Chameleon Days: An American Boyhood in Ethiopia“Moves beyond a compelling personal story to shed radiant light on history itself . . . an essential chronicle of midcentury American idealism.” —Patricia Hampl, author of The Art of the Wasted Day In 1964, at the age of three, Tim Bascom is thrust into a world of eucalyptus trees and stampeding baboons when his family moves from the Midwest to Ethiopia. The unflinchingly observant narrator of this memoir reveals his missionary parents’ struggles in a sometimes hostile country. Sent reluctantly to boarding school in the capital, young Tim finds that beyond the gates enclosing that peculiar, isolated world, conflict roils Ethiopian society. When secret riot drills at school are followed with an attack by rampaging students near his parents’ mission station, Tim witnesses the disintegration of his family’s African idyll as Haile Selassie’s empire begins to crumble. Like Alexandra Fuller’s Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, Chameleon Days chronicles social upheaval through the keen yet naive eyes of a child. Bascom offers readers a fascinating glimpse of missionary life, much as Barbara Kingsolver did in The Poisonwood Bible. “Such precision in voice earned Bascom the Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference Bakeless Prize, and his smartly naïve observations grow more sophisticated as the country succumbs to political unrest in the 1970s and missionary life becomes uncertain. Nostalgic but not overwrought, Bascom’s memoir is accented with casual family snapshots like ribbons on the gift of a gently captured place in time.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Bascom, son of missionaries, illuminates the Ethiopia of his childhood in this Bakeless Prize–winning memoir . . . A stirring tribute to a turbulent, beautifully evoked era.” —Kirkus Reviews |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 28
Page
... Brother's Keeper Blessed Assurance Come or Go ? Castaways Part Two Wave Goodbye Cinders Code of Conduct Waiting Games Candy Day Moon Landing My World , Their World Sent Back And I'll Fly Away What Kind of Children? My Pilgrim.
... Brother's Keeper Blessed Assurance Come or Go ? Castaways Part Two Wave Goodbye Cinders Code of Conduct Waiting Games Candy Day Moon Landing My World , Their World Sent Back And I'll Fly Away What Kind of Children? My Pilgrim.
Page
... deal . See . I'm not afraid . " He grabbed at my bowed head , trying to force it off Dad's shoulder ; but I only protested more shrilly . Dad had to carry me right to the edge of the cliff and turn around, waiting until I had the.
... deal . See . I'm not afraid . " He grabbed at my bowed head , trying to force it off Dad's shoulder ; but I only protested more shrilly . Dad had to carry me right to the edge of the cliff and turn around, waiting until I had the.
Page
An American Boyhood in Ethiopia Tim Bascom. the cliff and turn around, waiting until I had the nerve to open my eyes. Then I did see the baboons. The whole clan had reassembled and was rippling down the sheer rock-face like a muscular ...
An American Boyhood in Ethiopia Tim Bascom. the cliff and turn around, waiting until I had the nerve to open my eyes. Then I did see the baboons. The whole clan had reassembled and was rippling down the sheer rock-face like a muscular ...
Page
... waiting to feel better. About fifteen missionaries worked at Soddo, and their houses were spread out along the remaining dirt drive. Across from us was the Andersons' squat, block-shaped house, with a spray of banana trees covering one ...
... waiting to feel better. About fifteen missionaries worked at Soddo, and their houses were spread out along the remaining dirt drive. Across from us was the Andersons' squat, block-shaped house, with a spray of banana trees covering one ...
Page
... waiting room . Dozens of Ethiopian patients were there , perched on wooden benches or lying on the cement floor . These sick strangers with veined wood - smoke eyes and rough skin always wanted to finger my crewcut and cup my arms , as ...
... waiting room . Dozens of Ethiopian patients were there , perched on wooden benches or lying on the cement floor . These sick strangers with veined wood - smoke eyes and rough skin always wanted to finger my crewcut and cup my arms , as ...
Contents
The Emperors Smile | |
Birth Order | |
Bushwhacking | |
In My Fathers House | |
My Brothers Keeper | |
Blessed Assurance | |
Moon Landing | |
My World Their World | |
Sent Back | |
And Ill Fly Away | |
My Pilgrim Progress | |
Riot Drill | |
Hidden Agendas | |
Pigeon Fever | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Addis Ababa African Darter Amharic arms asked Ato Aba Goli Ato Wandaro avocado avocado tree began Bingham Academy Bishoftu boarding school boys brother chameleon Christian church cinders climbed Danny dark didn’t donkey door dorm Emperor Ethiopian eucalyptus eyes feel felt fence ferengi finger flannelgraph front girls grass green Hadiya Haile Selassie hair hall hand head hear Hosanna hospital injera inside Jesus Johnathan kids kitchen knew lake Land Rover laughed legs Leimo lifted looked madoqua Malachite Kingfisher Marie Marta mission missionary Mom and Dad Mount Damoto night older parents patients prayed pulled road seemed Shashamane shoulder shouted side skin sleep smiled Soddo Stan stared station stayed stepped stood stop stream talk Timmy told Tom Swift took turned voice waiting walked wall wanted watched weaverbird whispered window Wolaita yelled yellow