Maaza Mengiste’s novel “The Shadow King” takes its title from an idea of Hirut’s [the books main character], one intended to bring hope to the Ethiopian people in a time of great despair. This is a story about fascists and freedom fighters, and emperors and common people. (The Washington Post)
The Washington Post
Maaza Mengiste’s “The Shadow King” is a masterpiece. Here’s why.
In 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia. Though a member of the League of Nations and a country that could trace its history as an organized political unit to the first century C.E., Ethiopia was abandoned to its fate when Benito Mussolini launched the invasion that October. No one had ever colonized the powerful kingdom, but Mussolini was determined to build a fascist empire to rival that of ancient Rome — and control of Ethiopia was essential to his plans.
It’s against this backdrop that Mengiste sets her brilliant 2019 novel, “The Shadow King.” As word of the Italian Army’s arrival spreads and fear grips the countryside, Mengiste tells us the story of Hirut, an orphaned young girl all but abandoned by those who should have taken over her care. Taken in by her mother’s friend, Kidane, Hirut is a servant in his household where she is tormented by the unpredictable jealousies and moods of his wife, Aster.
But theirs will not be the same life that generations of their families lived before them. War is coming, and Hirut watches Kidane gather weapons and build a local militia to face the Italian invasion. Mengiste follows these events as the Italians creep closer to their community and tension builds between Aster and Kidane in the home as well. Over time, they all have a role to play, with Aster taking on a surprising leadership role and Hirut proving herself to be a skilled fighter. The militia, with women and children in supporting roles, prepares for battle, hiding in caves, trying to help the wounded, and coming increasingly close to their final encounter with the Italians.
The Italians in the story are equally fascinating, painted not simply as colonizing caricatures, but as complex men with complicated motives for participating in the war. One soldier, who is Jewish, must reckon with increasing prejudice and then outright danger to his life as Italy aligns itself with Nazi Germany and the call goes out in the ranks for Jews to turn themselves in. As a secretly Jewish Italian in a fascist army, he will try to prove his loyalty at a torture and execution site, the cruelty of which mirrors the horrors of what awaits him back in Europe. Hirut and her compatriots also have an unavoidable date with destiny at the site, one that will haunt Hirut for the rest of her days.
In a series of interludes, we also get a glimpse into the mind of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. Mengiste’s deft writing suggests what he might have been thinking as Italy invaded his country and persecuted his people, leaving him little choice but to flee with his family to the United Kingdom for the duration of the war. The scenes in which the emperor tries to make sense of what is happening are among the book’s most compelling.
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Related:
Maaza Mengiste Wins 2020 Literature Prize from American Academy of Arts & Letters
Tadias 10 Arts & Culture Stories of 2019
Spotlight: Three Great Reviews of Maaza Mengiste’s New Book by NYT, WSJ & NPR
Maaza Mengiste’s Outstanding New Essay on Refugees
Tadias Q & A With Maaza Mengiste
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