Breakaway Books

Authored by Bsrat Mezghebe; Published February 2026; Historical Fiction

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️

I Hope You Find What You’re Looking For is one of those great novels that introduces me to an entirely new piece of history with compassion and nuance. I knew almost nothing about it when I picked it up, but I’m glad I did. 

In I Hope You Find What You’re Looking For, Elsa has fled Eritrea for America to protect her daughter. A former freedom fighter, she watches carefully for the end of the Eritrean struggle for independence against Ethiopia. But her daughter Lydia has only ever known the US, and middle school isn’t easy for anyone. She’s begun to question Elsa about her father, begging for any information that Elsa is willing to give. Unfortunately, the war holds many secrets for Elsa, including how Lydia came to be.

I have found that many historical fiction novels depict a time period or event with far more glamor than it actually had. This novel adroitly avoids that pitfall, portraying the Eritrean diaspora in the United States and the struggle against Ethiopia with realism and even awkwardness. Elsa is so traumatized that she refuses to share her experiences with almost anyone; she is annoyed more than comforted by the meddling ways of her neighbor and fellow Eritrean Zewdi. Lydia is as bratty as one could expect of an almost middle schooler and feels the pain of being different as an immigrant and a gawky tween. There is so much ambivalence when it comes to how all of the characters feel toward their homeland, and by sitting with them for the length of this novel, I felt like I got to absorb some of their culture. 

Berekhet, Elsa’s cousin of sorts, plays an interesting role in this novel, goading Lydia along on her quest for more knowledge about her family, and the two become quite close despite Lydia’s initial animosity toward him. He’s admittedly quite strange, floating through his life in the US with little regard for practicalities and cultural norms, and (spoiler) he disappears without a trace. I couldn’t figure out whether this is an exit consistent with his character or merely the author struggling to devise a suitable ending for him. Overall, Berekhet oscillates between appearing quite at ease in the US and wandering aimlessly around Washington DC with his head in the clouds. While not easily comprehensible, his character certainly adds a pinch of strangeness to the novel.

Are you looking for the most enjoyable way to learn a little bit more about the world around you and recent history? I Hope You Find What You’re Looking For is a good choice.