I'm not sure what possessed me to request this book but I am very glad I did. This is a shocking biography of a woman "married" to a man 30 years old as an 8-year-old. It really strikes at Western sensibility just how different life can be within other cultures. As a privileged, white, western woman I really want to condemn the actions of Edemariam's great-grandparents, but equally, this isn't my culture so who am I to judge? Thank you for approving this title for me.

"Light rains, spots of fresh green grass. Storks fly north. Women prepare fuel for the rainy season: deadwood, and sundried cow dung coated with mud. Caravans hurry home from Sudan. Fishing in rivers. Children sing of the country’s wellbeing to storks, men and women picnic outside, celebrating the birthday of Mary."
This was every bit as marvellous as the reviews and prizes suggest it is. The author tells the story of her grandmother, who was married as a child and by virtue of a long life saw huge change in Ethiopia. She lived under imperial rule, witnessed the Italian invasion, and then British bombs. She lived through the takeover of the Marxist-Leninist influenced Derg, and the terrible famines everyone over a certain age will no doubt picture when someone mentions Ethiopia.

This isn't a universal picture: the author doesn't hide the affluence of her grandmother's family. But her privilege meant that she travelled and witnessed more than some, and as a woman her experience across the century is now very much of an almost unrecognisable past, and was of the past even to her children and grandchildren. I loved the way the author structured the book around Ethiopian months, with a description of the season and traditional work.

This is true the story of Yetemegnu, a child bride, who was born in Ethiopia around 1916. She died in 2013 and her long life spanned the reign of Haile Selassie, the Italian invasion and the long period of Derg military rule under Mengistu. Married at 12 years of age she bore her husband, Tsega, 10 children and lived for 60 years a widow. It is simply staggering to read of the hardship and suffering she endured - some admittedly self-inflicted - over her entire life. How she acquired the knowledge to perform, to perfection, the many duties of an Ethiopian wife whilst maintaining unflinching adherence to the myriad traditions and customs of Ethiopia makes for utterly absorbing reading. Definitely a book to broaden the mind.

I did find this book hard to follow and agree with other comments that a family tree would be useful. Interesting

Having read Wild Swans I was expecting big things. Sadly it doesn't live up to the hype. Difficult book to get into.

This is a great story but I found the writing style made it almost impossible to understand at times. I have had it for four months and have finally persevered as the underlying story fascinates me as did the history of Ethiopia.

The author, Aida Edemariam, writes about the life of her grandmother, Yetemegnu, who was born in 1916 and married to a 31 year old priest when she was just 8 years old. Yetetmegnu bore 10 children and lived to be about 97. Emperor Haile Selassie was regent from the year Yetemegnu was born and then became Emperor in 1930. His reign and the time would make a great book in itself but I found it quite hard to follow the history sections as they speak of unknown towns and land and so many people with unfamiliar names. A map and list of names might have been helpful.

There were numerous words throughout the book which I did not understand and which Google did not help me with. e,g, aqwatiré yizishalehu. I finally found the meaning of some when I finished the book as there is a glossary at the end. This is not so easy to access when reading on a Kindle but I wish I’d found it earlier to make more sense of some things.

My main frustration is the style in which it is written – often as a series of statements with lots of uses of pronouns where it is unclear who is being referred to. There are frequents quotations from other books, some ancient scripts I think, which made little sense. The only positive being they were in capitals so I gave up trying to understand them after a while and simply skipped over them.

This phrase occurs several times throughout the book but again means little to me

"Mariam Mariam Mariam Mariam Mariam, dirèshilin. O Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady, come to my aid"

A family tree would be helpful too as I got to the end of the book and am still not clear which of Yetemegnu’s children the author is the daughter of. For a while I thought it was the eldest child, Alemitu, as she talks of her eldest child going to the monastery with a fertility ritual and a daughter being born nice months later. The author then moves from the third person that has been used in 80% of the books to saying ‘my mother’ about that baby. But later she talks of her mother’s Canadian family visiting which means she is the child of a son Edemarium who married a Canadian girl. Yetemegnu had a lot of children, many of who died before her, but very little is said about the last two or three decades of her life which is a shame.

