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Amid the Chaos
Some people call Eritrea the “North Korea of Africa.” But to two friends Chenkelo and Misghe, it is home.
In the picturesque capital of Asmara, these two educated young men are forced to choose between poverty and hustle as they hide from a national service conscription that would send them to the front lines. Charismatic Misghe is a charmer, a philosopher, and a loving son who is capable of having any woman in the city. But he’s about to flee his oppressive homeland—putting his longtime friendship with Chenkelo at stake.
Chenkelo is a consummate hustler, resentful of his lot but in love with his city and his country. He has a poet’s heart whose passion will soon fuel activism and a belief that Eritrea’s beloved national project can yet be saved.
Caught between the temptation of the Western dream and duty to their stagnated nation, Misghe and Chenkelo epitomize and transcend the trials and tribulations of an entire African generation. Amid the Chaos depicts the unflinching reality of a restless Eritrea in search of a meaning.
In the picturesque capital of Asmara, these two educated young men are forced to choose between poverty and hustle as they hide from a national service conscription that would send them to the front lines. Charismatic Misghe is a charmer, a philosopher, and a loving son who is capable of having any woman in the city. But he’s about to flee his oppressive homeland—putting his longtime friendship with Chenkelo at stake.
Chenkelo is a consummate hustler, resentful of his lot but in love with his city and his country. He has a poet’s heart whose passion will soon fuel activism and a belief that Eritrea’s beloved national project can yet be saved.
Caught between the temptation of the Western dream and duty to their stagnated nation, Misghe and Chenkelo epitomize and transcend the trials and tribulations of an entire African generation. Amid the Chaos depicts the unflinching reality of a restless Eritrea in search of a meaning.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 2016
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About the author
Nathan Haddish Mogos
3 books49 followersNathan Haddish Mogos was born in 1982, to Eritrean parents in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Nathan completed his higher education at the University of Asmara, Eritrea. In his early years, with a strong influence of his parents, especially his relentless mother, he was introduced into the art of reading, that finally captivated his wild restless imagination for once. Reading series, the Hardy Boys and such while growing up, fantasizing alternate endings on his own, he found an outlet to express and experiment his raw talent of story telling.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 3, 2016
Set in Asmara, the vibrant capital of Eritrea, AMID THE CHAOS gives us the powerful story of two close friends, both victims of their county’s universally required military service and both deserters. They are always on the run, always on the lookout for omnipresent MPs who are sometimes easily fooled and just as often surprisingly effective in finding deserters and bringing them back to their units for punishment and reassignment to the front lines of their county’s never ending wars. Chenkelo is an intellectual with visions of a great and powerful future for his continent, but he’s been forced to turn high tech hustler to survive. Misghe, is a poet, a charmer, and a lover. He feels that he’s in far greater danger from the consequences of his desertion. The pair prowls the alleyways, bars, and brothels of Eritrea seeking good hiding places, conversation, and comfort. And they often find them, with attractive young women, and more importantly with a noted university professor who sees their promise and encourages their efforts.
Author Nathan Mogos gives us a carefully drawn picture of the people, places, dreams, and nightmares of this dangerous but amazing part of the world. There’s drama in Misghe’s attempted escape from his homeland and the life threatening dangers of his run from the MPs. There’s action in Chenkelo’s vivid memories of his military service. There are plenty of colorful characters, plenty of rich settings and deep insights. But above all there’s the power of a strong friendship that unites the two men even after they are long parted.
Author Nathan Mogos gives us a carefully drawn picture of the people, places, dreams, and nightmares of this dangerous but amazing part of the world. There’s drama in Misghe’s attempted escape from his homeland and the life threatening dangers of his run from the MPs. There’s action in Chenkelo’s vivid memories of his military service. There are plenty of colorful characters, plenty of rich settings and deep insights. But above all there’s the power of a strong friendship that unites the two men even after they are long parted.
September 28, 2016
I chose Mogos's self-published novel because I had never read any fiction set in Eritrea. As mediocre as it was, AmidThe Chaos evinces definite literary talent: I'm glad I read it, and I learned quite a lot about the country.
The novel opens extremely promisingly, describing one of the two main characters, a twenty-something named Chenkelo, as a perpetual student at Ankara University, such that his former classmates are now his instructors there. We soon learn that his yet-unfinished studies are on hold, and that he's working as a cash register sales/repairman, and that he knows all the tricks to find coins and bills stuck inside these state-of-the-art machines the government has mandated for all restaurants and bars, which he pockets under the nose of his restauranteur customers. In a few short pages, Mogos opens his tale and characterizes Chenkelo with élan.
