Haile was born in Ethiopia in 1965 and lived there until she was eleven years old. When the Emperor was deposed by a military coup, Haile's father was shot while 'resisting arrest'. Barely surviving, he escaped with his family and settled in central Minnesota where they struggled with the cultural and financial strain of their drastically changed circumstances. Haile grew up in America, attended Williams College and went on to graduate from Harvard Law School. In 2001, she was the first member of her family to return to Ethiopia. Rebecca Haile's book brings into focus the challenges and consequences of three decades of political upheaval in Ethiopia.