All I can say is, this is a powerful and eloquent book. It took me a while to get into it, but it was worth the wait.
In 1975, Hirut, an older Ethiopian woman, is on the way to meet a former enemy, Ettore, an Italian photographer who was part of Mussolini’s invading army in 1935.
In 1935, the great Ethiopian warrior Kidane has taken orphaned Hirut into his household. However, his wife Aster is almost insane with jealousy of her and thinks Hirut has stolen a necklace Aster gave Kidane at their marriage. In searching for it, she finds Hirut’s rifle, the only possession she still has of her father’s. Kidane, coming upon the incident, confiscates it for the poorly equipped Ethiopian army, for they know the Italians will soon invade, eager to be avenged for their 19th century humiliation.
Although Hirut’s personal situation worsens, all of them are caught up in the war. The household flees to the highlands, where Kidane and his men carry on guerilla attacks against the army of Colonel Fucelli.
Meanwhile Emperor Haile Selassi is ineffective, spending most of his time listening to the opera Aida. When he finally leaves the country, his troops are discouraged until Hirut notices how much the musician Minim looks like the Emperor. Kidane sets him up as a shadow king to help inspire his people, and his guards are the warrior girls Hirut and Aster.
In the Italian camp, Fucelli forces the photographer Ettore to record his cruelties, including the innocent people he has hurled off the cliffs. At the same time, Ettore is worried about what he is hearing about the treatment of Jews in Italy, as his father is Jewish.
I was a little confused about the women warrior theme, as at first it doesn’t look like Hirut is going to do much actual fighting. Also, it seems to be the fashion now to write about war from both sides, as though some sides hadn’t done things that were unforgivable, and I don’t have much sympathy with that. However, ultimately I was carried along by this novel and felt it was powerful. I was unaware before that the behavior of the Italians in Ethiopia was so brutal.
This was a novel I read for my Booker Prize project.
whatmeread 
The idea of warrior women guarding the “king” is intriguing. I wonder how much it’s based on truth.
I don’t know. Now I can’t remember if there were notes about that at the end or not.
Google seems to think there were indeed women warriors in Ethiopia!
Oh good!
I was eager to read this book. The author was visiting Malmö in Sweden, and I went to listen to her. Very interesting and engaging. Like you I had difficulties getting into the book. I am still reading it, and am only at the beginning. But I will finish it. Interesting historical times.
Good luck with it.