Ethiopia, 4th: The Bradt Travel Guide ImageEthiopia, 4th: The Bradt Travel Guide
by Philip Briggs
Bradt Travel Guides; Published: 2006-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.71
Price in other shops: $24.95
Ethiopian Amharic Phrasebook ImageEthiopian Amharic Phrasebook
by Tilahun Kebede, Catherine Snow
Lonely Planet; Published: 2002-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.83
Price in other shops: $7.99
The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears ImageThe Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears
by Dinaw Mengestu
Riverhead Trade; Published: 2008-02-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.50
Price in other shops: $14.00
There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Her Country's Children ImageThere Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Her Country's Children
by Melissa Fay Greene
Bloomsbury USA; Published: 2007-09-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.77
Price in other shops: $15.95
Book store. Illustrated catalog of books on different categories