of struggle and triumph.

Long Walk Up is the story of a remarkable little girl.  The book examines the life of a young orphan, a child pushed into the street alone after her mother dies from malaria.  The child, a little girl from East Africa named Mulukan, goes on to become Africa is first female president.  Mulukan’s story takes an honest look at unforeseen events and heart tugging coincidences that become the threads in the fabric of our lives.  This remarkable child’s story strikes a  balance between resistance and triumph.  Long Walk Up searches the human heart and calls its readers to ascend.
Denise Turnewis a writer with a tremendous social conscience. Long Walk Up is her latest work and focuses on the human condition and the promise of triumph after tribulation. Capital’s Kirubel Tadesse conducted an on-line interview with the author. Excerpts follow.

Capital: - Tell our readers about yourself
Turnewis Denise:- I have been writing for 34 years and have published more than 10 books. My love of writing reaches back to my childhood. This love began as a fondness for reading; in time, it evolved into a love for reading and writing! I remember spending hours at the library as a child reading books and listening to speeches by effective social and community leaders on audiotape. One summer day my younger sister hurried home from school. She looked at me and said, "Look what I found in the library." At first I paid the book little attention as I was in a foul mood. Then I picked it up (I tell this story often as it had a huge impact on my life), and it was a book of poetry written by Chicago's poet, Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks. After all the years of reading I had done as a child, no book captured my attention the way this book did. The characters came alive! It seemed they leaped off the pages! They reminded me of my grandmother, my aunts, cousins, brothers, sister, and my friends. Something moved inside me. Before I put that book down I knew I was going to be a writer.

Capital: - What other books have you authored?
Denise:- Thank you for asking. My first book is titled ‘Portia’. I wrote ‘Portia’ when I was in my 20s. I was in the Navy and I had had a breast cancer scare. Off to various doctors and specialists I went. I wondered how I would tell my family I might not live on this earth much longer. These experiences inspired ‘Portia’ which began as a series of letters to my family out of my effort to communicate how much I appreciated and loved them at a time when I didn't think I'd be with them another year. I have also written ‘Love Has Many Faces’ which is a multi-cultural, celebrity mystery set in New York City. My third book is Spiral; it is a mystery set in the 1940s. Free excerpts from each of my books are available online at my web site - www.chistell.com. I'd love to have you all stop in and visit me. When you do, please click the ‘email’ button and send me a note of ‘hello'.

Capital: - Have you ever been to Ethiopia?
Denise:- I have yet to travel to Ethiopia. I certainly hope to enjoy the country in the near future.

Capital: - How did you come to be inspired to set the theme of your book in East Africa, especially in Ethiopia since the name of the main character is clearly Ethiopian?
Denise:- ‘Long Walk Up’ came to me differently than any other book I have ever written. I was driving to work one day when out of the blue I received inner guidance to write a story about a young girl from Africa. I was guided that the young girl must have a tremendously difficult childhood and be orphaned. I don't want to give the story away, but I was also guided that the girl's end must be strikingly different from her beginning. I was also guided to keep the story very short. I wrote ‘Long Walk Up’ in response to the guidance I received. I believe in God and know that Mulukan's story will inspire. Otherwise I would not have been guided so clearly and so specifically not only to write the young girl's story but also be given details of the girl's life. After writing for 34 years, no other story has ever come to me like this. Ever. It is as if a little girl from Africa had walked up to me and said, "Tell my story."

Capital: - How can readers of Capital obtain your book!
Denise:- Readers can get a copy of ‘Long Walk Up’ at my web site (www.chistell.com), Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Cushcity.com or by writing for a copy at the address on the order page at my web site - www.chistell.com.

Capital: - Does your book talk about Ethiopian life?
Denise:- The story's location is not specific with intent. I researched a great deal about East Africa as well as had a friend from Africa read ‘Long Walk Up’. Yet, it is not specific to Ethiopia alone. ‘Long Walk Up’ is a story of tremendous struggle and triumph. It focuses on the human spirit as do all of my books. I have come to love Mulukan. Her story has inspired me. I am honored that this little girl's story came to me. There are children like Mulukan all over the world. Some of them give way to the heartache and seemingly endless struggle that is so much a part of their lives. Some of them wrestle against the great pressure life experiences can bring and then, like a phoenix, those very children others once thought doomed to defeat do a most remarkable, inspiring and triumphant thing -- THEY RISE!

Capital: - Have you read any Ethiopian writing?
Denise:- I have read ‘Never Again’ by Flora Nwapa who is from Nigeria. I have also read ‘Akin to No One’ by Nicole Titus who is from Haiti (two wonderful books). I know Nicole personally; she's a friend, but the book is really good. I have read books by writers from around the world (i.e. Jamaica Kincaid, Edwidge Danticat, Awiakta, Winnie Mandala, Farai Chideya whose father is from Zimbabwe, Rudyard Kipling, Wilma Dykeman, and Joy Harjo). I may very likely have read a book that was written by an Ethiopian writer, but I don't believe I have done so recently. I have purchased and look forward to reading ‘Left to Tell’ by Immaculee Iliabagiza. My experience is that writers vary with historical and day-to-day experiences their characters live through, be they real life stories or novels, but that writers who respect our craft write from the human experience. For example, I have yet to tell the difference at the core of a great story, where the strength of the human spirit resides, between a book I have read, whether the book be written by an African, an Indian, a Haitian, an American, a Jamaican, a Hawaiian, or a writer from London. And I have read books written by authors from all of these areas. Talented word smiths speak to the human condition, and that (the human condition)... is what it has always been... multi-layered, remarkable and absolutely fascinating - like a yarn that has no end.

Capital: - Anything you want to tell Ethiopian readers?
Denise:- Be inspired by the dreams grafted against your heart. Go after your dreams even when they appear to be too far out of reach. Please do this. Someone from the global village needs for you to do this: to reach for your dreams.