A Banned Journalist's Flight from Dictatorship
October 15, 2022
Berhane recounts the years up to and following his escape from his home country of Eritrea before settling in Canada. The flight referred to in the title could easily be called an odyssey, and still that descriptor would fall a bit short. In the early 2000s, Berhane was the editor of the country's largest independent newspaper, Setit, which put him at odds with Eritrea's oppressive regime. Despite his struggles, the memoir is imbued with a resilient positivity that readers will connect with. Written in crisp and evocative language, this is an urgent story, especially as journalistic freedoms continue to be attacked, even decades after Berhane's own flight from Eritrea. Berhane succumbed to COVID in 2021, cutting the narrative he was able to share sadly short. The final chapter, written by his daughter, Frieta, operates as both a wrap-up of Berhane's story and an appropriate celebration of the man himself.
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