Author Description

1935: Enzo Secchi, harbourmaster of Massawa, Eritrea's main port, is a loyal Italian colonial servant. But he is lonely, and when his friend suggests he find an Eritrean housekeeper to cook, clean - and maybe share his bed, Enzo takes the plunge and advertises. He surprises himself by choosing Aatifa, a sharp-tongued woman in her early 30s with a complicated family life. What neither of them counts on is falling in love. But when Italian forces bent on invading neighbouring Ethiopia begin arriving at the port, they bring with them new laws - including one forbidding 'Relationships of a Conjugal Nature' with Eritrean women. While Enzo and Aatifa strive to keep their relationship hidden, the bitter campaign lays bare all the brutality of Italian colonial ambition, and the consequences will change their lives forever...