The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste

Since it’s shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize, I thought I’d repost the review of The Shadow King that I posted earlier on Facebook.

I just finished reading ‘The Shadow King’ by Maaza Mengiste. It’s a story of the 1935 Italian invasion of Ethiopia told in a beautiful, lyrical manner that seems much different than most war novels in its lyricism.The story centers around Hirut, a young woman who is a servant to a wealthy Ethiopian man, Kidane, and his wife, Aster. Hirut is an orphan and she has been taken in by this couple who knew her parents.Kidane is fond of Hirut, but Aster resents her.When war comes, Kidane recruits an army They are forced to leave their home when the Italians come, Kidane leading his troops and Hirut and Aster following behind. Hirut and Aster long to join the fight but are forbidden by Kidane and, when Hirut steals a gun to fight, she is brutally raped by Kidane. She realizes that there’s no way out but to fight.Eventually Hirut and Aster lead a troop of female fighters and, as Hirut trains she envisions fighting not the Italians but Kidane. There is reference to ancient battles, to the Iliad and Icarus and Daedalus. There are chapters about Emperor Haile Selassie and some historical narrative but the whole thing is strange and wonderful in a way I did not anticipate. There is pity and fear. One of the reviewers thought it gave her goose bumps from time to time and I agree. Hirut is a remarkable hero and this is a book you should read. I highly recommend it. For those of you who live in Maryland, it’s available on Maryland’s Digital eLibrary Consortium.