The Shadow King
Booker Prize · 2020 · Shortlist
Award History
| Award | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Booker Prize | 2020 | Shortlist |
About This Book
When Benito Mussolini's Italy invades Ethiopia in 1935, a young woman named Hirut finds herself thrown into the war effort alongside Emperor Haile Selassie's Imperial Guard. As the Italians advance, the Emperor flees and a shadow king—a lookalike—is created to inspire the troops. A lyrical, epic novel about women and war. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2020.
About the Author
Maaza MengisteEthiopian-American
Maaza Mengiste is an Ethiopian-American novelist born in Addis Ababa in 1971. Her debut novel Beneath the Lion's Gaze (2010) was named one of the Guardian's best books of the year. The Shadow King (2019) was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2020 and the LA Times Book Prize, and won the Windham-Campbell Prize. Read more →
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