Book description
The British Army is circling the stronghold of the King of Abyssinia.
Under orders from Queen Victoria, their mission is to rescue the British
Envoy, held prisoner by the courageous but brutal king. Watching with
terror and awe is the king's young son, Alamayu. He knows that his
father is as brave as a lion, but how on earth can he and his warriors
stand against the well-equipped foreigners? As battle rages, everything
that Alamayu fears comes to pass. The fighting is cruel and efficient.
By the time the dust settles, Alamayu is left without parents, throne or
friends. In a misguided attempt to care for him, the British take
Alamayu to England. There he is befriended by the queen herself and
enrolled in Rugby College to become a 'proper' English gentleman. What
the English see as an honour is, to this lonely Ethiopian prince, a
horror. This is Alamayu's story, seen through his eyes: the battle, the
journey to England and the trauma of an English public school as he
comes to terms with what fate has thrown at him and tries to build a new
life.
Elizabeth Laird is the award-winning author of many highly acclaimed
novels. She and her husband divide their time between London and
Edinburgh.
