(Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti, maybe even Yemen; fiction or non-fiction)
So, my family is from Eritrea & — to a lesser extent — Ethiopia (my Eritrean mom grew up there). I have always been an active member our shared community and culture.
I also read a ton, and in the past few years have challenged myself to read books *only* by Black people, especially Black women. I wanted to see how long I could do it for and was surprised that I could literally do it forever! It has done wonders for my feelings of inclusiveness, feeling understood/seen, etc.
However, most books are from Nigerian or African American authors. I love this! But would love to read more books by or from my family’s specific culture or learn more about their geographic neighbors (I feel like I’ve learned a lot about Nigerian culture through its fiction authors). I would also shy away from books about escaping to America, because I’ve read a lot and know my own family’s story well.
Some that I have already read:
* You Belong by Sebene Selassie – wonderful book on our sense of belonging from an Ethiopian Buddhist
* Cutting for Stone – fiction about two twins partly set in Ethiopia and America, strongly recommend to anyone into fiction on family dynamics or immigration
* Gratitude in Low Voices – An autobiography from someone I know about fleeing Eritrea, he’s an incredible person IRL and the book is great
by zurrkat