Maaza Mengiste Books in Order

During Ethiopia's 1974 revolution, doctor Hailu and his sons respond differently to political violence. One turns to faith, another to resistance, while a decision involving a tortured patient places Hailu and his family in the regime's path.

As Italy invades Ethiopia in 1935, young servant Hirut longs to join the defense of her country. Her plan to disguise a peasant as the exiled emperor draws women into combat and exposes them to new dangers.

Edited by Maaza Mengiste, this collection brings together fourteen crime stories set in different parts of Ethiopia's capital. The contributors explore loss, revenge, memory, and inequality through characters shaped by the city's neighborhoods and turbulent history.