The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears

Dinaw Mengestu wrote The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears.  As a man born and raised in Ethiopia he writes a story about a man born and raised in Ethiopia struggling to adjust to life near Logan Circle in Washington, D.C.  Sepha Stephanos, a convenience store owner has lived in America for 17 years but in some ways has never left Ethiopia.  He has two close friends, both from Africa, who meet after work in the store to drink and quiz each other about African dictators.  When he is befriended by a white woman and her daughter who move in next door, Sepha has hope for a future that is not as lonely.  This story is a fascinating glimpse of Africa, of America, and about Washington, D.C.