A Winner of Two  Book  Awards
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Reviews / Student Readers


"What a passion for details, simplicity and readability! . . . Ambau did all these without any exaggeration or distortion of the customs or the cultural facts. Giving attention to and concentrating on smaller matters or things (nature, ideas, etc.) open our imagination for larger and wider worlds. This is what is taking place with DESTA. . .

"The key to knowledge is curiosity. I greatly admired Ambau's choice of the mountain, the sun and clouds as his objects of curiosity in the novel. How original can one be! This is not just another book on Ethiopia. I truly enjoyed reading it. Thank you, Ato Getty Ambau for writing this book!" 
           -Dr. Alula Wasse, Social Historian

"I read DESTA in manuscript form a year ago, and this amazing, lovely book is still in my mind. Getty is a fabulous storyteller, and Desta and his family are wonderful, vivid, flawed, and ultimately uplifting characters. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Like Harry Potter or The Book Thief, it is a book for both adults and younger readers. READ THIS BOOK. You will be glad you did. It is a true literary and cultural treasure!"
- Lori Schryer, author

"A very unique, creative and exciting plot . . .  All the pieces to the story are brought to life cleverly and beautifully! There is a hidden, effortless, unintentional spiritual quality to the writing. . . And there is a truly magical world within which the imagination and the spirit can soar. I loved it."
- P. Sanders, writer

       "A marvelous work. . . . I enjoyed it immensely. What fascinated me the most was how the author was able to weave in the book our cultural nuances, blending it well without deviating from the storyline. . . . I am certain there are many Destas who went through similar life experiences who could cherish this work."
  -Getachew Admassu, book lover

"A beautiful novel with full of hope and emotion. . . .The characters are well crafted and believable. The sense of family and belonging are portrayed wonderfully. . . What is amazing is also its visual aspect. The author has a unique gift in painting vivid pictures with words. . . This novel would make an incredible movie!"
- S. Metcalf, writer

"It's brilliant and wonderful. . . . It's unlike anything I've read before. I love this book. I really love it. It's incredibly visual, moving and mysterious."
- Caroline L. Book Critic and award-winning author

"The language is graceful and the story and writing nourishing to the spirit ...This book would be great for students."
- Monika Rose, author, educator

"Amazingly sensorial!--you can see, smell, and hear everything so clearly. . . It's a great, inspiring novel--I loved it!"
- Joy Roberts, business manager, literary press

"Stimulating word pictures, executed with the skill of an accomplished painter. Ravishing views and evocative sights and sounds abound, crowding the pages with color and variations of light and dark. This is the art of the storyteller made manifest."
- Anthony J. Brady, Author

"A rich, complex and gripping novel."
- L. Hanson, businesswoman

"Beautiful writing . . . Vivid imagery with a compelling plot."
- Abigail Knight, writer

"A sweeping, epic tale that truly captures the imagination . . ."
- Elizabeth Wolfe, writer

"An entrancing magic carpet ride to a far off world. Captivatingly told .  This is a journey you don't want to miss!"
- Stephen Holmes, novelist

From miscellaneous comments

"Engrossing! Stunning and imaginative."

"A great blend of storytelling and fiction writing with an entrancing magical setting."

"Masterful! Plausible, foreign, exotic with an ancient-like setting."

"Like a good book, it gets better as it goes on."

"Skillfully portrayed with vivid characters that imprint on the mind."

"Mature" . . . "original" . . . "unusual" . . . "magical"