The Shadow King

The Shadow King

Fiction & Poetry, Modern & Contemporary Fiction
Paperback Published on: 13/08/2020
£9.99
7 reviews
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Synopsis

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2020

Ethiopia 1935.

With the threat of Mussolini's army looming, recently orphaned Hirut struggles to adapt to her new life as a maid. Her new employer, Kidane, an officer in Emperor Haile Selassie's army, rushes to mobilise his strongest men before the Italians invade. Hirut and the other women long to do more than care for the wounded and bury the dead.

When Emperor Haile Selassie goes into exile and Ethiopia quickly loses hope, it is Hirut who offers a plan to maintain morale. She helps disguise a gentle peasant as the emperor and soon becomes his guard, inspiring other women to take up arms. But how could she have predicted her own personal war, still to come, as a prisoner of one of Italy's most vicious officers?

The Shadow King is a gorgeously crafted and unputdownable exploration of female power, and what it means to be a woman at war.

  • Publisher: Canongate Books
  • ISBN: 9781838851170
  • Number of pages: 448
  • Weight: 297g
  • Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 27 mm

Customer Reviews

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The Shadow King
The Shadow King, by Maaza Me
I have no idea if there actually was a “Shadow King”, that is, someone who dressed like the Emperor Haile Selassie II, when he had fled into exile, and who... READ MORE
David Kenvyn
The Shadow King
Beautifully-written, haunting story of courageous, warrior women
This is a stunning book. Every sentence is something to treasure, the language so rich and poetic. The characters themselves are compelling, every one writ... READ MORE
Gaby R-W
The Shadow King
Intriguing account of a long-forgotten conflict
Ethiopian women warriors in the war with Italy in 1935. At its best when straight narrative, but Mengiste gets lost in her own lyricism in more reflective ... READ MORE
Christopher Stott
The Shadow King
Overwritten, joyless, dense
An important and rarely-discussed theme -- women's roles in war -- might explain this novel's great acclaim. It's a good premise and the topic is worth our... READ MORE
Jasmine Hyman