INFORMATION ABOUT THIS BOOK
Publisher : Sandorf Passage
Publication date : January 27, 2026
Format: Paperback, audiobook, and ebook
Print length : 150 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction - LGBTQ+ Fiction
MY PERSONAL OPINION OF “SHE WHO REMAINS”
I have been lucky to have great experiences reading books “Shortlisted for The International Booker Prize 2026″ enticed me because it was written by a Bulgarian writer, which would be a first for me. This book, just like previously read books, was a treat to read. Although this is a fictional story, it is based on real elements, including Kanun Law in Albania and sworn virgins under the Kanun Law Code.
The book reads like poetry. With beautiful words entwined, it tells us a story about family, about obeying the law, and most importantly, about love. The book tells the story of Bekija, who is talking to a reporter. The reporter is doing a story about “sworn virgins,” as there are not many left in Albania. As Bekija narrates her story, we understand how growing up under Kanun Law in a small village in Albania shaped her life and pushed her to decide to become a “sworn virgin”.
As Bekija becomes Matija, and lives as Matija, during her interview with the reporter, she searches for old letters sent to her by her brother Sale, inspiring her to decide to go to Sofia, Bulgaria, to meet her estranged brother and potentially see the love of her life, Dhana.
This story is beautiful, poetic, sad, and raw. It read so fast, like liquid.
PREMISE OF THE BOOK AS FOUND IN AMAZON / GOODREADS:
She Who Remains,Rene Karabash’s landmark Bulgarian queer novel, secrets readers into a rural Albanian village where, to this day, the Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini―a collection of archaic laws―looms over the lives of villagers with the same haunting presence of the surrounding mountains. Bekija, painfully aware of why she cannot have what she most wants, chooses to become a “sworn virgin,” setting off a bloody and heartbreaking chain of events that shatters a family and destroys a cherished relationship, but also reveals how trauma can lead to vital, if uncomfortable, truths. Karabash’s poetic stream of consciousness traces gender evolution with innovative grace.
MY RATING: 4.0
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Irena Hristova Ivanova better known by the pen name Rene Karabash , is a Bulgarian writer and actor. Her work has been nominated for and received several Bulgarian literary awards. In 2026, her novel, She Who Remains, was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize.
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