She Who Remains
Author: Rene Karabash
Translated by: Izidora Angek
Published by: Pierene
Pages: 160
Format: Paperback
My Rating: ★★★★
Translated by: Izidora Angek
Published by: Pierene
Pages: 160
Format: Paperback
My Rating: ★★★★
High in the 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 realization of all that might have been.
Years later, as Bekija - now Matija - tells their story to a visiting journalist, long-buried truths come to light, along with the realization of all that might have been.
My thoughts:
René Karabash’s She Who Remains is a novel that feels less like something you simply read and more like something you move through. Set high in the Accursed Mountains, within a village governed by the ancient laws of the Kanun, it follows Bekija, who escapes an arranged marriage by becoming a sworn virgin and renouncing her womanhood to live as a man. It is a striking premise, but what stayed with me most was the atmosphere Karabash creates around it.
The writing has a dreamlike, stream-of-consciousness quality that gives the novel its distinctive power. At times it feels feverish, hypnotic, and almost hallucinatory, carrying the reader forward with real momentum. After taking a minute to get my head around the writing, I soon found myself completely drawn into its rhythm, and although this style will not be for everyone, it worked for me. The prose flows in a way that feels immersive and emotionally charged, making the book surprisingly gripping.
There is something intense and elemental about the novel as a whole: questions of identity, freedom, gender, love, tradition, and survival burn beneath the surface of every page. Karabash captures both the brutality of a rigid patriarchal world and the complicated spaces carved out within it.
For me, this is a book best experienced in one or two sittings, allowing its atmosphere and voice to fully take hold. It is not always an easy read, nor one that will suit every taste, but I found it compelling, original, and memorable. It also sparked an interesting book club discussion, with a range of mixed opinions, though it was mostly well received by the group. She Who Remains is shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2026.
Overall reaction:
René Karabash’s She Who Remains is a novel that feels less like something you simply read and more like something you move through. Set high in the Accursed Mountains, within a village governed by the ancient laws of the Kanun, it follows Bekija, who escapes an arranged marriage by becoming a sworn virgin and renouncing her womanhood to live as a man. It is a striking premise, but what stayed with me most was the atmosphere Karabash creates around it.
The writing has a dreamlike, stream-of-consciousness quality that gives the novel its distinctive power. At times it feels feverish, hypnotic, and almost hallucinatory, carrying the reader forward with real momentum. After taking a minute to get my head around the writing, I soon found myself completely drawn into its rhythm, and although this style will not be for everyone, it worked for me. The prose flows in a way that feels immersive and emotionally charged, making the book surprisingly gripping.
There is something intense and elemental about the novel as a whole: questions of identity, freedom, gender, love, tradition, and survival burn beneath the surface of every page. Karabash captures both the brutality of a rigid patriarchal world and the complicated spaces carved out within it.
For me, this is a book best experienced in one or two sittings, allowing its atmosphere and voice to fully take hold. It is not always an easy read, nor one that will suit every taste, but I found it compelling, original, and memorable. It also sparked an interesting book club discussion, with a range of mixed opinions, though it was mostly well received by the group. She Who Remains is shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2026.
Overall reaction:
