Reviews

The History of a Difficult Child by Mihret Sibhat

karima267's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

year23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

chelebrity91's review against another edition

3.0

An interesting story and perspective but also very tragic and a little slow paced.

hanawulu's review against another edition

funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I enjoyed this book for the child narrator.  They have a strong and hilarious voice. Also love that she starts narrating from within the womb and her refusal to accept some of the narratives of what's going on around her. Interesting characters and premise here - covering the story of a wealthy family during after the fall of feudalism in southwestern Ethiopia. This was a period of social and political and religious change in the country, there were many competing responses to the changes. I think this book starts to capture that complexity ...but could have gone even further. Think it is also notable that this book is set in rural southern ET and briefly covers a child's encounter with queerness. 

kleonard's review against another edition

2.0

Welp, the title says it all. This could have been a really interesting novel about Ethiopia in the 1980s, but the "difficult child," who narrates most of the novel, is both preternaturally wise and utterly lacking in knowledge and understanding, and was so annoying that it was a pain to finish the book. I came to loathe her completely. The issues the book addresses, though--poverty, war, class conflict, developing technology, lack of medical care, poor education, corrupt governmental and other institutions, identity, family structures and social customs--are fascinating. I just wish I could have read about them from a better perspective.

flo1993's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective relaxing tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

patchworkculture's review against another edition

challenging funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

gracenote07's review

challenging emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ehartfield's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

meckels's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0