I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, 4th Estate, William Collins for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am just sorry I didn’t like it a lot more as it’s a great story to be told.

A spell-binding account of life in Ethiopia from 1916 until 2013.

Yetemengu is part of a reasonably wealthy Ethiopian family in the early 20th century. She is married to a man 20 years her senior at the age of 9 and by the age of 14 had the first of many children. Her story is told by her granddaughter, Aida Edemariam, but in Yetemengu’s own words.

The beauty of this book is in the powerful writing. The descriptions of the Ethiopian countryside, seasons and traditions brought this country alive for me.

Like most people, Ethiopia only came to my attention due to the horrendous famine and poverty highlighted by Bob Geldorf’s Live Aid concert in the 70s. I was vaguely aware of Emperor Haile Selassie and that the Italians once ruled the country but this book has completely opened my eyes to its history and made me want to read more about the horrific events that happened there.

Yetemengu is such an intriguing woman. She could not read or write and was totally subservient to her husband but her strength of character shines through. In another country or time, I feel that she could have been a leader. Despite adhering to all the traditions of the time, suffering so much hardship, not least when giving birth, she towers above so many of the many male characters who, when her husband died, denied her the land and money due to her.

Although her life was so full of hardship and suffering she ends her life revered by her family and acquaintances as a shining example of a life well-lived.

This would have been a great story if it had been fiction but the fact that it is written by Yetemengu’s granddaughter makes it even better. The love and respect shine through and it was a fascinating story of a life so different from what we are used to and how a woman can rise above her lifestyle and make an impact.

Dexter

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

The Wife's Tale will, I suspect, be something of a 'Marmite' book.. I think it is an important text, recording the anecdotal memories of the Author's great grandmother over a period of 90+ years in Ethiopia. Not always easy to read,with some discontinuities, it reveals the trials and tribulations of a wife, mother and grandmother during a turbulent period of history which saw the country occupied by Italy, ruled by the British, plagued by Revolution and Civil War coupled with the rise and subsequent fall of Haile Selassie. .Against this political backdrop,Yetemegnu was a loyal and dutiful wife who saw her husband, a Priest, rise and later imprisoned. She saw injustice, sought audiences with Regional Governors and the President to argue for his release. She mothered a large family, some died young, some were seemingly judged bright, others less so. Through 'patronage' some were offered a 'privileged' education away from home whilst the claims/needs of others were ignored by those in power. On the death of her husband she assumed all family responsibilities. She might have assumed the male first born would return to assume the patriarchal role. It must have been a shock to her and reveal a change in culture that he emigrated to Canada where he practiced as a Doctor. He did visit bringing his non Ethiopian wife with him. All this light years from Yetemegnu's world. It is hard to imagine how global change has affected the lives of modest people in Africa. Throughout, she retained and practiced her religious faith seeking spiritual guidance and forgiveness as necessary. At the end all she wanted was to return home. She got her wish.

