Sweetness in the Belly

Lilly, born to hippie parents, finds herself alone in Morocco as a child. She makes her way to a Sufi shrine in Ethiopia, where she studies Islam and learns local customs while growing into adulthood. When political upheaval forces her to flee Ethiopia, Lilly relocates to London and works as a nurse in the immigrant community. She maintains connections to Ethiopia through her relationships with other refugees and her memories of life there. The narrative moves between Lilly's time in Ethiopia and her life in London, exploring her status as a white Muslim woman who belongs neither fully to her adopted culture nor to British society. She searches for belonging while helping fellow refugees navigate their new lives. This novel examines themes of identity, faith, and displacement through the lens of a character who exists between worlds. Through Lilly's experiences, the story reflects on how people create home and community in the aftermath of loss and migration.

Readers appreciate the detailed portrayal of Ethiopian culture, Islam, and the immigrant experience in London. Many note the careful research and authentic descriptions of customs, food, and daily life in Harar. Specific praise focuses on the complex female relationships and the protagonist's journey between cultures. Multiple readers cited the poetic prose and vivid sensory details. Common criticisms include a slow-moving plot, especially in the first third. Some readers found the protagonist difficult to connect with and questioned the authenticity of a white Muslim protagonist in Ethiopia. Several reviews mentioned confusion with the timeline shifts between Ethiopia and London. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (6,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (120+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.9/5 (250+ ratings) "Beautiful writing but moves at a glacial pace" - Goodreads reviewer "Rich in detail but emotionally distant" - Amazon reviewer "The cultural immersion makes up for the meandering storyline" - LibraryThing reviewer

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🌟 Author Camilla Gibb spent time living in Ethiopia conducting fieldwork for her Ph.D. in social anthropology, which greatly influenced the authentic details in the novel 🕌 The book's title comes from an Ethiopian Muslim belief that reading the Quran produces a physical sensation of sweetness in the belly 🌍 The story takes place during Ethiopia's devastating 1974 revolution, when Emperor Haile Selassie was overthrown by a military junta 📚 The novel won the Trillium Book Award and was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, two of Canada's most prestigious literary honors 🎬 The book was adapted into a film in 2019 starring Dakota Fanning as the main character Lilly, though the movie changed several elements of the original story