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A Novel
Liveright
February 2026
On Sale: February 10, 2026
288 pages
ISBN: 1324092491
EAN: 9781324092490
Kindle: B0FJ385QZK
Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook
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Historical | Multicultural African-American
A radiant, highly anticipated debut from the Well–Read Black Girl Books series, delving into the secret lives of three women on the eve of Eritrean independence. The year is 1991. Eritrea is on the verge of liberation from Ethiopian rule and in Washington, D.C.’s tight–knit Eritrean community, change is in the air. Thirteen–year–old Lydia and her family are grappling with what peace—after decades of war—might mean for their future, just as they welcome a new relative into their home: Berekhet, a cousin newly arrived from Ethiopia to attend medical school. Berekhet encourages Lydia to confront a barrage of new ideas for the first time, about nationhood, family, and what it means to be truly free. Meanwhile, her mother, Elsa, a former rebel fighter, and the family matriarch, Mama Zewdi, contend with regrets and secrets long–buried—secrets that the emboldened Lydia is determined to uncover, including the truth about her martyred father. Written with warmth and sharp humor, Bsrat Mezghebe’s mesmerizing debut novel is a loving ode to an immigrant community on the cusp of a new age.
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