Initially this book reminded me so much of Tolkien’s “Silmarillion” – a fabulous land with so much history, excerpts from ancient religious scrolls, weird rituals, poetry, feasting, bible-like prose … It was all just so alien to me – not just another time, but another place – another world. This was not helped by the main action taking place in a province called Gondar (c.f. Tolkien’s Gondor!). I had to keep reminding myself that this was a real story about a real person.
The other thing that struck me forcibly, was that this Ethiopia was a land of great wealth, verdant countryside and limitless food – a far cry from the usual media portrayal of starving masses on a baked mud desert. Later in the book, after civil wars and communist clampdowns, that image did rear its ugly head. The landscape of Ethiopia seemed like a paradise – if only the horrors of war and government mismanagement had not occurred. Perhaps in the future, this paradise may rise again.
However, this image of Ethiopia was portrayed by a girl/lady from a well-off family, one who always had servants, and initially even slaves. There is little mention of the physical hardships that the poorer classes may have suffered.
The old Ethiopia was an absolute monarchy ruled by an aristocratic and by a clerical elite, hidebound by religion and tradition, despite a few attempts at modernisation and education by later rulers. It is in this stifling, misogynist world that Yetemegnu lived most of her long woe-filled life: “When were you happy? I asked once. I’m never happy, came the answer, I’m always crying. All of my life is painted in tears.”
Yetemegnu’s story begins with her marriage – aged 8 (!!!) to a much older, very ambitious priest. She understood little of the ceremony, and little of what was required of her. With marriage she suddenly became a lady, who must always act in ways that will reflect positively on the standing of her husband: “When he was out the servants took charge, bossing her about the house like the child she still was, letting her help, yet refusing to play games with her because, being married, she was no longer a child.” Sometimes, her husband seemed to be kind and considerate – though only in private, and only when her actions could not lower his reputation. When she forgot her duties and went outside to play or dance or visit, her husband beat her – as was his right.
Her two main jobs appeared to be as brood mare (ten pregnancies brought to term!), and a perpetual supplier of food: “It was obvious to her that her husband had no idea how much labour he was creating when he brought yet another man home and said, he’s been working, let him eat” and she would think “this church is killing me”. Religion was one of her few comforts, but also a rod for her back, as she strove to support her husband’s upward climb.
Religion was used by the Italian invaders to subdue the masses, by Emperor Hailè Selassie to secure his return, and above all, by the clergy to maintain their grip on the wealth of the country: “And above them all the perfunctory deacons crouching, pouring the blessed water, and then, as midday approached, intoning – one eye on the takings and another on lunch – the acts of the saints and the Miracles of Mary.”
It was only with the death of her husband, “that finally she had a choice when it came to men, and she chose no.” She continued to think “that things were a certain way because that was how they had always been and always would be” but was able to allow her children (except her oldest girl) to take advantage of modern education and to choose their own paths – even when she had misgivings about their choices.
I did like reading Yetemegnu’s story, but was more interested in the politics and historical changes taking place, and would have liked more on that.
The writing was exceptional, with striking imagery. There was a lot of repetition in the depiction of the private sphere, but that did serve to underscore the unrelenting dullness and constrictions of Yetemegnu’s life.
This is a fascinating book, but lengthy. It is written with love, and a desire to ensure that the changing face of Ethiopia, as seen through the eyes of Yetemegnu, is remembered.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I love historical stories and even better when a true one. I was intrigued by the description of this biography of the history of Ethiopian Yètèmegn Mèkonnenas told by her granddaughter Aida Edemariam. Yètemegn is born in the early 1900s into a respected family. However, she is married off before she is 10 to an older man - a priest. This is Yètèmegn's story taking us from 1916 to 2013. A book of strength, justice and courage with a fascinating insight into the culture, history and politics of Ethiopia over 100 years. A good read if a little hard to follow at times.

This is the personal history of an Ethiopian woman, Yètèmegn Mèkonnen. It is told by her granddaughter, Aida. The book was, for me, an insight into a very different culture but I found it a bit confusing due to the writing style. It jumps around a bit and I struggled to follow the story. One that is probably true of many women around the world. Thank you Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads and Facebook.

The Wife’s Tale was an okay read but nothing particularly brilliant.

It’s one of those books that is hard to criticise or praise. I thought it would be a good read. Judging by the blurb it sounds like a gripping, tear-jerker. In reality, not so much. I felt the book just doesn’t live up to it’s potential. I found it very dull at times and struggled to get through the book.

The story doesn’t flow particularly well at times and at some points it becomes quite jumbled. I don’t know whether this is down to poor writing/editing or a formatting issue. There are large sections where the text seems to be all over the place. Again, it’s not clear if this is poor writing/editing or a formatting issue. Whatever the cause, it’s not professional and put me off.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t recommend The Wife’s Tale because, formatting issues aside, there’s not a lot going on to hold my interest.