Customer Reviews

The Storyteller's Beads

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My daughter and I read this aloud and loved it. I am American and my children are all Ethiopian. I have lived among Ethiopians for many years and have traveled extensively throughout the country. Jane does an amazing job of capturing the essence of Ethiopian culture - the strong, rich and ancient history as well as the racism, superstition and fears which keep Ethiopians from different ethnic backgrounds from uniting together to solve the countries current difficulties. The language used in the book incorporates the subtleties of Ethiopian speech which also conveys so much of its culture. This is just a beautiful book from which a whole new part of the world can be opened to its readers. It is also a remarkable work which will help Ethiopian-American children understand the country of their roots. I'd like to see this book up front and center in all children's libraries.

I am a 4th grade teacher and subscriber to the Internet discussion group Child_lit. Jane Kurtz is also a subscriber along with many children's authors, publishers, teachers, librarians, academics, and other lovers of children's literature. Knowing my work Jane guessed that I might like to use "Storyteller's Beads" with my class. She was so right and we had a wonderful time with it because of Jane's extraordinary generousity with time, galleys, drafts, and artifacts. I read the book to my class and when I finished it the children applauded at the end, they loved it so much. The children corresponded with Jane about the book and their letters clearly expressed their appreciation of this excellent book.Several wrote that it should win the Newbery!

My students are upper middle class New Yorkers. I think "Storyteller's Beads" spoke to them for many different reasons. One was their interest in the Holocaust. There are many parellels to the way the Beta-Israel are persecuted in the mid-80's Ethiopia of Jane's book to the way Jews were in Nazi Germany. Then there are the complex issues between the two girls and their need to move beyond their culturally generated mistrust of each other because of their extreme situation. For my students, there was a great fascination with how much of the story came from Jane's own experiences. Also, how Jane actually created the book. Recently I was rereading their last set of letters to Jane and loved one girl's comment that it was just so "obvious" that the two girls would become friends while another child wrote that Jane's vocabulary was "cool!" I recommend it highly. It provides a window into a time and place most US children know little of.

Kurtz's message of coming to love those you have been taught to hate is never emphasized enough in today's world. (Think Serbia.) Kurtz story is compelling but must be read carefully by taking time to read over the stories, the explanations of the girls' cultural histories, and the meanings of their words. Unfortunately, this is something most young readers would rather not do. If given as a class assignment, I am afraid many young readers comments may be less favorable. Anytime a children's book accurately tells about a global problem it deserves much attention and reading, and such is the case of "Storyteller's Beads". Previous Amazon reviewers have properly used this book - sharing it with an adult. Having the background notes in the front of the book would have improved the book's effectiveness. For this reason I give it 4 not 5 stars.

The Storyteller's Beads was an okay book. This book had a cool plot, it was about two girls from different religions escaping from Ethiopia. The girls were separated from their family when Ethiopian soldiers caught them escaping. There were also several bad things about this book; such as, the book switched from girl to girl every other chapter before they meet each other. Another thing I did not like about this book is the way there was no suspense. Every time that you didn't know what was going to happen, the suspense would stop and you would know what the truth was in a couple sentences. For example, when the girls were trying to escape Ethiopia they started to get shot at by Ethiopian bandits and a couple sentences after I read this, I knew what the result of the shooting was. All in all I give this book a 3 out of 5 star rating.

I read THE STORYTELLER's BEADS in one sitting because I could not put it down. In an age when so much of our news of places far away is reduced to sound bites or a single image, this first novel does so much more. Jane Kurtz lovingly leads us by the hand so that we can participate in the journey along with the protagonists. Her use of language is simply breathtaking. I think this is a book that should be shared with middle grade readers and young adults.

