In 1979, Ellease Southerland (now known as Ebele Oseye) made her publishing debut with a story about a resilient young woman. It was acclaimed by critics as not only "a remarkable first novel" (Los Angeles Times), but also "a masterpiece" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) and "a miracle" (Sunday Times, London). Distinguished as a New York Public Library Notable Book and selection of the Book of the Month Club, it won innumerable admirers—Maya Angelou, Madeleine L'Engle, and Gwendolyn Brooks among them. Yet, eventually, regrettably, it slipped out of print.

This summer, Amistad Books celebrates the publication of Ebele Oseye's classic in paperback, LET THE LION EAT STRAW. For new readers, as well as early fans eager to become reacquainted, this lyrical, haunting novel remains a stirring testament to the power of the human spirit and the transcendent gift of love.

Set between the two World Wars, LET THE LION EAT STRAW opens in the backwaters of North Carolina, the home of six-year-old Abeba Williams. A pretty little girl with a quiet way of understanding well beyond her years, Abeba is perfectly content living in a one-room shack with Mamma Habblesham, a wise and loving half-Indian, half-African midwife. Her world changes, dramatically, from the day her birth mother, Angela, suddenly comes back and takes her away.

A proud woman, Angela left the South and her shameful memories for a chance at a respectable life in the civilized North. She settled in Brooklyn, found honorable work ironing laundry, and eventually landed a husband. Each month, she sent eight of her thirty-five hard-earned dollars to North Carolina to keep food in her daughter's stomach—money she should have had to spend on a new dress for herself. As Abeba soon leams, through harsh words and the sting of an iron cord, her beautiful "Mommie" blames her for everything she has sacrificed and suffered since she "homed" her. Fortunately, Abeba's New York Daddy cherishes her as if she were his own flesh-and-blood. Sadly, Angela's kind, generous husband dies early, leaving Abeba to face the reality of crushing poverty and her mother's resentment. But he leaves Abeba a wonderful legacy: an appreciation for music.

Through the eyes of a searching young woman, LET THE LION EAT STRAW follows Abeba through unsettling encounters with her biological father and his family, the nightmare of repeated teenage rape, the relentless scorn of her mother, and the shadow of racism. Yet, Abeba continues to persevere and hope—thanks to her faith, her passion and talent for the piano, and the romantic attentions of a handsome young singer, Daniel Torch. Against the odds, Abeba graduates from high school with honors, marries a man who adores her, and welcomes the birth other first baby. Before long, however, adversity strikes again—in the insidious form of mental illness.

Revealing the grace and glory in ordinary lives, even in the worst of times, LET THE LION EAT STRAW is a novel worthy of a place in annals of literature alongside I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and The Bluest Eye.

About the Author
Ebele Oseye is a professor of African literature and creative writing at Pace University. A recipient of the Gwendolyn Brooks Award for Poetry, she is also the author of The Magic Sun Spins, a poetry collection; Opening Line, a guide to creative writing; and A Feast of Fools, a novel continuing the story of Let the Lion Eat Straw. An avid world traveler, she has crossed the ocean many times to visit Nigeria and, in 1989, was named a Fellow of the University of Nigeria at Nsukka. Born in Brooklyn, she lives in Queens, New York.

Let The Lion Eat Straw
By Ebele Oseye
Publisher: Amistad, and Imprint of HarperCollins
Price: $11.95
ISBN: 0-06-072421-8