Adua, an immigrant from Somalia, has lived in Italy nearly forty years. She came seeking freedom from a strict father and an oppressive regime, but her dreams of becoming a film star ended in shame. A searing novel about a young immigrant woman's dream of finding freedom in Rome and the bittersweet legacies of her African past.
"Utterly sublime . . . Aduatells a gripping story of war, migration and family, exposing us to the pain and hope that reside in each encounter."
Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King
"Igiaba Scego is an original voice who connects Italy's present with its colonial past. Adua is an important novel that obliges the country to confront both memory and truth."
Amara Lakhous, author of Dispute over a Very Italian Piglet
"Lovely prose and memorable characters make this novel a thought-provoking and moving consideration of the wreckage of European oppression."
