THE WIFE'S TALE A Personal History

Adjoa Andoh expertly narrates the author's memoir of her grandmother's life, spanning twentieth-century Ethiopia. The narrative jumps between childbirth, politics, and religion, but any confusion is allayed by Andoh's many vocal inflections. In a setting where women's roles are limited (the "wife" here is Yetemegnu, who is 8 years old at her marriage), the rituals of home are paramount. As Edemariam provides vivid descriptions of foods and their preparation and Yetemegnu's care of her husband and children, Andoh brings these details to life with a deft command of Amharic phrases. Ultimately, the illiterate Yetemegnu is granted an audience with Emperor Haile Selassie to clear her husband's name and to fight for her land. Andoh narrates these scenes in a manner that belies Yetemegnu's supposed powerlessness. M.P.P. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2018]