Accidental Patriot: A Diplomat's Journey in Africa Rediscovering America

Accidental Patriot: A Diplomat's Journey in Africa Rediscovering America tells the story of an U.S. Diplomat's journey rediscovering her home country while living, working, and raising her two toddler daughters in Ethiopia. Let Kirsten transport you to a world of mystic ceremonies, a place home to towering obelisks and the revered land of the Queen of Sheba that is rumored to house the Ark of the Covenant, yet a country suffocating under the omniscient gaze of Big Brother and drowning in poverty. Join Kirsten in learning why driving in Ethiopia's capital city is an exercise in 'reverse Frogger,' why the gods are angry with Ethiopia's farmers, and why marriage is an inescapable chore. Find out how a CheeseWiz-loving American girl from vanilla suburbia came to rescue an Ethiopian colleague from a provincial jail and how one of her employees barely cheated death. Experience this world of stark contrasts, in a land where the cost of a manicure could clothe many homeless children and a the bill for one meal at a restaurant could help feed the city's starving. Follow Kirsten in her journey and come away with a refreshed admiration for the incredible strength of the human spirit and a renewed appreciation for America and its core values. As a U.S. Diplomat of 14 years, it took three years living in Ethiopia for the author to internalize what it really means to be American - a country whose commitment to equality, meritocracy, and individual human worth really means something.