This Ethiopian novel about the search for an arsonist gives an interesting glimpse of village life among the Gurage people in the 1960s. In the absence of formal courts, the case is dealt with by a village council, an "afersata".
As part of my World Books Project, I visited Ethiopia through the eyes of Sahlie Sellassie. If I had to use one word to describe it, that would be: Welcoming.
