I really enjoy books that offer a perspective unfamiliar to me. Dinaw Mengestu has written a first novel that does just that. "The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears" tells the story of an Ethiopian immigrant trying to build a life in a rundown neighborhood in Washington D.C. Though Sepha Stephanos has lived in America for 17 years now, he still feels like an outsider. However, he no longer feels that Ethiopia is his home either. He is caught between two worlds and unsure of his own identity. When a white woman and her bi-racial daughter move next door to the convenience store that he owns, Sepha begins to see hope of a different life. This is a beautifully written book about identity, race, and belonging. It is the tale of African immigrants, the lives they leave behind, and the new ones they try to build. I found it to be touching and enlightening. ~ Torrie