There Is No Me Without You

One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children

By: Melissa Fay Greene

Narrated by: Julie Fain Lawrence

Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

There Is No Me Without You is the story of Haregewoin Tefarra, a middle-aged Ethiopian woman of modest means whose home has become a refuge for hundreds of children orphaned by AIDS. It is a story as much about the power of the bond between children and parents as about the epidemic that every year leaves millions of children, mostly healthy themselves, without family.

Originally a middle-class woman with a happy family life, Haregewoin fell into a deep depression after the death of her recently married daughter. But then a priest brought her two children, AIDS orphans, with nowhere to go. Unexpectedly, the children thrived, and Haregewoin found herself drawn back into daily life. As word got out, an endless stream of children began to arrive at her door, delivered by dying parents and other relatives who begged for her help. Pushing the limits of her home and bank account, she took in more and more.

Today, Haregewoin runs a school, a daycare system, and a shelter for sick mothers. Without medication for her charges - some HIV-positive, some uninfected, and some infants trying to fight off the virus, but almost all of whom come to her terrified and malnourished - she forges on, caring for as many as she can handle. Increasingly, she also places them for adoption with families like that of journalist Melissa Fay Greene, who has two children adopted from Ethiopia. In Haregewoin Tefarra's story, Greene gives us an astonishing portrait of a woman fighting a continent-wide epidemic.

©2006 Melissa Fay Greene (P)2006 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"[A] moving, impassioned narrative." (Publishers Weekly)
"This searing account humanizes the statistics through heartbreaking, intimate stories of what it is like for young orphans left alone in Ethiopia....The detail of one lost child at a time, who finds love, laughter, comfort, and connection, opens up the universal meaning of family." (Booklist)

The best book

Great story, well informational, and the narrator have this wonderful and kindly voice to make this quiet story more enjoyable.

An Incredible Read!

Where does There Is No Me Without You rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Of all the books I have listened to this is so far is at the top of the list.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Most books seem to either educate or entertain. This book does both.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved how the author was able to paint the scene so that the readers/listeners were able to feel what it was like for the orphans, families and caregivers.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed, I cried and there were times when I became frustrated to angry with myself for being so naive and ignorant of the AIDS epidemic.

Remarkable, a must read!

Heartbreaking, gutwrenching--this book will mlake you feel everything. I had tears, I laughed out loud, I felt sad, I felt hopeful, I even felt happy, I wished it would not end. It is so much more than just a story about AIDS orphans in Ethiopia. This is a book that should be read by anyone with a conscience. It has changed the way I think. Please give it a try!

The difference one person can make...

Much like "The Little Princes" did for Nepal, this book opens the world of Ethiopia through it's orphaned/abandoned children. Haregewoin TeferraI is now my hero as she opens her heart and home, unable to say no. I loved that it follows some of them from Ethiopian homes, to orphanage, to new homes. The main story line is interrupted for educational information that helps one to understand the political, economic, health and world influences causing this crisis. Made me yearn to make a difference.

A read that will make you mad and cry!

Perfect balance of history and true story.
I wish everyone would read it and never buy from large pharmaceutical companies again.

There Is No Me Without You

I Loved the whole book. It was well written, exciting and took me on a great adventure. I would recommend this book to all people.