Reviews

"The author brings me right into the story to experience the emotions of the Ethiopians. We also get to peek into the way the Peace Corps worked and the ways it didn’t work well at that time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book."

"...  exemplary in its structure, organization, and pacing[,]  production quality and cover design[,]  in its choice of topic or theme of the story[,] in character appeal[, and]  its voice and writing style   ... It has a unique voice..."

"All main characters (including antagonists) are unique and fully fleshed out with compelling, layered motivations and traits." 

"... an interesting and easy to step into story revealing Ethiopia of the 1970s."

"This non-fiction novel (memoir) holds the reader’s interest and attention with constantly challenging events and situations. The page of Ethiopian (Amharic) pronunciation and phrases is greatly helpful in making the reading of foreign words smoother. The Family Tree of Girma & Abebech keeps the relationships clear, especially with the unfamiliar names of the characters, as the Map of Ethiopia shows the way to the different towns described in the story. The characters are defined in detail and make them come alive for the reader with their separate personalities."

- Judge, 31st Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards 

"I enjoyed reading it very much, became very interested in Steve’s story, came

to love Abebech, and learned a huge amount about Ethiopian culture, politics, etc.

... It’s not my habit to endlessly praise any books I edit, since that’s not what I’m

paid to do, so I’ll get straight to the book’s problems."

- Wyn Cooper, editor

"Excellent story telling produced a book that is hard to put down. The topic of 1970’s treatment of mental illness within these different cultures is a subtle reminder of how painful mental illness is to whole families and friends, and how limited treatment was in any culture in the 70’s."

-  Susan Monje, Amazon

"I read Solomon's Net every night for weeks, anticipating the collision that I could see coming between this idealistic Peace Corps Volunteer and the otherworldly local culture and politics he was immersed in day to day in Ethiopia. I have visited East Africa and found a lot of the descriptions of the differences between traditional culture and Western culture to be very believable. Jerry's gradual descent into madness in this dramatic novelized true story is carefully chronicled, and it is as believable as it is heartbreaking. I still think, as he did, that he was slipped a psychedelic by the local power brokers when he challenged the corrupt system of land ownership in an effort to help local farmers. The relationship between Jerry and his local girlfriend and it's hypnotic effect on his grasp of reality was fascinating to see. I highly recommend Solomon's Net for anyone interested in the profound encounter between Western and non-Western traditional cultures and the subsequent potential deep impacts on one's own sense of reality."

- Joseph Cutler, Amazon

"In candid and simple prose, Solomon’s Net encapsulates a poignant tale of ambition, determination, and youthful enthusiasm that due to a lack of awareness of political and cultural powers, leads to helplessness and madness . The story will grab your attention and leave you questioning your grasp of reality when faced with an alternative cultural perspective. A down-to-earth and engrossing read."

-  Marli Shoop, Amazon

"I enjoyed the book immensely. I learned a lot about Ethiopian culture and how the pluses and minuses of peace corp management affected the personal lives of the characters. The author has taken a complicated situation and artfully constructed an interesting chronology blending the lives of his fellow Peace Corp friends into a neat, readable package. He has also imaginatively fictionalized this true story by filling in all the blanks. A good read!"

- Harvey Alan, Amazon