She Who RemainsShe Who Remains
Score Modern
What it's about
High in Albania's Accursed Mountains, in a village ruled by the ancient code of the Kanun, Bekja escapes an arranged marriage by becoming a sworn virgin, giving up her womanhood to live as a man. Her decision sets off a brutal chain of events that destroys her family and separates her from the person she loves most.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the International Booker Prize. It's a powerful novel about tradition, gender and freedom.
You'll love it if you liked
The Vegetarian
The Kite Runner
We Do Not PartGood to know
It's translated from Albanian. It deals with violence and blood feuds.
By the numbers
- Readers63 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics27 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller7 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz100 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #117 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #524 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1010 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is She Who Remains worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the International Booker Prize. It ranks #1,010 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is She Who Remains about?
High in Albania's Accursed Mountains, in a village ruled by the ancient code of the Kanun, Bekja escapes an arranged marriage by becoming a sworn virgin, giving up her womanhood to live as a man. Her decision sets off a brutal chain of events that destroys her family and separates her from the person she loves most.
How long does it take to read She Who Remains?
About 4 hours (155 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after She Who Remains?
If you liked it, try The Vegetarian by Han Kang, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini or We Do Not Part by Han Kang with e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris.