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

Grade 5-8-Kurtz admirably offers readers the story of a young girl first and the historical details and political intrigue of Ethiopia in 1846 second. Saba is a simple country girl, living with her brother and overly protective grandmother. Suspense builds as the children disobediently venture out of their home. Kidnapped and taken to a faraway palace, Saba is confused, but by paying close attention to details, she is able to make sense of events. Her lack of understanding of the ways of the court gradually turns into an awareness of a severe, albeit camouflaged, threat to herself and her brother. Politics is at the heart of the story and complicated family relationships at the heart of the dilemma. Kurtz keeps the pages turning as she reveals Saba and her brother's place in the emperor's line. A descendant of the biblical Queen of Sheba, clever and resourceful Saba is determined to save not just herself, but her brother as well. It's gratifying that a title this well written and culturally sensitive is now available since there are so few good novels about Africa, and especially Ethiopia, that provide a sense of the rich history in that part of the world.
Carol A. Edwards, Sonoma County Library, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 5-8. In nineteenth-century Ethiopia, 12-year-old Saba and her brother, Mesfin, are kidnapped from their grandmother's remote home and brought to the capital, where Saba discovers her true royal identity. Saba delights in the opulence of court life until she discovers the political treachery that threatens Mesfin's life and her own freedom. Kurtz includes a great deal of Ethiopian history, which, though fascinating, slows the story with its complexity and may overwhelm at times. The frequent aphorisms ("When lions and elephants fight, it is the mice who must tremble," for example) may also challenge some readers. But as in her other titles set in Africa, such as The Storyteller's Beads (1998), Kurtz creates a powerful sense of place with cultural and sensory details, and Saba's strong first-person voice and brave adventures will hook many readers. As with other titles in the Girls of Many Lands series, this concludes with a chapter of background history and culture, a glossary, and an author's note. Gillian Engberg
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