Saba: Under the Hyena's Foot (Girls of Many Lands)

Rating:
Summary: One of the few great books about African culture!
Review: Twelve-year-old Saba is a regular girl living in the country of Ethopia in 1846. Like any regular girl she has a brother, Mesfin, and a strict grandmother whom she adores greatly. Everything is well for her until she and her brother disobey and venture out of their home, where they are kidnapped and brought to the royal palace. It is there that Saba finally learns of her true identity. At first, Saba, keenly unaware of the dangers of the court, can only delight in her new found surroundings. Unfortuantely, innocence can not last forever, and she learns of a deadly threat to her and her brother...one that threatens their very lives and freedom. Yet, Saba is determined to use her wits to save her and her brother from the treacherous inner working of the court.

I was very much fascinated with this book for it was one of the very few books that talks about the Ethopia royal family in any great detail. Saba is a strong first-person narrator and you will enjoy her way of expressing herself. A definite must-read.