Wild Words Newsletter
Get monthly recommendation on all the latest nature writing, heritage and conservation related reads available at Sherlock & Pages
Currency
Guaranteed safe and secure checkout
Lauded by literary luminaries and shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize, Maaza Mengiste's 'The Shadow King' has garnered widespread acclaim. This tour de force has been hailed as a book of the year by esteemed publications and praised for its devastating brilliance by renowned authors.
Set against the backdrop of 1935 Ethiopia, as Mussolini's forces loom on the horizon, we follow the journey of Hirut, a recently orphaned girl grappling with her new role as a maid. Her employer, Kidane, an officer in Emperor Haile Selassie's army, races to rally his troops before the Italian invasion.
As the conflict intensifies, Hirut and her fellow women yearn to contribute beyond tending to the wounded and burying the fallen. When the Emperor is forced into exile and hope wanes, it is Hirut who concocts an audacious plan to bolster morale. Her scheme involves disguising a humble peasant as the Emperor, with Hirut herself becoming his guard, inspiring other women to take up arms in the process.
Yet, Hirut could never have foreseen the personal battle that awaited her as a captive of one of Italy's most ruthless officers. Mengiste's narrative is a masterfully woven tapestry that explores the depths of female power and the essence of womanhood in times of war. 'The Shadow King' is an utterly engrossing and exquisitely crafted literary gem that will leave an indelible mark on its readers.
Book ISBN: | 9781838851170 |
Book Author: | Maaza Mengiste |
Book Format: | Paperback / softback |
Book Imprint: | Canongate Books |
Book Publisher: | Canongate Books |
Book Dimensions: | 129 x 197 x 36 cm |
Book Publication Date: | 2020-08-13 |
Book Pagination: | 448 pages |
Book Weight: | 318g |
Sherlock & Pages is a little bookshop with a big heart. We are based in Frome, Somerset, England and curate lists of books in the areas we are passionate about – landscape, nature, history, and heritage. In short, the conservation of all we’ve inherited and all we are responsible to pass on. We aim to inspire and be inspired, to form a literary culture of care and passion about this precious planet we call home.
This is a shop where you might find something you haven’t seen before, and we like to think we’ve got something for everyone. We choose each of our books with care and for a reason. This is because our physical store is small but beautifully formed, holding only around 1200 titles at any one time. We try and recreate the feel of the shop wherever we are online, to reflect our niche categories and personality.
We have an active social media presence and aim to share our story with all our friends. The long-term goal is to build a hub for the books and writers we believe in. Who knows where our adventure will lead but by supporting Sherlock & Pages you’re helping us to add a further layer of magic to our little corner of the world. If you haven’t visited our physical store, one day you might just make a literary pilgrimage down to Somerset.
Our tagline is ‘Long Live the Hedgerows’ and our symbol a hibernating dormouse. If you want to support an independent with a unique character and which will share stories with you for years to come, then choose Sherlock & Pages. The world needs bookshops with soul, for they are ‘citadels of light.’