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Dinaw Mengestu
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The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears Paperback – February 5, 2008

by Dinaw Mengestu (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 594 ratings
Editors' pick Best Literature & Fiction
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Seventeen years ago, Sepha Stephanos fled the Ethiopian Revolution for a new start in the United States. Now he finds himself running a failing grocery store in a poor African-American section of Washington, D.C., his only companions two fellow African immigrants who share his bitter nostalgia and longing for his home continent. Years ago and worlds away Sepha could never have imagined a life of such isolation. As his environment begins to change, hope comes in the form of a friendship with new neighbors Judith and Naomi, a white woman and her biracial daughter. But when a series of racial incidents disturbs the community, Sepha may lose everything all over again.

Watch a QuickTime interview with Dinaw Mengestu about this book.
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  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Riverhead Books
  4. Publication date
    February 5, 2008
  5. Dimensions
    5.15 x 0.62 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1594482853
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1594482854
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dinaw Mengestu was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1978. He is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, a fellowship in fiction from the New York Foundation for the Arts and a Lannan Literary Fellowship, and was named a “20 under 40” writer to watch by The New Yorker. Mengestu’s writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Harper’s, Granta, and other publications. He lives with his family in Washington, D.C.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Riverhead Books; Reprint edition (February 5, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1594482853
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1594482854
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.15 x 0.62 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 594 ratings

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  1. Dinaw Mengestu

    Dinaw Mengestu

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  2. Dinaw Mengestu

    Dinaw Mengestu

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Dinaw Mengestu was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1978. He is the recipient of a fellowship in fiction from the New York Foundation for the Arts and a Lannan Literary Award, and received a "5 under 35" Award from the National Book Foundation. His first novel, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, was named a New York Times Notable Book and awarded the Guardian First Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, among numerous other honors. He lives with his wife and son in Paris.

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Customer reviews

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Top reviews from the United States

M
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautify heartbreaking inspiring and unvarnished stoeytelling
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2021
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A beautifully written book that captures the crush of disappointment and the strength of the human spirit. This writer moved from a refugee hauling luggage fir a racist employer in Capital hill dc to a small store owner and then got his MFA at Georgetown and became a writer of note...and he has not forgotten the hundreds of thousands who are still stuck in a purgatory of dead end low wage jobs, lousy housing, and racist employers. Lyrical beautiful book. If you want sugar coating look elsewhere, but if you want unvarnished and heartbreaking truth, this is your book!
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William Capodanno
4.0 out of 5 stars Worthy Debut Novel About the Immigrant Experience
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2008
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Mengestu's debut novel brings to life the American immigrant experience in a touching way. The novel is about an Ethiopian immigrant, Sepha, and his experiences in the Washington DC area over a seven month period in the 1970s. Mengestu captures the hopes and dreams, as well as the struggles and disappointment, of those coming to this country for a better life than in their native land.

Sepha owns a small neighborhood grocey story around Logan Circle, a community underground gentrification. We see his hopes for a more prosperous and successful business grow as work crews start renovating local buildings. Most notably, Sepha decides to start selling sandwiches and buys fresh deli meats and promotes this to what he hopes will be his new clientele.

The two dimensions of this book I found so rewarding are the interplay and relationships of the various characters with Sepha as well as the ups and downs of Sepha's experience representing the broader ebb and flow of immigrant experience.

Judith, a single white academic restores a four story brick neighborhood in the building and moves in with her wiser-than-her years 11 year old Naomi. The depth of Naomi's character was wonderful -- a somewhat sassy, precocious but sweet girl. We see Naomi take to Sepha and a deep bond created between the two of them -- Sepha becomes a father/older brother figure to her. Especially poignant was the joy and fun they had reading of the Brothers Karamazov together in the store.

At the same time Sepha begins to fall for Judith and we see the impact that race and language has on their relationship. Once again, the hope of a bright future gives way to the dim reality of the struggle most first generation immigrants face.

