The Wife's Tale
A Personal History
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Narrated by:
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Adjoa Andoh
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By:
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Aida Edemariam
About this listen
In this indelible memoir that recalls the life of her remarkable 95-year-old grandmother, Guardian journalist Aida Edemariam tells the story of modern Ethiopia - a nation that would undergo a tumultuous transformation from feudalism to monarchy to Marxist revolution to democracy, over the course of one century.
Born in the northern Ethiopian city of Gondar in about 1916, Yetemegnu was married and had given birth before she turned 15. As the daughter of a socially prominent man, she also offered her husband, a poor yet gifted student, the opportunity to become an important religious leader.
Over the next decades Yetemegnu would endure extraordinary trials: the death of some of her children; her husband's imprisonment; and the detention of one of her sons. She witnessed the Fascist invasion of Ethiopia and the subsequent resistance, suffered Allied bombardment and exile from her city; lived through a bloody revolution and the nationalization of her land. She gained audiences with Emperor Haile Selassie I to argue for justice for her husband, for revenge, and for her children's security, and fought court battles to defend her assets against powerful men. But sustained, in part, by her fierce belief in the Virgin Mary and in Orthodox Christianity, Yetemegnu survived. She even learned to read in her 60s, and eventually made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Told in Yetemegnu's enthralling voice and filled with a vivid cast of characters - emperors and empresses, priests and scholars, monks and nuns, archbishops and slaves, Marxist revolutionaries and wartime double agents - The Wife's Tale introduces a woman both imperious and vulnerable; a mother, widow, and businesswoman whose deep faith and numerous travails never quashed her love of laughter, mischief and dancing; a fighter whose life was shaped by direct contact with the volatile events that transformed her nation.
An intimate memoir that offers a panoramic view of Ethiopia's recent history, The Wife's Tale takes us deep into the landscape, rituals, social classes, and culture of this ancient, often mischaracterized, richly complex, and unforgettable land - and into the heart of one indomitable woman.
©2018 Aida Edemariam (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers LtdListeners also enjoyed...
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- Unabridged
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When a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappears without a trace, neither his wife nor his daughter Julia has any idea where he might be - until they find a love letter he wrote many years ago to a Burmese woman they have never heard of. Intent on solving the mystery and coming to terms with her father’s past, Julia decides to travel to the village where the woman lived. There she uncovers a tale of unimaginable hardship, resilience, and passion that will reaffirm the listener’s belief in the power of love to move mountains.
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Basic Story Interesting, But...
- By Monica on 06-04-13
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The Last Jew
- By: Noah Gordon
- Narrated by: Phillip Church
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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In the year 1492, the Inquisition has all of Spain in its grip. Yonah Toledano, the 15-year-old son of a celebrated Spanish silversmith, has seen his father and brother die during terrible days - victims whose murders go almost unnoticed in a time of mass upheaval. Trapped in Spain by circumstances, he is determined to honor the memory of his family by remaining a Jew. On a donkey named Moise, Yonah begins a meandering journey, a young fugitive zigzagging across the vastness of Spain.
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Disappointing narration
- By karen inbal glickman on 04-09-19
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When Jesus Wept
- The Jerusalem Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Bodie Thoene, Brock Thoene
- Narrated by: D. J. Canaday
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
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Lazarus occupies a surprising position in the Gospel accounts. Widely known as the man Jesus raised from the dead, his story is actually much broader and richer than that. Living as he did at Bethany, near Jerusalem, Lazarus was uniquely placed to witness the swirl of events around Jesus. When Jesus Wept, the first novel in The Jerusalem Chronicles series by best-selling authors Bodie and Brock Thoene, unfolds the turbulent times in Judea during Jesus' ministry, centering on the friendship between Jesus and Lazarus.
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Wow! What a story.
- By Brian T on 11-13-13
By: Bodie Thoene, and others
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Women of the Bible
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- By: Ann Burton
- Narrated by: Rachel Botchan
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- Unabridged
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Ann Burton's critically acclaimed first novel in this compelling Biblical series tells the fictionalized tale of a young Jewish woman who makes pottery to support her family. But when her brother's huge gambling debt threatens to enslave them, she convinces his creditor to marry her and forgive the debt. After her husband sends her to manage his herds in the hills, Abigail grows fond of the rustic inhabitants - and of an enigmatic shepherd soldier who's on a collision course with her husband.
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Wordy
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By: Ann Burton
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The Blue Between Sky and Water
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- Unabridged
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It is 1947, and Beit Daras, a quiet village in Palestine surrounded by olive groves, is home to the Baraka family. Eldest daughter Nazmiyeh looks after her widowed mother, prone to wandering and strange outbursts, while her brother, Mamdouh, tends to the village bees. Their younger sister, Mariam, with her striking mismatched eyes, spends her days talking to imaginary friends and writing.
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Horrible pronunciation
- By Debra Sabah Press on 11-08-18
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All the Lives We Never Lived
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- Unabridged
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From the Man Booker Prize-nominated author of Sleeping on Jupiter, The Folded Earth, and An Atlas of Impossible Longing, a poignant and sweeping novel set in India during World War II and the present day about a son’s quest to uncover the truth about his mother....
