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pheebzoc's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, and Self harm
Moderate: Rape
abbie_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Free review copy received from the publisher!
Another gem from @theindigopress, this one by Zimbabwean author Irene Sabatini. An Act of Defiance starts in Harare in 2000, as Robert Mugabe’s youth forces are terrorising political opponents and citizens alike. We follow Gabrielle Langa, a fresh-faced lawyer who at the time is embroiled in a rape trial, attempting to bring justice to a 15-year-old girl who has been abused by a prominent political figure. Things begin to unravel when she meets an American diplomat and a brutal incident sets Gabrielle’s life on a completely different course.
Another gem from @theindigopress, this one by Zimbabwean author Irene Sabatini. An Act of Defiance starts in Harare in 2000, as Robert Mugabe’s youth forces are terrorising political opponents and citizens alike. We follow Gabrielle Langa, a fresh-faced lawyer who at the time is embroiled in a rape trial, attempting to bring justice to a 15-year-old girl who has been abused by a prominent political figure. Things begin to unravel when she meets an American diplomat and a brutal incident sets Gabrielle’s life on a completely different course.
This novel feels larger in scope than its 330 pages might suggest. So much unfolds within these pages, Gabrielle endures so much. Sabatini’s use of short chapters to alternate between past and present timelines are very effective at showing the full story, as well as Gabrielle’s mental state and trauma - she can never truly leave the past behind.
While the political turmoil which takes centre stage in the first half makes for compelling and urgent reading, it was the second half, and Gabrielle’s experience of motherhood, which really gripped me. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I think it’s an aspect of motherhood that we rarely see in fiction, and Sabatini does a brilliant job of portraying this particular relationship.
Some reviews mention a dislike for Gabrielle and her decisions, but I don’t think anyone really knows how they would react under Gabrielle’s circumstances, and how trauma affects the decisions we would make (or wouldn’t). I found her character well fleshed out and sympathetically drawn.
Recommended for those who like a mix of the personal and the political (but beware the CWs).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
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