2020布克獎決選
一隊在二次大戰中力抗義大利敵軍,卻在歷史上不見其名的衣索比亞女軍,重新定位女性在戰爭中的角色
1935年,二次世界大戰,墨索里尼大軍準備進攻衣索比亞的前夕,Hirut才剛開始適應她作為女僕的新生活,而她的雇主正在為國王號召強健的軍人新血,抵擋這波來自義大利的襲擊。然而身為衣索比亞國民一份子,Hirut與其他女子都希望自己不光只能在一旁為傷兵包紮,或是親手掩埋這些男人們的屍身。
當國王被迫流亡海外,整個衣索比亞上下已漸漸失去希望,Hirut挺身而出,獻上能夠再次振奮軍心士氣的計劃。她將一名農夫偽裝成國王,並由自己擔任這位「國王」的貼身侍衛,此舉也同時號召了其他女性紛紛拿起武器來捍衛自己的國土。然而Hirut無法預見的是,自己即將成為義大利史上最凶狠執政者手中的俘虜⋯⋯
(文/博客來編譯)
Shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize, and named a best book of the year by the New York Times, NPR, Elle, Time, and more, The Shadow King is an “unforgettable epic from an immensely talented author who’s unafraid to take risks” (Michael Schaub, NPR).
Set during Mussolini’s 1935 invasion of Ethiopia, The Shadow King takes us back to the first real conflict of World War II, casting light on the women soldiers who were left out of the historical record. At its heart is orphaned maid Hirut, who finds herself tumbling into a new world of thefts and violations, of betrayals and overwhelming rage. What follows is a heartrending and unputdownable exploration of what it means to be a woman at war.