The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
The Shadow King – Maaza Mengiste
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
Set during Mussolini’s 1935 invasion of Ethiopia, The Shadow King portrays the first real conflict of World War II, casting light on the women soldiers who were left out of the historical record.
✚ “Early on in The Shadow King I had to google “Italian invasion of Ethiopia 1930s” proving yet again my historical knowledge is slightly lacking. It was such an unexpected event and I wasn’t sure if it was even real (nearly as bad as when I was teacher aiding in a Year 12 English class and learned about the Warsaw ghetto thanks to the students reading The Pianist) .
“Well yep the invasion sure was real and Maaza Mengiste takes you to the absolute heart of it. This book was at times terrifying, at times exhilarating and then a lot of the time it was just very sad. There was little joy and not much relief from the absolute onslaught of overwhelming events.
“Reading the note from the author at the end about her personal connection to the story was shocking. I read this while it was longlisted and was rapt to see it on the shortlist. At the time of writing this I’ve read no other shortlisters, but I’ll be very surprised to read one that tops this.” – Suzy
To be in the presence of our emperor is to stand before the sun. You must respect his power to give you life and to burn you alive.
✚ “Stories of female contributions to war efforts are few and far between. Usually the women are carers or victims or fictional superwomen. The Shadow King is different. It tells the story of Hirut, a young Ethiopian woman who goes from lowly servant to proud warrior during the 1935 Italian invasion.
“The story has a base in the author’s own family history and this attachment is obvious in the realistic portrayal of the characters and their war-time experiences. At no time did they seem over-written, and the war activities had the right measure of atrocity and hopefulness. Although I knew nothing of this conflict prior to reading this book, I was quickly lured into this story and captivated throughout.
“Hirut, an orphan seeking meaning in life, seemed to me a symbol of many people, many cultures, many communities and though I was left feeling shocked, I was also satisfied at the completeness of the story.” – Rachel
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Published 2019
W W Norton Company
448 pages
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