There Is No Me Without You is a compelling narrative of tragedy and hope set against the backdrop of AIDS-torn Ethiopia. When Haregwoin Teferra loses her husband and daughter within a few years, her life shatters, plunging her into reclusion. However, life takes a transformative turn when a priest entrusts an orphan to her care. Then another, and another... and together, they thrive.

Esteemed author Melissa Fay Greene, a two-time National Book Award finalist, brings a human face to the AIDS crisis in Africa. Haregwoin's middle-class life in Addis Ababa is devastated by personal loss, but her self-imposed exile near her daughter’s grave ends when orphans in need of care arrive at her doorstep. These children, ranging from infants to teenagers, find solace and a nurturing home with Haregwoin. Her modest compound becomes a haven where ailing parents and impoverished families can safely leave their children.

Haregwoin's story is one of struggle and despair, yet it is also a triumph of saved lives. Her journey from despair to becoming a caretaker for sixty children, running an unofficial orphanage and school, is both inspiring and heartwarming. Greene’s narrative highlights the AIDS pandemic’s impact, leaving millions of children without parents, and showcases Haregwoin’s remarkable efforts in providing love and care.

This book is about the renewed happiness of children welcomed by adoptive parents in Ethiopia, America, and around the world. It convincingly argues that the crisis in Africa touches us all in fundamental ways. At its heart, this book is about children and the parents they need.