Maaza Mengiste

The threat of invasion looms over Ethiopia in 1935 as Mussolini masses his forces at the borders. Oblivious to all of this, recently orphaned Hirut is struggling to adapt to her new life as a maid. She will not remain sheltered for long, however, as her new employer is a general in the Emperor’s army and is mustering his men.
The women accompany the army, tasked with cooking, tending to the wounded and burying the dead. But they long to do more to help defend their homeland. As the Emperor flees the country, morale is low, but Hirut comes up with a plan to boost everyone’s fighting spirit. Little does she know that she will need all of her strength and spirit to overcome what the war has in store for her. Read More »