This is a novel about the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935. It is seen through the eyes of an Ethiopian peasant woman, Hirut, who joined the army, fought bravely and escaped Italian captivity. The author had been told stories by her grandfather, and committed to writing the novel after she learned that her great grandmother had also been a combatant. Woman throughout the country joined the resistance, fought beside the men and supported the armies as laborers, cooks and healers. Both Hirut and her rival and ally, Aster, are the leaders of the many women who bravely and effectively fought the Fascist invaders. My preference for all novels, historical or otherwise, is for a straight forward narrative, and this is just a bit too elusive for me. Nonetheless, it is a Booker Prize finalist.
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