Can you imagine for someone to travel to an extended journey from Ethiopia to Jerusalem? In the novel, The Storyteller's Beads by Jane Kurtz is the exact similar event that happened to the main characters Sahay and Rahel. The genre of the novel is fiction. The setting of the story is generally Ethiopia and Sudan, in 1980, (during the political strife and famine). It illustrates that since most Ethiopian people wanted to seek for safety, they struggle to escape to Sudan. Therefore, the novel is a refugee story.
Sahay and Rahel, play a role in the most part of the plot. Sahay, a Christian girl, in the first place did not realized that life could get worth, but now, her uncle is rushing her through the night away from the only home she has ever known out of Ethiopia, forever. Blind Jewish as child, Rahel has always relied on her grandmother to guide her; however, her parents are sending her and her brother on a long petrify trip, with no assurance when. This illustrates that both of these girls' families wanted the two girls to live in a developed life in another place instead of Ethiopia. The Sudan soldiers sent Sahay's uncle and Rahel's brother back to Ethiopia from Sudan. When Sahay's and Rahel's paths join, they were both in a bad mood; but Sahay is disgusted to share food and water with Rahel. This shows that males could not go out of Ethiopia around 1980. Therefore, Sahay and Rahel are trying a superlative way to save each other; in addition, they want to attain their dream, which is going to Jerusalem.
One of Sahay and Rahel's external conflicts is that Sahay's uncle and Rahel's brother were sent back to Ethiopia. On page 120: Sahay said to Rahel, "Let's go to the edge of the camp everyday and we will try to find my uncle and your brother." This illustrates that both of the girls wished if the two men approached back to Sudan. It is because they are frightened, and they do not have anyone to support them in Sudan and help them survive the hazardous journey. Consequently, Sahay become Rahel's guide; however, they repeatedly go to the mountains to examine if the two men are circuitously.
One of Sahay's internal conflicts is to be friends with Rahel or not. On page 118: Sahay thought when she has nobody, even a blind Falasha (Ethiopian Jewish) girl is somebody, even though she does not like Falasha. This shows that Sahay felt being with Rahel is better than being with no one. This is because people in her family have always feared and hated Ethiopian Jewish. Consequently, Sahay started getting along with Rahel, to overcome their cultural prejudges and help each other.
The theme subject of the story is refugee. A quote that proves the theme is on page 143: they arrived to Jerusalem and saw them self that they had come to the land where for now, no matter what lay ahead, and no one was stranger. The authors comment about refugee is that refugees can accomplish a place that they can truly call home. The author's comment is true, because Rahel and Sahay accomplished a place that they can truly call home in Jerusalem. The Storyteller's Beads is a great book, and it would be recommend for anyone who want to determine some of the experiences that refugees go through.

Can you imagine for someone to travel to an extended journey from Ethiopia to Jerusalem? In the novel, The Storyteller's Beads by Jane Kurtz is the exact similar event that happened to the main characters Sahay and Rahel. The genre of the novel is fiction. The setting of the story is generally Ethiopia and Sudan, in 1980, (during the political strife and famine). It illustrates that since most Ethiopian people wanted to seek for safety, they struggle to escape to Sudan. Therefore, the novel is a refugee story.
Sahay and Rahel, play a role in the most part of the plot. Sahay, a Christian girl, in the first place did not realized that life could get worth, but now, her uncle is rushing her through the night away from the only home she has ever known out of Ethiopia, forever. Blind Jewish as child, Rahel has always relied on her grandmother to guide her; however, her parents are sending her and her brother on a long petrify trip, with no assurance when. This illustrates that both of these girls' families wanted the two girls to live in a developed life in another place instead of Ethiopia. The Sudan soldiers sent Sahay's uncle and Rahel's brother back to Ethiopia from Sudan. When Sahay's and Rahel's paths join, they were both in a bad mood; but Sahay is disgusted to share food and water with Rahel. This shows that males could not go out of Ethiopia around 1980. Therefore, Sahay and Rahel are trying a superlative way to save each other; in addition, they want to attain their dream, which is going to Jerusalem.
One of Sahay and Rahel's external conflicts is that Sahay's uncle and Rahel's brother were sent back to Ethiopia. On page 120: Sahay said to Rahel, "Let's go to the edge of the camp everyday and we will try to find my uncle and your brother." This illustrates that both of the girls wished if the two men approached back to Sudan. It is because they are frightened, and they do not have anyone to support them in Sudan and help them survive the hazardous journey. Consequently, Sahay become Rahel's guide; however, they repeatedly go to the mountains to examine if the two men are circuitously.
One of Sahay's internal conflicts is to be friends with Rahel or not. On page 118: Sahay thought when she has nobody, even a blind Falasha (Ethiopian Jewish) girl is somebody, even though she does not like Falasha. This shows that Sahay felt being with Rahel is better than being with no one. This is because people in her family have always feared and hated Ethiopian Jewish. Consequently, Sahay started getting along with Rahel, to overcome their cultural prejudges and help each other.
The theme subject of the story is refugee. A quote that proves the theme is on page 143: they arrived to Jerusalem and saw them self that they had come to the land where for now, no matter what lay ahead, and no one was stranger. The authors comment about refugee is that refugees can accomplish a place that they can truly call home. The author's comment is true, because Rahel and Sahay accomplished a place that they can truly call home in Jerusalem. The Storyteller's Beads is a great book, and it would be recommend for anyone who want to determine some of the experiences that refugees go through.

