South African scholar and award-winning author Steinberg (A Man of Good
Hope) presents an engrossing joint biography of Nelson Mandela and
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, his wife of nearly 40 years. Twenty years her
senior, Nelson spent much of his time in an early leadership role in
the African National Congress and other groups formed to protest against
the apartheid regime. That meant time away from Winnie and their young
children. In 1962, Nelson was arrested and sentenced to life in prison;
he ultimately served 27 years. Throughout his imprisonment, Winnie grew
into a national symbol of defiance, fighting apartheid in her own way.
This book portrays the relationship between Winnie and Nelson and how it
changed over the years of his imprisonment and after his release. It is
deeply researched, and sources include recently released archives
documenting secret recordings of conversations that Nelson had while in
prison. Not only does this book reveal intimate details of a marriage
under terrible pressure, but it also provides an insightful history of
the fight against apartheid, including the roles of many other key
figures. VERDICT This is a superb addition to the history of South
Africa and the struggle against apartheid.
This review was previously published in Library Journal 148:5 (2023): 576.
No comments:
Post a Comment