The Shadow King

"Shortlist"

"Yes, exactly. This is a historical novel about what it means to be a woman in a war. It casts a light on women soldiers whom we don’t know much about in terms of African and European history, but who actually played a crucial part in their societies. The novel is brilliantly researched, and lyrical in the way the author describes the characters. It’s hard not to be drawn in, and totally convinced by her writing. It is a historical take on the world that is as compelling as the contemporary stories. I’m glad that the shortlist does have this mix of the historical and the contemporary, because that is where we are situated. Our history affects our present in ways we can’t escape. The moment we are in now is informed by history , and will also inform our future. A writer’s imagination, craft, and subject matter can transport us through time."

"“Her hair is neatly braided and sleek and she has been careful to hide the long scar that puckers at the base of her neck and trails over her shoulder like a necklace,” writes Maaza Mengiste of her main character Hirut in the opening of her Booker Prize-longlisted novel. Hirut’s scar marks her as a survivor – of war, of capture, of learning to defend herself against war and other violences of men. In this luminous exploration of the lives of Ethiopian women who fought back against the fascist regime of Mussolini’s invading army, Mengiste both un-erases history and crafts a stunning novel that resonates with imagistic lyricism and depth."