Book Review: A Tale of Two elections
A New Book by Ato Bereket Simeon

Reta Sisay Dec 20, 2011- Themed around the most famous opening passage by Charles Dickens-- “…the best” and “the worst of times”, A Tale of Two Elections emerges as a beautifully narrated true story that celebrates not only the craft and penmanship of the writer but also his ability to tell a gripping story filled with wit and humor.

Readers are really in for a treat and should be ready to probably finish this book in one sitting—very hard to put down the book and impossible not to laugh and reread certain passages and be captivated by the enormous unfolding of events that attracted international attention.

From the arm twisting and the snobbish and hypocritical approach of foreign elements to the havoc and ciaos that was orchestrated by some natives, from the surprises that fill the pages of this good sized book to the intimate thoughts of the author, Ato Bereket Semeon, an insider who was at the center of the elections, from the publicized open campaign oratorios and facades to the clandestine and private discussions, plots, negotiations and, I might add, fornications between groups and individuals, the book covers, what Dickens would have called “the season of light and the season of darkness” or “the age of foolishness and the age of wisdom”.

From the reality that was not always conceivable by all to the augmented and ever changing stance of the opposition groups whose evolvement in the story had enough twists and turns to make it impossible to track their roundtrip voyage to stardom, The Tale of Two Elections encompasses a critical period in our recent history that is full of amazing contrasts. It is about “the epoch of belief and the epoch of incredulity”.

A mandatory read for scholars and politicians, leaders and followers, the elite and the commoner, it is a book about war and peace, love and hate, optimism and pessimism, life and death and the past and the future. It is a human story summed up by an articulate mind and we are truly privileged to have this book in our libraries and private collections.

Many previously untold mini stories come out vivid and in living color, adding flavor and texture to the piece. It is these handsomely crafted miniature stories, allegories and satiric metaphors coupled with the ever recurring motif –the coexistence of “the best and the worst of times” and the struggle for the common good—that make this piece of work stand out from the crowd.

The graphic illustration of the writer’s resolve displayed throughout the book, but specially towards the end, vividly reminds us the words of Sydney Carton in Dickens’ final lines of A Tale of Two Cities: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known”. How fitting a description to the stance of a statesman whose unwavering dedication to his people and organization is symbolic.

There is no doubt that the book will be the talk of the town and will be a conversation starter for many private and public discussions. Media outlets of every sort, both domestic and foreign, will tackle the book from different angles. It will be a shame not to be part of this political discourse.