No One's Son

"An affirmation of life and the indestructibility of one man's will to make the most of it."-Ian Wynne, author of The Pawn and Shadows by My Side, former editor of Human Rights Defender, Amnesty International Born in the midst of the Ethiopian-Eritrean Civil War, Tewodros "Teddy" Fekadu survives abandonment and famine as his family flings him unwanted across borders and regions, into orphanages, and finally onto the streets of Addis Ababa. Spanning five countries and three continents, the Catholic Church, and Japanese detention centers, this is a tale of defiance and triumph, and also of family love-unacknowledged by his wealthy father, abandoned by his desperately poor mother, Teddy is nurtured along the way by staunch individuals despite his ambiguous place in rigid family tradition: his father's mother, a maternal aunt, a Catholic priest, and even his father's wife. In 2003, after three years in a Japanese detention center, Tewodros "Teddy" Fekadu won a hard-fought immigration battle, and his visa to Australia was approved. He now resides on the Gold Coast, where he founded an association that shares African traditions and heritage through performance and educational programs. He also works with organizations to resettle African refugees to the Gold Coast. He is an inspirational speaker, presenting to such diverse audiences as adoptive families, human rights groups, and East African immigrants. Tewodros' company, Moonface Entertainment, produces films and documentaries on East Africa. He regularly returns to Africa to shoot footage for his projects, and travels to the United States to promote his work.

Tewodros was born in Eritrea in 1971, and scraped through his childhood years between relatives' houses and the streets of Ethiopia. He has since lived in five countries on three continents. Since 2003, he has lived on the Gold Coast of Australia, where he is an active member of the community. He is the founder and president of the African Communities Association Gold Coast Inc., which shares African traditions and heritage through performance, education and training programs, and festivals. He also works with a number of community-based organisations, volunteering his time to assist with the resettlement of African refugees to the Gold Coast. Tewodros' company, Moonface Entertainment, produces films and documentaries about East Africa. He regularly returns to Africa to shoot footage for his projects.

Foreword by Phillip Adams xi Map of Ethiopia & Eritrea xiv Introduction xv BOOK ONE: THE QUEST 1. What's in a Name 3 2. Bishkash the Great 16 3. Suburban Nomads 34 4. The Little Devil 52 5. 'Twixt Heaven and Hell 73 6. Prince or Pauper? 97 7. Mixed Blessings 121 8. The Not-So-Prodigal Son 140 9. Velvet Glove, Iron Fist 150 10. Thou Shalt Not Lie 172 11. Damned If I Do, Damned If I Don't 193 12. The Land of Milk and Honey 221 13. Fire and Brimstone 245 14. The Paper Chase 256 15. Insha'Allah 284 16. Gathering Ghosts 311 BOOK TWO: FAR HORIZONS 17. Capture 323 18. No Hear, No See, No Speak 341 19. Outside Intervention 363 20. Suspicious Minds 388 21. And Then There Was Light 414 22. Running the Gauntlet 430 23. Wilderness of the Heart 447 24. To Hell and Back 464 25. Miracles Do Happen 492 Afterword 503 Time Line 517 Family Tree 521 Family, Friends & Foes 523 Proverbs 531 Glossary 535 Bibliography 541 Acknowledgments 543 Author 545