Maaza Mengiste‘s second novel, The Shadow King (2019), illuminates an oft-overlooked period in Ethiopian history, the occupation by Italian forces under Mussolini as part of fascist military activity in Africa in World War II. Mengiste tells this story through an even more hidden voice, exploring the role of women in Ethiopia’s military resistance.
It’s quite a success, managing to navigate moments of tenderness and moments of violence and abuse with equal grace. There is a ton of doubling in The Shadow King, both in items and people, and the narrative focus is on two women, separated by class but united by their involvement and dedication to the freedom of their country. They are also united in the challenges of navigating an occasionally brutal patriarchy, a constant threat to their survival, but also their ability to contribute to the defense of their country.
There is a much else here: the relationship of photography to history is a primary theme, there is a Greek chorus of sorts that offers oblique commentary on the unfolding narrative, and there are the intelligently considered musings of Ethiopia’s emperor, Haile Selassie, as he considers how to regain the country he has lost.
Mengiste’s prose reads like a novelist emerging into her full voice–there is creativity in the language and the structure both, and a quiet, powerful beauty in many of her descriptions. I found the ending problematic, feeling one of the colonial protagonists “got off too easy,” but that is a relatively minor quibble in an immersive and impactful reading experience.
If your taste runs to the strict genre of “historical fiction” (whatever that is), this may be too fictional for you; but if you like your history tightly wound around “literary fiction” (whatever that is), it is very strongly recommended.
Just a few days ago, I found the front page of a newspaper that Mother had saved featuring Haile Selassie on the 39th anniversary of his “victory and glorious” return to Ethiopia. One of the featured articles was about the overlooked role of women in the resistance. Unfortunately, I decided not to save it and it has already been recycled. Co-inkeydink!