Mengestu ultimately crafts a very satisfying and enjoyable read. It brings smiles and laughter to the reader as well sadness and disappointment -- working both at the character level but at the broader level of immigrant experience. Mengestu is a young author that you'll want to keep your eye out for in the future.
14 people found this helpful
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Ian
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Addition to African Literature
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2017
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If you live in DC, this story is a must read. I read this book sitting on a bench in Logan’s circle, having walked along the same blocks the book’s main character Sepha Stephanos had because I missed the G2 bus mentioned. Mengestu has an incredible way of pulling you into a setting and into a character’s head. Sepha Stephanos is not your average protagonist: he is soft spoken and deeply introspective, constantly anxious yet unmotivated to change is situation, confused about how to approach his love interest Judith yet sleeps with prostitutes, running from his life in Ethiopia yet unsure how to leave it behind. These internal conflicts leave the character seeming very raw and human. His relationships with other immigrants Joe and Kenneth and his uncle provide multiple perspectives on the reality of the American Dream and motivations for seeking it while Stephanos’ burgeoning relationships with Judith and her daughter Naomi personalize this account of DC gentrification, drawing themes of hope and starting anew across class lines. This book lives on the edge of so much contrast- rich and poor, black and white, American and African. Although we get to know Stephano’s on an intimate level, his friends’ quirk of naming African dictators and coups contributes to the larger political nature of this story.
Mengestu’s story of an African Immigrant fits neatly in with the larger genre of African Immigrant literature alongside greats like Adichie. The ability of the story to be so specifically set in Logan Circle and feel so universal creates a spellbinding story, one whose lack of resolution feels frustrating yet appropriate. The struggle for acceptance and identity feels relatable to many, but the context in running from a father dead because of Stephano’s own political ambitions appeals to the larger publishing world in pursuit of stories of pain and suffering. I recommend this book to those who actively question the world they live in- while the story itself is excellent, I believe you miss the point if you only learn Stephano’s story.
8 people found this helpful
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jan
3.0 out of 5 stars Real life can be a downer.
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2010
Verified Purchase
Very good writing style and I learned some interesting things about the protagonists culture. It's a sad story of not living a life fully in the midst of loss of family and country. Understandable, believable, very readable and mildly depressing. I see the unfulfilled life all around me, I prefer to read stories that are rich, well written and share the real human condition but allow me to see hope and redemption in them as well.
One person found this helpful
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Richard Kurtz
5.0 out of 5 stars A very thoughtful read by a new and emerging young African author
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2020
Verified Purchase
Really enjoyed this book so atmospheric and insightful regarding the experiences of people who have fled the terrorism and violence of African revolutions and upheavals and settled in the US and their difficulties in coping with our complex societal issues This writer really allowed you into his head and his thoughts
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Mary Avakian
1.0 out of 5 stars Grande delusione!
Reviewed in Italy on August 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
Ho scoperto, con grande delusione, che "The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears" non è altro che "Children of the Revolution", libro che avevo già acquistato e letto con piacere ma non tanto da volerne un'altra copia con un titolo diverso. Esperienza più unica che rara. Maniera singolare di vendere lo stesso libro due volte cambiandone titolo. Mi piacerebbe che qualcuno spiegasse.
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Amazon Kunde
4.0 out of 5 stars Bittersweet
Reviewed in Germany on May 10, 2017
Verified Purchase
Nicely written, well crafted. The story and the main character Sepha Stephanos resonate with me, partly because I'm half-Ethiopian myself and having lived in both Ethiopia and Europe, mostly though due to the gentle writing that still packs a punch. I really felt for Sepha and at the same time felt annoyed becasue he'd given up and allowed himself to be gupled up by his trauma- not saying that the trauma of a childhood ruptured by a dictatorship, and losing your home and family, then hope, missing people and the past, and never being fully at home in either culture is something that is easily overcome.
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Sheila
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2013
Verified Purchase
Only book I re-read as soon as I had finished it. Beautiful descriptive passages and words to give you pause for thought. Witty exchanges in conversations. I was there with the main character in his little convenience store seeing every detail so wonderfully described. I felt sympathy and sadness with the main character Stephanos, but it is not a sad book, just one I will always re-visit. I could go on, but can only recommend it highly.
One person found this helpful
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Bookworm
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 27, 2015
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Great book Great condition.
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Elizabeth Smith
1.0 out of 5 stars ... way too distracting and spoiled the read of a great novel Should have been made clearer on the
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
The amount of notes and little pictures on virtually every page was way too distracting and spoiled the read of a great novel
Should have been made clearer on the site
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