Book description
“An endearing coming-of-age story. . . . Sharp and witty. . . . A wily and operatic novel. . . . Propulsive.” —The Washington Post
"The History of a Difficult Child is an extraordinary novel." —Maaza Mengiste, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of The Shadow King
“An exhilarating novel by a powerful…
Why read it?
1 author picked The History of a Difficult Child as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
You need books to get you completely out of your narrow, familiar world, because you have to bring your own imagination to a book in a way that you don’t have to with films or theater.
This brilliant, funny, heart-breaking novel about a family in rural Ethiopia at a time of political persecution and turmoil in the 1970s-80s will put you into a world where your only bearings are love and longing. I was travelling around Ethiopia in October and was reading this book the whole way, and it both enlightened and transcended my experiences. It will for you too,…
If you love The History of a Difficult Child...
These Blue Mountains
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…
Want books like The History of a Difficult Child?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The History of a Difficult Child.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,395
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like The History of a Difficult Child, you might also like...
Need to Know
The authoritative but accessible history of the birth of modern American intelligence in World War II that treats not just one but all of the various disciplines: spies, codebreakers, saboteurs.
Told in a relatable style that focuses on actual people, it was a New Yorker "Best of 2022" selection and…
Tsunami
On the morning of December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The resulting tsunami killed an estimated 230,000 people across fourteen countries, from Indonesia to Sri Lanka to Thailand to the Maldives to India and all the way to East Africa.…
