--- product_id: 28668492 title: "The Shadow Girls: A Novel" brand: "henning mankell" price: "R456" currency: ZAR in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/28668492-the-shadow-girls-a-novel store_origin: ZA region: South Africa --- # The Shadow Girls: A Novel **Brand:** henning mankell **Price:** R456 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Shadow Girls: A Novel by henning mankell - **How much does it cost?** R456 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/28668492-the-shadow-girls-a-novel) ## Best For - henning mankell enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted henning mankell brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![The Shadow Girls: A Novel - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Ca-50FGzL.jpg) ![The Shadow Girls: A Novel - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41waEBM3UML.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A profound story for fans of Henning Mankell *by J***N on Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2015* For those familiar with the Kurt Wallander mysteries this novel is quite a departure. The plot follows a poet whose books are not selling well and he is asked to write a crime story which he doesn't want to do. A friend invites him to give a seminar for a group of women in a remote town who are what we would call illegal immigrants. They are in Sweden without proper visas or papers and live an underground life hidden from authorities. During the seminar and the ones that follow the poet meets three remarkable women from very different parts of the world, Tea Bag from Nigeria, Tania from Estonia or Russia, and Leyla from Iran. As the seminars proceed the poet discovers a world within his familiar Sweden that he never knew existed and becomes obsessed with listening to the stories of these three women and the troubles they have encountrered in their life. He decides he will write their stories instead of the mystery his publisher is pestering him to write. The book concludes with the women fading back into the shadows of underground Sweden after they have completed telling their stories. That's all they wanted, someone to listen to them, to hear their stories and once that occurred they disappeared again. There are some extraordinarily poignant moments as well as some very funny ones in this book. Mankell always commented on what life is like in Modern Sweden through his Wallander mysteries, and he continues to do this with other stories such as The Shadow Girls in such a way that makes reading him compelling. Mankell is one of the finest writers working in Europe at the moment.John Litchen(author Aikido - Basic and Intermediate Studies, Beyond Questions often Asked. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Visibility versus shadow *by B***T on Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2013* This is a novel about the awakening of Jesper Humlin, a self-centered poet initially concerned only with his own success and whether he is holding his own in his relationships with his chief competitor, his publisher, his mother, and his girlfriend. Even his relationships with his doctor, his stockbroker, and his old friend who now runs a boxing club are described in terms of who is in control. Humlin sees himself as losing his foothold, until his interactions with three young immigrant women put him in a position of responsibility and provoke his social conscience. This book is also the stories of those women, who Mankell describes in the afterword as real (that is, composites of real experiences)--and whose stories he describes as his primary purpose. Mankell is a political activist; immigration is an important issue for him, as is apparent even from the Wallander mysteries. In the afterword, he thanks the people who have "taken up the cause" as he has his protagonist take up the cause of the immigrants.The issue of who is visible versus needing to hide in the shadows is an important theme throughout the book. Mankell tells it straight, in the young women's heart-rending stories--but he also underlines the absurd aspects of their situations as immigrants (e.g., immigrants destroying their passports and official papers before entering Sweden to increase their chances of staying) by putting them and Jesper into many, many absurd situations (e.g., hiding out in the chief of police's house, stealing phones in the police station, having their writing class in a boxing club where Jesper gets punched). Mankell clearly can write more than crime fiction (which he estimates as only about 25% of his output); the success of his Wallander novels have allowed him the freedom to experiment with other sorts of books, such as this absurdist social commentary--a book in which, ironically, the protagonist is directed to write a crime novel and finds that several other characters, including his elderly mother, are doing so.I find this effort impressive although I can't say this is one of my favorite Mankell novels. Mid-life crises are hard to read, and this book kind of just ends without bringing even Jesper's situation to resolution. If you need an easier transition from Kurt Wallander, try these other excellent crime novels/mysteries: Kennedy's Brain, Return of the Dancing Master, The Man from Beijing. Then move farther afield with the touching Italian Shoes and the disturbing story of Daniel. Several of these use Mankell's first-hand knowledge of Africa or deal with immigration or outsider issues. Although he makes fun of those who write crime novels, Mankell himself clearly is a serious author with important purposes in each of his works. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ TEA BAG'S NOT A NAME *by M***M on Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2013* Henning Mankell is the Swedish author of the mystery series "Wallander," which, in addition to being global bestsellers, have been adapted into the PBS "Masterpiece Mysteries!" series.This editiion of "The Shadow Girls" is published by "The New Press" which promotes issues for a more equitable world. Mankell is one of the contributers to this not-for-profit collaboration. "Shadow Girls" brings to light the issue of the tragedies caused by forced pogroms that continue to operate in the 21st century.Many refugees from Bangladesh, China, Kurdistan, Iran, Ghana, Togo and other third-world places are captured by human traffickers and dumped in camps that they probably won't survive. Those few who escape head for Northern European countries, hoping somehow to quietly integrate. Often they have lost all family and must be physically and mentally strong to make their way alone. Mankell uses this background to show how brave and clever those who survive are.One of the African refugees who escapes from a Spanish prison camp makes her way to Sweden--a young girl with a big smile that she uses to soften the myriad of obstacles that stand in her way. She adopts the unfortunate name "Tea Bag" from looking at teacup one of her captors has in his office.When she encounters one of the least likely persons in Sweden to get to know or help her, a self-centered, mediocre, henpecked writer wrapped up in ambition, the story becomes humorous, filled with intrigue, softening the sadness. Hennings best writing comes when he is relating the incredible, heartrending stories of the Shadow Girls. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/28668492-the-shadow-girls-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/28668492-the-shadow-girls-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart South Africa* *Store origin: ZA* *Last updated: 2026-05-07*