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Beautiful book
- By Sonia S. on 12-13-19
By: Anuradha Roy
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The Women in the Castle
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- Unabridged
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Set at the end of World War II, in a crumbling Bavarian castle that once played host to all of German high society, a powerful and propulsive story of three widows whose lives and fates become intertwined - an affecting, shocking, and ultimately redemptive novel from the author of the New York Times notable book The Hazards of Good Breeding.
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Skating On The Thin Ice Of Life
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By: Jessica Shattuck
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Henna House
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- Unabridged
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Yemen in 1920: After passage of the Orphan's Decree, any unbetrothed Jewish child left orphaned will be instantly adopted by the local Muslim community. With her parents' health failing, and no spousal prospects in sight, Adela Damari's situation looks dire until her uncle arrives from a faraway city, bringing with him a cousin and aunt who introduce Adela to the powerful rituals of henna tattooing.
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historical fiction, read like an autobiography.
- By Anonymous User on 02-11-19
By: Nomi Eve
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Mosaic
- By: Diane Armstrong
- Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein
- Length: 19 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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>i>Mosaic is compelling storytelling at its best - from the fascinating details of Polish-Jewish culture and the rivalries and dramas of family life, to its moving account of lives torn apart by war and persecution, this an extraordinary true story of a family, and of one woman's journey to reclaim her heritage.
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Absolutely excellent!
- By Roberta on 09-22-11
By: Diane Armstrong
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Dragon Seed
- By: Pearl S. Buck
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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To the Chinese the dragon is not an evil creature, but is a god and the friend of men who worship him. He "holds in his power prosperity and peace." Ruling the waters and the winds, he sends the good rain, is hence the symbol of fecundity. In the Hsia dynasty two dragons fought a great duel until both disappeared, leaving only a fertile foam from which were born the descendants of the Hsia. Thus, the dragons came to be looked upon as the ancestors of a race of heroes. This is the story of China at War.
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More Relevant Today than Ever
- By Robert on 07-29-13
By: Pearl S. Buck
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Homeless Bird
- By: Gloria Whelan
- Narrated by: Zehra Jane Naqvi
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Like many girls her age in India, thirteen-year-old Koly faces her arranged marriage with hope and courage. But Koly's story takes a terrible turn when in the wake of the ceremony, she discovers she's been horribly misled—her life has been sold for a dowry. Can she forge her own future, even in the face of time-worn tradition? Perfect for schools and classrooms, this universally acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning novel by master of historical fiction Gloria Whelan is a gripping tale of hope that will transport listeners of all ages.
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Beautiful
- By Zrexsmom on 10-30-24
By: Gloria Whelan
What listeners say about The Wife's Tale
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Azeb D Mengistu
- 01-16-20
Wonderful read
Wonderful illustration of Ethiopian history, tradition, religion, recipes and social psychology through the purview of an amazing woman’s life. What an ode to a beloved grandmother and a gift to us all craving to read about Ethiopian life sans politics.
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- Roger M. Braund
- 04-13-19
Great book!
I’ve read quite a bit on Ethiopian history and I’ve visited the country twice. This book did a excellent job of making that history come alive in a very personal way.
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- Anthony Nana Kwamu
- 06-05-19
Hoping for a movie adaptation
This is truly the kind of book that epic movies are made of. Aida's story is one that is so sad but yet so full of hope. This is not just about one woman's life, for we get to witness several generations of a people as they experience wars, invasion and political turmoil. I learned quite a great deal about Ethiopian society and culture from this book. It was truly amazing to listen to this work. Andoh's voice pulls you in and absorbs you into a somewhat enchanted world. This book delivers exactly the kind of story that epic movies are made of, and I eagerly hope we may see this on the big screen one day. (Author of Timbuktu Chronicles: Aida and the Chosen Soldier).
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- Jean
- 07-15-18
A Look At Ethiopia
This is a bit different type of memoir/biography. The author tells the story of her grandmother, Yetemegnu Mekonnen, who was born in Goudar, Ethiopia in 1916. She was married at age eight to a man who was almost thirty years of age. Edemanam’ s writing is in a beautiful rhythmic prose. The description of the country, superstitions, and customs of early twentieth century Ethiopia is superb. I almost felt as if I was there during the Italian invasion. Toward the end of the book, she told of the moment that the “chicken scratch in the book became understandable words” as she was learning to read absolutely fascinated me.
The book is almost ten hours. Adjoa Andoh does an absolutely fantastic job narrating this book. It is her narration of the book that brought the story to life. I do not think the book would be as meaningful by my reading it. Andoh did the Ethiopian women yell which I could never do even in my mind. Andoh is a British actress and voice-over artist. She is also an Earphone Award- winning audiobook narrator.
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5 people found this helpful
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- F Shaw
- 01-19-24
Wonderful, fascinating, Feminist
I never knew anything about Ethiopia. This was so fascinating, I still think about it.
What a different world yet part of the same one too. Not original wisdom but apt for this book.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-12-18
No plot or story
What would have made The Wife's Tale better?
There is no plot or story to this book, no compelling reason to come back and listen more. Some books pull you in right from the beginning and this book never did that. It is just day to day happenings. I think it had the potential to be much more. I would not purchase again.
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2 people found this helpful