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The Lions' Den

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
ONE OF TIME'S 100 MUST-READ BOOKS OF 2024
"An evocative, touching, and—in multiple senses—moving portrait of Zambian life and politics at a moment of great transformation. And in the tradition of Zambian storytelling, it shows us, it teaches us, how ordinary people like Grace, in extraordinary circumstances and under persistent forces of oppression, can neverthless extend and bend the arc of justice." —Namwali Serpell, author of The Furrows: An Elegy
A missing boy. A corrupt system. A case that could change everything...
When young queer dancer Wilbess "Bessy" Mulenga is arrested by corrupt police, fresh-from-the-village rookie lawyer Grace Zulu takes up his cause in her first pro bono case. Presented with a freshly beaten client, Grace protests to the police and gets barred from accessing Bessy, who then disappears from the system—and the world—without a trace. As she fights for justice for Bessy, Grace must navigate a dangerous world of corrupt politicians, traditional beliefs, and deep-seated homophobia.

With the help of a former freedom fighter and the head of her law firm, who's rallying for one last fight as AIDS takes its toll on him, Grace brings together a coalition of unions, students, and political opposition to take on the corrupt administration of President Kaunda. But will justice prevail in the face of such overwhelming odds?

The Lions' Den is a gripping and enduring novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. With unforgettable characters and a thrilling plot, Iris Mwanza has announced herself as a major new talent in fiction.
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    • Booklist

      June 1, 2024
      Mwanza flexes her law degree and leadership work on gender equity issues with the Gates Foundation to craft a refreshing, spirited debut depicting some complex social realities of 1990s Zambia. Grace Zulu is a newly minted lawyer taking on her first case, advocating for a young man accused of what was then considered a legal and moral abomination: homosexuality. As a lower-class woman, Grace identifies with her client's outsider status, having faced her own archaic cultural strictures. She is determined and insatiable--for food, opportunity, and recognition--and forced to swallow down anger at being dismissed and humiliated by a paternalistic, corrupt system. The roadblocks, prejudices, intimidation, and assaults only solidify her crusade to achieve justice for her client. The thick bureaucracy and casual cruelty tragically repeat the abuses of Zambia's former colonial oppression. Mwanza also incorporates the devastating AIDS crisis, as Grace models compassion instead of prejudice for the afflicted. This novel would appeal to anyone interested in modern African history, the collision of religion and tradition, progressive movements, and the entanglement of power and corruption.

      COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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  • English

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