Sworn Virgin by Elvira Dones

Sworn Virgin

Elvira Dones

This fascinating insight into Albanian culture is a gripping, metamorphic tale. The themes of culture, gender, identity and family are explored with real understanding and piercing authenticity in this tender and arrestingly original novel.

Extract
She is excited and lost at the same time. On the outside she looks almost like a woman. What’s missing is her vision, the point of view from which she is supposed to read the world. When she observes people, Hana does not see a woman or a man. She tries to penetrate the unique spirit of the individual, she analyses their face and eyes, she tries to imagine the thoughts hiding behind those eyes, but she tends to avoid thinking about the fact that these thoughts are inextricably linked to the male or female ego. Women think like women. Men? Well, the answer is obvious. She’s only just realizing now that for a long time she has had to consider things from both points of view.
Parallels
  • The Ghost Rider by Ismail Kadare
  • Book of Fate by Parinoush Saniee
  • Family Life by Akhil Sharma