The Texture of Dreams by Fasil Yitbarek. Nyala Publishing (310 pgs.) $15.95

The Texture of Dreams marks the successful debut of a first-time Ethiopian-American novelist. This first-person narrative chronicles the experiences of Yosef Temesgen, an Ethiopian immigrant to the United States.

Although this "fish-out-of-water" story is ripe material for a down and dirty criticism of the United States, Yitbarek is much more subtle than that. He doesn't buy into the myth of America as a magical world where all wishes come true -- still, this novel is closer to being a love letter to America than an indictment of its culture. Instead, Yitbarek's Yosef is a man of modest dreams. Yosef doesn't want to be a master of the universe; he just wants to teach English -- a goal which lands him in the New York City school system. Yitbarek bridges the gap between two very different cultures by showing the gradual transformation of Yosef from an Ethiopian who rejoices at the sound of a washing machine, comparing its noise to a symphony, to an Ethiopian-American who rides the subway like any other non-plussed New Yorker. Yosef's story could have easily become an overwrought soap opera in the hands of a lesser writer, but Yitbarek deftly offsets his prose with humor and maintains control over the narrative.

The Texture of Dreams is somewhat insightful, but doesn't really break any new ground. Yitbarek's storytelling is straightforward and earnest. Certainly, this one is worth the time it takes to read it. This is a promising beginning for a writer we should expect great things from in the future.

-- Reviewed by JCE