Zemamu describes her family tree. She grew up under the reign of Ras Kassa. When she was a child, the area she lived in was under Italian rule for five years. Her father and uncle fought against the Italians until Emperor Haile Selassie took control of the country.

Zemamu describes her village of Gind-Wuah and her family’s crops. She recalls that the village residents used to pray facing Israel and even slept facing Israel, due to their great desire to return to their ancestral land. She describes the games she played as a child such as: inkasha and aja-muja.

Zemamu explains the majat custom, which dictates that when a couple fights, the woman can go into the back room and her husband may not follow her. She also describes how disputes within the family and the community were solved with the help of the Shamgalle – the elders of the community.

Every few years, epidemics of illnesses named enksil and vateit would spread among the children. The government would send a medical team to vaccinate the children and treat the sick.

Zemamu describes the preparations and festivities during festivals such as mayrer and asra-asfet. She also talks about her arranged marriage and her wedding. Because she was only 14, she did not want to leave her house and go with her bridegroom. She describes the process of being accepted into her bridegroom’s family at length.

Zemamu recalls her daily routine, including the coffee ceremony, which consisted of three rounds of drinking. She relates how her uncles’ wives taught her to sew and embroider.

After five years of marriage and two children, her husband died of an illness called Waba. Zemamu remarried. She sent two of her children to study. They were extremely successful. When her oldest son grew up, he was appointed as headmaster of a school. Zemamu describes the differences between the educational methods for boys and girls. She discusses the traditional education she received from her parents and transmitted to her children.

At the age of 17, after she gave birth for the first time, Zemamu’s mother taught her to be a midwife. She describes their preparations, what the process of childbirth involved, and what they did if they encountered various problems. She explains what traditional ceremonies were observed after the birth. She also talks about the customs observed during the baby’s first months. For example, they put a bracelet made of shells on the baby’s hand, which was used as a rattle. They would also tie an amulet against the evil eye to the baby’s leg.

When the waves of immigration began, Zemamu and her family moved to Addis Ababa, and immigrated from there to Israel.