She who remains by Rene Karabash

Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2026.

A dark and poetic novel about identity, gender, love, freedom, and societal norms.

High in Albania’s Accursed Mountains, in a village ruled by the ancient laws of the Kanun, Bekija escapes an arranged marriage by becoming a sworn virgin, renouncing her womanhood to live as a man. Her decision sets off a brutal chain of events, destroying her family and separating her from the one she loves the most.

Years later, as Bekija – now Matija – tells their story to a visiting journalist, long-buried truths come to light, along with the realisation of all that might have been.

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