The Shadow King
About the book
The novel foregrounds women fighting during Italy's 1935 invasion of Ethiopia.
Africa · A READING GUIDE
Ethiopia
Maaza Mengiste revisits the Italian invasion and revolution through ordinary people and women omitted from history. Dinaw Mengestu depicts migration, loneliness and uncertain identity in the United States. Haddis Alemayehu portrays love constrained by feudal Ethiopian hierarchies. Contemporary English-language diaspora writing therefore appears alongside a novel translated from Amharic.
WHERE TO START
- The Shadow KingMaaza Mengiste
- All Our NamesDinaw Mengestu
- Love unto CryptHaddis Alemayehu
Books to begin with
An editorial selection · not rankedNo matches. Try another language or search term.
Beneath the Lion’s Gaze
About the book
A doctor and his sons struggle to survive the Ethiopian revolution and the terror that follows.
All Our Names
About the book
A friendship in war-torn Uganda and a romance in America expose the uncertainty of immigrant identity.
The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears
About the book
An Ethiopian immigrant shopkeeper in Washington seeks connection in a rapidly changing neighbourhood.
Love unto Crypt
About the book
Young lovers encounter the class and social barriers of feudal Ethiopia.
Original title: Fikir Eske Mekabir
Someone Like Us
About the book
The son of Ethiopian immigrants uncovers his family’s hidden past.
How to Read the Air
About the book
A man retraces his parents’ American journey while trying to understand his own marriage.
Context and sources
Sources on authors and their connections to this country. Specific edition details appear beside each book. Polish and English originals are not labelled as translations.
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