Saba: Under the Hyena's Foot
by Jane Kurtz. Cover illustration by Jean Paul-Tibble. Series: Girls of
Many Lands (2003) Reading Level: Ages 9-12. 207 pages. Pleasant
Company. ISBN: 1-58485-747-1 pbk; 1-58485-829-X hc.
This book is not
available from the publisher but is available in many school and public
libraries. The book can be obtained through the Ethiopia Reads site and benefits that initiative.
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Saba: Under the Hyena's Foot
by Jane Kurtz
Quoted from the book flap: "When
twelve-year-old Saba and her older brother are kidnapped and taken from
their rural home to the royal palace at Gondar, Saba finally learns
about her long-lost parents--and her own royal past. With Ethiopia's
rulers in the midst of a fierce strugle for control of the throne, what
can the King of Kings--Emperor Yohannes II--possibly want with her."
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A Note About the Book's Origin
Adapted from an Author's Note
Kurtz spent the majority of
her childhood in Ethiopia. When she was about twelve she first saw the
castles of Gondar and the angels on the ceiling of the church at Debre
Birhan.
She went to school in Addis Ababa, the modern capital of Ethiopia and
was thrilled when she was able to catch glimpses of Emperor Haile
Selassie, the last King of Kings. She was also able to visit the lions
caged near Emperor Haile Selassie's palace.
In fact, when Kurtz was in an accident near Gondar, a princess who ran
a castle-turned-hotel helped Kurtz's parents obtain medical attention
for her. Later when Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed and many of his
family members jailed the princess was put into jail. Years later,
after the princess was released the princess told Jane's mother that
while in prison, "I prayed for your daughter every day."
Most of the characters in the book are taken from Ethiopian history.
Saba, herself, and her royal grandmother were invented by Kurtz. The
fate of the real empress is described in the final paragraphs of the
author's note.
Kurtz's final comments on her trips back to Ethiopia where she has been
able to speak at international schools, climb Maji mountain, and to
help a friend -- Yohannes Gegregeorgis, establish a book center.
On one of her last visits she was able to revisit Gondar and to count
the angels on the ceiling of the church. But she has also said that,
"Sadly, I also saw the ongoing animosity between the Oromoo, Amhara,
and other ethnic groups."
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