The Shadow King
by Maaza Mengiste
Buy on AmazonSet during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, The Shadow King does what few war stories do: It centers around the experiences of female fighters. Maaza Mengiste introduces the reader to Hirut and Aster – one a servant, the other a mistress – both constrained by the rules of their society. When they join the struggle for freedom, their personal conflicts don’t disappear; instead, they’re recast against a larger canvas, and interwoven with the perspectives of other characters on either side of the battle, including a Jewish Italian photographer who documents the fighting. Epic in scope yet intimate in detail, this novel is a gem.
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"Set during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, The Shadow King does what few war stories do: It centers around the experiences of female fighters. Maaza Mengiste introduces the reader to Hirut and Aster – one a servant, the other a mistress – both constrained by the rules of their society. When they join the struggle for freedom, their personal conflicts don’t disappear; instead, they’re recast against a larger canvas, and interwoven with the perspectives of other characters on either side of the battle, including a Jewish Italian photographer who documents the fighting. Epic in scope yet intimate in detail, this novel is a gem."
NPR Books We Love — 2019 · apps.npr.org
"Maaza Mengiste's amazing 'The Shadow King.'"
By the Book: Claire Messud · nytimes.com