About the Book
Forget not the Sparrows is a heartfelt book based on the author's relationship with her beloved grandmother, an Ethiopian sage. Through this relationship, Yene describes life in Ethiopia before the communist revolution and the subsequent impact of exile, immigration, and the challenges of establishing a new life in a host country. Interwoven with these events is a rich portrayal of her vibrant relationship with her grandmother, her family and community, and her difficulty accepting the loss of Almazesha from this world. When a loved one passes, those left behind often wish for one more minute just to complete their conversation-how many would find healing and closure if that were possible? In Forget not the Sparrows, Yene Assegid creates that extra moment to finish her conversations with her grandmother, expressing all the things she planned to say someday and all her feelings of sorrow, loss, and healing. Through her writing, Assegid inspires readers to create that extra moment with their own departed kin, that moment to talk about the good days and the hardships, to give thanks and show gratitude, to mark history, and to relive the love, laughter, and tears that bond a family together. Forget not the Sparrows takes readers back in time to childhood days of living freely somewhere in Africa amidst family, friends, and community, in a place where each child is celebrated for her mischievous self. This story of Yene and her complicity with her grandmother, Lady Almaz Haile-Mariam whom she calls Almazesha, opens with a beautiful picture of life in Ethiopia before the communist revolution and continues to describe a child's memories of war, revolution, and civil unrest. The letters Assegid writes to her grandmother are heartfelt, inspiring reflection on one's own life. Readers will laugh, cry, and find that at the end of this book, they have experienced a part of the world that is often not spoken about. Ethiopia is an ancient country with a conservative culture-through this book Assegid illuminates many societal taboos and discusses the need to open up Ethiopian society for the sake of the next generation. This book centers around healing and coming full circle, and most of all, describes the love and connection between a grandmother and her granddaughter. ### [Editors Note] This book touched my heart many times, as I too was mostly raised by a beloved grandmother. Yene's storytelling is lyrical, evocative, and honest-by the end of the book, I felt like I'd been friends with her for decades. Even on my fourth reading, I was still exclaiming and writing marginal notes to Yene about the connections between my life and hers; it was sometimes hard to keep my focus on editing rather than reading. For anyone who has lost a dearly beloved mother, grandmother, aunt, or wise elder friend, Yene's poetry and letters to her grandmother express that relationship and grieving with such beauty, offering healing for the wounded soul. In addition, her description of her childhood home and community filled me with longing-I wish my son could grow up in such an environment and culture. Finally, I learned a lot about Ethiopia and about myself through my heartfelt response to Yene's story. A beautiful read, well worth the time. ### Forget not the Sparrows...Unfinished conversations with my Grandmother is available through Amazon and other online bookstores, or on order at local bookstores worldwide. Visit www.forgetnotthesparrows.com or www.anafricanstory.com for information on upcoming events, book tours, and speaking engagements. The author can be contacted at yene.assegid@gmail.com .
About the Author: Yene Assegid's career began in economic development and social welfare, particularly in Africa, working with institutions for the improvement of the lives of children and women who are most materially underprivileged. She spent substantive time working for development programs within international bilateral and multilateral organizations, as well as within civil society organizations. Yene is most recognized for her work on the issue of HIV and AIDS in Africa. From the early 1990s on, she spent many years working to support women and children affected by HIV through innovative programs that gave voice and empowerment for action to the very communities affected by the epidemic. The harsh and tragic reality she witnessed through her work at the grassroots level led her to transition from working on issues such as HIV/AIDS, child welfare, or poverty to focusing on what she believe to be the core causes of these very issues: current collective mindsets, inertia, lack of ownership, and lack of accountability both in the existing quality of leadership and in development policy formulation. She is the founder of everyONE, a non-profit organization based in Ethiopia (www.everyonesworld.org) with the greater mission to support communities affected by HIV through various self-development and empowerment initiatives. everyONE is one of the first organizations to work hand-in-hand with grassroots communities and its members through a systemic and integral approach. Yene lives in Beijing, China with her family. Her time is spent writing, researching, teaching, and coaching in the field of leadership, transformation, and change, with various corporate and civil society clients in several countries. In her spare time, Yene leads meditations retreats and teaches children yoga as part of her integral life practice. Her last book "Butterflies over Africa" (www.butterfliesoverafrica.com) has been applauded and recognized at the highest level among African leaders and policy makers. She is now working on her next book: "By Way of Love: Tapping into the Power of Your Warrior Heart" due to be published in the Spring of 2012 (www.bywayoflove.com). By Way of Love offers perspective of Leadership wisdom and insights to transform lives holistically and effortlessly. It is mostly based on lesson on "Warrior-ship" she learned under the tutelage of her Grandmother. Yene holds an MBA and a Doctorate in Humanities with a focus on Transformation and Change in Human Systems.
