Oromay: War, betrayal and espionage in 1980s Ethiopia: a classic of African literature that sealed its author's fate

By: Baalu Girma

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Synopsis: "Astonishing and compelling . . . Impossible to put down" Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow KingEthiopia, 1982: After a decade of conflict, the government is determined to quash the Eritrean insurgency once and for all. As head of propaganda, it's Tsegaye's job to keep the people onside.When the Red Star Campaign lands him in Asmara, Tsegaye is swept up in the city's nightlife, the bars and coffeehouses buzzing with spies and government agents. But even as Tsegaye begins to fall in love with Asmara ‒ and with bold, dazzling, enigmatic Fiammetta ‒ his misgivings about the campaign grow, and soon his loyalties will be tested to their limit.Tsegaye is confronted with the horror of war when the army attacks the insurgents' mountain stronghold, and encounters betrayals that shake his faith in both the regime and human nature.A masterpiece of Ethiopian literature, Oromay is a thrilling political satire and a turbulent tale of love and war. It became an instant sensation when first published in 1983 and was quickly banned. Baalu Girma vanished in 1984, most likely kidnapped and murdered by the same regime in retaliation for this novel.Translated from Amharic by David DeGusta and Mesfin Felleke Yirgu

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