But I was soon disappointed. While the novel is fairly well-written, there were glaring grammar and vocabulary errors at the rate of about one every 5-10 pages. It's brave of Mogos to attempt writing a novel in his second or maybe even third language, but that is not the same thing as saying it made for enjoyable reading.
Chenkelo keeps a diary about his aspirations to write, and those diary entries, liberally excerpted throughout the novel, are as cringeworthy as any writer wannabee's would be.
His best friend, Misghe, is soon introduced, and their friendship and near-nightly nights out on the town form the loose narrative structure. Misghe has darker skin, Chenkelo lighter, and this sets up an interesting tension in their relationship. I got a vivid sense of Asmara, the capital city where they live, and its nightlife. They are always avoiding the men of the security forces, who seem to be stationed here, there and everywhere; while there are a few oblique references to the main characters's fear of being apprehended (both of them are on the run, after having deserted the military), their preoccupation with avoiding the police is represented as a humorous cat and mouse game. I never got a sense of how repressive Eritrean society actually was.
The least satisfactory parts of the novel were the many, many pages-long political and intellectual discussions Chenkelo, Misghe, and often their professor, have. Oh my God, these were horrible to read! I was painfully reminded of having had to suffer through the important but mind-numbingly awful 19th-century Russian novel of ideas, Chernyshevsky's 'What Is To Be Done?' during my own university days. No doubt the debates about Eritrean politics and culture are extremely important, but these discussions made for ponderous reading indeed.
After all that criticism, let me reiterate how glad I am that I read Amid The Chaos. Amid its chaos, I was introduced to a troubled country I knew next-to-nothing about, a couple of memorable characters, and a writer who I hope will keep developing his talents and eschew the dead end that is self-publishing. Nathan Mogos doesn't need another vanity-press-issued book under his belt: he needs a patient, strict, professional editor.
The novel opens extremely promisingly, describing one of the two main characters, a twenty-something named Chenkelo, as a perpetual student at Ankara University, such that his former classmates are now his instructors there. We soon learn that his yet-unfinished studies are on hold, and that he's working as a cash register sales/repairman, and that he knows all the tricks to find coins and bills stuck inside these state-of-the-art machines the government has mandated for all restaurants and bars, which he pockets under the nose of his restauranteur customers. In a few short pages, Mogos opens his tale and characterizes Chenkelo with élan.
But I was soon disappointed. While the novel is fairly well-written, there were glaring grammar and vocabulary errors at the rate of about one every 5-10 pages. It's brave of Mogos to attempt writing a novel in his second or maybe even third language, but that is not the same thing as saying it made for enjoyable reading.
Chenkelo keeps a diary about his aspirations to write, and those diary entries, liberally excerpted throughout the novel, are as cringeworthy as any writer wannabee's would be.
His best friend, Misghe, is soon introduced, and their friendship and near-nightly nights out on the town form the loose narrative structure. Misghe has darker skin, Chenkelo lighter, and this sets up an interesting tension in their relationship. I got a vivid sense of Asmara, the capital city where they live, and its nightlife. They are always avoiding the men of the security forces, who seem to be stationed here, there and everywhere; while there are a few oblique references to the main characters's fear of being apprehended (both of them are on the run, after having deserted the military), their preoccupation with avoiding the police is represented as a humorous cat and mouse game. I never got a sense of how repressive Eritrean society actually was.
The least satisfactory parts of the novel were the many, many pages-long political and intellectual discussions Chenkelo, Misghe, and often their professor, have. Oh my God, these were horrible to read! I was painfully reminded of having had to suffer through the important but mind-numbingly awful 19th-century Russian novel of ideas, Chernyshevsky's 'What Is To Be Done?' during my own university days. No doubt the debates about Eritrean politics and culture are extremely important, but these discussions made for ponderous reading indeed.
After all that criticism, let me reiterate how glad I am that I read Amid The Chaos. Amid its chaos, I was introduced to a troubled country I knew next-to-nothing about, a couple of memorable characters, and a writer who I hope will keep developing his talents and eschew the dead end that is self-publishing. Nathan Mogos doesn't need another vanity-press-issued book under his belt: he needs a patient, strict, professional editor.
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May 29, 2020I left the beautiful city of Asmara many many moons ago, but in the last few hours I felt like I have been to and back. Thanks! Nathan for the great work and hope to read more from you in the coming years.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews