Flowers & Locusts

“Imperial Ethiopia through the innocent eyes of a young American girl,

who came as a privileged foreigner and left with an Ethiopian heart.”

Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate, author of King of Kings: 

Triumph and Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie


The haunting memoir Flowers & Locusts opens a window on the legendary kingdom of Ethiopia through the extraordinary childhood of an American girl. The author’s father brought his family there from New York City to become official advisor to Emperor Haile Selassie. The arc of the story is set against the unrest that leads to the downfall of the king.

The memoir is also a meditation on the joys and pains of childhood, as the girl finds solace in her passion for horses and shares adventures with a beloved younger brother. In a remote and mysterious realm of beautiful wild flowers sprung up after heavy rains and of cycles of locusts that devastate the countryside, the girl learns lessons about living from her larger-than-life father, gracious southern mother, and rebellious older sister. Interwoven is the wisdom of the family’s Ethiopian caregivers and a gentle boy who opens up the girl’s eyes to both the splendors and poverty of the royal capital city outside the family compound.

 As a coming of age story, Flowers & Locusts will appeal to readers from young teens to adults. Ultimately, the book is a work of gratitude to the author’s family and the Ethiopian people. On leaving this magical country, the author feels the profound loss of the only home she’s ever known.


“The author’s rich narrative illuminates a unique culture and the

wrenching impact of events she could barely fathom.”


Vincent DeFilippi, MD, FACS, Stanford University Medical Center


“This poignant memoir brought me closer to my childhood.

I wish I had read it during my own adolescence.”


Melissa Mertz, Psychotherapist & Trauma Specialist