Ciao Asmara

For me the book started well with interesting history about the Queen of Sheba time, Solomon's descendants and the Italian period when Asmara became the Art Deco capital. But then the book seems to be a constant round of war description, torture details and endless description of the bleak, arid countryside. Why the Delia Smith type recipe for female genital mutilation ? Then out of the blue we are subjected to the tale of his buying a goat, letting it play happily in his yard, then minute details of his cutting its throat to kill it, with the goat bleating and staring at him. He then cuts through its spinal cord cord to stop its legs thrashing about. Maybe this is supposed to be some kind of artistic metaphor for Eritrea' troubles..I just find it weird !

Ciao Asmara (8/8 people found this helpful)

I have recently read Justin Hill's account of life in Eritrea in the late 1990s. I was fortunate enough to live in Asmara from 1992 to 1994 and have to confess to having fallen deeply in love with that wonderful, magical, beautiful country and its determined, fascinating peoples. I was there for the start of the dream and, as one who has been intimately involved with Africa for over half my life, was in a position to have an objective view of the situation.

Hill's account of Eritrea's fall from heady optimism to abject despair is a story I know well and one he narrates with accuracy and insight. The book is well written and researched, he has attained a good grasp of things Eritrea making his account that much more poignant to those who know and love the country. It was easy to recognise all of the individuals mentioned, by type if not by person.

A useful publication and one I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone with an interest in that part of the world. I would, however, suggest reading Thomas Kennealy's excellent "Towards Asmara" prior to commencing "Ciao Asmara", it paints as excellent a picture of Eritrea prior to independence fron Ethiopia and puts the "dream" into some context.

"Things were better during the war." (5/5 people found this helpful)

It's a sentiment that we may have heard our grandparents say at one time or another when despairing of the loss of community values or the price of a loaf. Although peacetime brought improved prosperity and security, "The War" was fondly remembered as a time when everyone had a common purpose, a common enemy - a time when they felt most alive, at least for those that survived.

So it is with the Eritrea that Justin Hill encounters in this fascinating and eye-opening book. Having emerged from a thirty-year struggle for independence against a Soviet backed dictator, only to slide once more into war against Ethiopia, this is a nation for whom war and struggle provide their recent histories and heroes (as well as horror and tragedy). Yet although peace and independence was the desired destination for those who participated, its achievement brings an end to the most exciting journey of their lives. The memories of the struggle and the unity of purpose that it seemed to bring to those involved inform almost every aspect of life in Eritrea, hence they are recurring themes throughout this very readable book.

Yet it is the cruel legacy of such a long war, that people do not know how to deal with peace. The war shaped everybody's life to the extent that, during the calm and ennui of peacetime, people actually miss it. Hill describes young men and women who have grown up knowing little else than war. Furthermore, the post-war social hierarchy gives those who fought in the war higher status and privilege, so the rush towards a new war towards the end of the book actually gives young people the perverse hope of achieving social advancement through enlisting.

However, despite this backdrop, Hill brings to life a fascinating country with proud and determined people, who really wanted to break the mould of African nation building by steering their own destiny without outside help. His engaging vignettes on life through the eyes of the fascinating characters he meets all help Hill piece together a vivid account of contemporary Eritrea.

Having been to Eritrea at around the same time, I was immensely impressed by Hill's devastatingly accurate descriptions of the place and its people. He is able to see clearly into the hearts and minds of those he encounters and experience their hopes and frustrations. The people you meet really are incredibly friendly and extremely proud of their achievement as a nation (which partly explains the vehemence with which they choose to defend it), but they also show great dignity and optimism. Their resourcefulness during the struggle for independence beggars belief when you consider how the odds were stacked against them.

As with all good books of this type, Hill skillfully finds the right balance between the sharp and witty observations of his own personal experiences, with the wider social issues and experiences of those he meets. The line between observer and participant is frequently blurred throughout his account as he is drawn into the tragedy around him, even unwittingly contributing to a family's disintegration through the expulsion of one of his pupils. Later, Hill's disbelief at the speed with which Eritrea slides back to war is written with such heartfelt passion that would convince even the most bellicose reader of the futility of war.

Justin Hill's book is a great introduction to country that most people have not heard of, much less cared about. There is no better book on the subject and I cannot recommend it enough for anyone who wants to understand this much-misunderstood part of the world. Go buy.

Lavoro bello (4/4 people found this helpful)

Ciao Asmara is Justin's second travel book. The raw material for the book is his experience teaching English as a voluntary aid worker in Eritrea.

Justin skillfully blends an account of his time in Africa and the people he met with historical background and commentary.

When Justin arrived in Asmara the former rebels were struggling to get the country back on its feet after more than 30 years of war with Ethiopia, its neighbour and former master. The challenge was enormous, with almost a whole generation having been wiped out. Those that remained and had fought so hard for independence knew only war.

If like me your only knowledge of that region was gleaned from news reports of the famine in Ethiopia in the mid 1980s (the impetus behind Live Aid) then this book will be highly instructive.

Justin has a lightness of touch that communicates very well his admiration, frustration and at times despair with his colleagues, pupils and friends.

And there is humour also. Thankfully Justin has no wish to save the world and no political agenda to promote. He simply writes things as he sees them.

There is no happy ending - Justin is evacuated at the end of the book as Eritrea once again prepares itself for war. We do not know what has become of the characters he describes in his book, but we must assume that many of them are now dead.

Justin Hill

Reader Reviews:

flawed and depressing (0/0 people found this helpful)

Ciao Asmara (8/8 people found this helpful)

"Things were better during the war." (5/5 people found this helpful)

Lavoro bello (4/4 people found this helpful)

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