WINNER OF THE HURSTON/WRIGHT LEGACY AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM SAROYAN INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR WRITING 2024
FICTION FINALIST FOR THE WILLIAM SAROYAN INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR WRITING 2024
SHORTLISTED FOR THE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN DIASPORA AFRICAN LITERARY AWARD 2023
FINALIST FOR THE PEN/ROBERT W. BINGHAM PRIZE FOR DEBUT SHORT STORY COLLECTION 2023
FINALIST FOR THE CHAUTAUQUA PRIZE 2023
LONGLISTED FOR THE STORY PRIZE 2023

'Witty and wistful, complex and heartbreaking' Brit Bennett

An enterprising young man on the verge of losing his home in Addis Ababa pursues an improbable opportunity to turn his life around. A woman visiting her country of origin for the first time finds that an ordinary object opens up an unexpected, complex bridge between worlds. An intergenerational friendship forms between two refugees living in Iowa who have connections to Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Kaleidoscopic, powerful and illuminative, the stories in A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times expand our understanding of the essential and universal need for connection and the vital refuge of home.

"Wonderful, wise stories [capturing] the experience of dislocation and loneliness" - * Daily Mail *

"Shines with potent, affecting moments" - * Independent *

"Debut books don't get much stronger than this. Meron Hadero's remarkable stories explore a diverse cast of people doing their best to find acceptance or at least stability . . . Hadero is deeply perceptive; her dialogue always rings true, and the regard she has for her characters is apparent. This isn't just an excellent first book, it's an excellent book, period" - * Books We Love, NPR *

"Heartwarming, thought-provoking . . . Hadero tactfully shines a light on the hardships that many migrants face, those of citizenship, displacement, financial instability. But what stuck with me was the running thread of hope throughout" - * gal-dem *

"Memorable and engaging" - * Times Literary Supplement *