The Storyteller's Beads made me ask the question "what would I do on a journey if..... all the people that I have ever loved were no longer with me? If all I possessed was a string of beads to symbolize my family and my faith. And if the only person to enlighten me and to lead me to peace was blind. What would I truly do? And then I finished the book and found my answer.

Great first novel Jane.

REVIEWED BY: Wayne Walker

This book is about the Ethiopian famine of the 1980s. Jane Kurtz grew up in a remote village in the southwest corner of Ethiopia, although her biography does not say whether her family's being there was as missionaries, diplomats, military, charitable, Peace Corps, or what. Until 1974, people of various ethnic and religious groups, including Orthodox, Jewish, Muslims, and native religions, generally co-existed in a somewhat uneasy peace in the East African nation of Ethiopia, which basically was favorable toward the West, although prejudice and persecution did exist, especially toward the Jews (known as Beta Israel).
However, in 1974, the last of a long line of "Christian" Ethiopian emperors, Haile Selassie, was dethroned. The military committee which removed him promised better things, but by 1977 the government had turned away from the West and begun cooperating with the Soviet Union, and, as in most places where communism has been tried, things went from bad to worse. The problems were compounded during the 1980s by a war resulting from the revolt of Eritrea, a northeastern province seeking independence supported by neighboring Somalia and Sudan, and a great draught throughout the whole region. Persecution against the Jews increased. I remember reading and seeing news reports of that time period about massive air lifts by the Israeli government of Jews from Ethiopia to Israel.
This book of children's fiction, drawn from true stories told by Beta Israel who emigrated to Jerusalem, tells about two girls, one a blind Beta Israel named Rahel and the other, Sahay, from the Christian Kemata ethnic group, who are fleeing to a refuge camp in Sudan. Becoming separated from their relatives, they must overcome the prejudices that each group has against the other and learn to help one another. While the author does not shrink from describing the horrors of their condition and the terrors of their journey, there is nothing in this book that is inappropriate for children. One thing that helps give them courage are the Old Testament stories that Rahel's grandmother has told her using the beads that she had given her. The book reinforces several positive lessons, such as learning forebearance with others, what it means to be a friend, and keeping hope alive in one's heart. Kurtz has written several factual books about Ethiopia, but this is her first novel.

Much of this story is told through what is not said and those unable to read between the lines and put themselves in the characters shoes may not understand it.
In brief, it is about two girls. One is from the Qement tribe and the other from Beta-Israel (or negatively called a Falasha). Their journey of distress sees them move from being focussed on their differences to appreciating what they have in common both now and historically. They also realise how they can care for one another while fleeing the brutal men taking over their country. There are also the typical interactions between young children who are not quite sure what to think about a type of person they are unfamiliar with.
The ending leaves one filled with both wonder and hope.