The Storyteller's Beads | 
 enlarge | Authors: Jane Kurtz, Michael Bryant
Publisher: Gulliver Books
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
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Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 454258
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.2 x 5.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 0152010742
EAN: 9780152010744
ASIN: 0152010742
Publication Date: April 15, 1998
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Product Description
During the political strife and famine of the 1980's, two Ethiopian girls, one Christian and the other Jewish and blind, struggle to overcome many difficulties, including their prejudices about each other, as they make the dangerous journey out of Ethiopia.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 Stories for Children Magazine 5 Star Review October 5, 2008
REVIEWED BY: Wayne Walker
This book is about the Ethiopian famine of the 1980s. Jane Kurtz grew up in a remote village in the southwest corner of Ethiopia, although her biography does not say whether her family's being there was as missionaries, diplomats, military, charitable, Peace Corps, or what. Until 1974, people of various ethnic and religious groups, including Orthodox, Jewish, Muslims, and native religions, generally co-existed in a somewhat uneasy peace in the East African nation of Ethiopia, which basically was favorable toward the West, although prejudice and persecution did exist, especially toward the Jews (known as Beta Israel).
However, in 1974, the last of a long line of "Christian" Ethiopian emperors, Haile Selassie, was dethroned. The military committee which removed him promised better things, but by 1977 the government had turned away from the West and begun cooperating with the Soviet Union, and, as in most places where communism has been tried, things went from bad to worse. The problems were compounded during the 1980s by a war resulting from the revolt of Eritrea, a northeastern province seeking independence supported by neighboring Somalia and Sudan, and a great draught throughout the whole region. Persecution against the Jews increased. I remember reading and seeing news reports of that time period about massive air lifts by the Israeli government of Jews from Ethiopia to Israel.
This book of children's fiction, drawn from true stories told by Beta Israel who emigrated to Jerusalem, tells about two girls, one a blind Beta Israel named Rahel and the other, Sahay, from the Christian Kemata ethnic group, who are fleeing to a refuge camp in Sudan. Becoming separated from their relatives, they must overcome the prejudices that each group has against the other and learn to help one another. While the author does not shrink from describing the horrors of their condition and the terrors of their journey, there is nothing in this book that is inappropriate for children. One thing that helps give them courage are the Old Testament stories that Rahel's grandmother has told her using the beads that she had given her. The book reinforces several positive lessons, such as learning forebearance with others, what it means to be a friend, and keeping hope alive in one's heart. Kurtz has written several factual books about Ethiopia, but this is her first novel.
Fear and Hope May 18, 2008
Much of this story is told through what is not said and those unable to read between the lines and put themselves in the characters shoes may not understand it.
In brief, it is about two girls. One is from the Qement tribe and the other from Beta-Israel (or negatively called a Falasha). Their journey of distress sees them move from being focussed on their differences to appreciating what they have in common both now and historically. They also realise how they can care for one another while fleeing the brutal men taking over their country. There are also the typical interactions between young children who are not quite sure what to think about a type of person they are unfamiliar with.
The ending leaves one filled with both wonder and hope.
 Good But Not Great April 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Storyteller's Beads was an okay book. This book had a cool plot, it was about two girls from different religions escaping from Ethiopia. The girls were separated from their family when Ethiopian soldiers caught them escaping. There were also several bad things about this book; such as, the book switched from girl to girl every other chapter before they meet each other. Another thing I did not like about this book is the way there was no suspense. Every time that you didn't know what was going to happen, the suspense would stop and you would know what the truth was in a couple sentences. For example, when the girls were trying to escape Ethiopia they started to get shot at by Ethiopian bandits and a couple sentences after I read this, I knew what the result of the shooting was. All in all I give this book a 3 out of 5 star rating.
Great for Understanding Prejudices December 21, 2007
Jane Kurtz lived in Ethiopia, and in this middle school aged novel, she tells a story of the senseless prejudices that girls from two different tribes have grown up with, stating ridiculous stereotypes about tribes they had never met. When girls from two opposing tribles find themselves in the same refugee camp and are forced to get to know each other and help each other survive, they wonder why those silly notions persisted, because nothing they learn about each other group seems true now that they know each other.
Review from an author for A Blessed Heritage Educational Resources September 15, 2005
I was interested in this book as a part of an upcoming curriculum on Christian character development, and I must say that I was well pleased. It tells a story that many of us in the Western world have seen only through the news media, but television cannot completely portray the plight of those caught in the middle of the resource-depleted and war-torn Ethiopia. This tale brings that story to the forefront through the lives of two young ladies, one a Christian and one an Ethiopian Jew. This story addresses stereotypes and predjudice and the fact that, at the root of all our biases, we all have far more similarities than differences.
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