There is no such thing as a single unalterable path.
Dinaw Mengestu – How to Read the Air
Life’s paths
L
“How to Read the Air” by Dinaw Mengestu is a novel that explores the complexities of identity and family history through the journey of Jonas Woldemariam, a young Ethiopian-American man. Jonas embarks on a road trip to revisit the places where his parents once traveled during a troubled period in their marriage. As he retraces their footsteps, Jonas unravels the layers of his parents’ past, confronting painful truths and discovering the ways in which their experiences shaped his own sense of self. Through Mengestu’s lyrical prose and nuanced characterizations, the novel delves into themes of love, loss, and the immigrant experience, offering a profound meditation on the connections between personal history and identity in the American landscape.