by Norman Rush
First published 2008
An American anthropologist travels to Botswana for fieldwork research. She becomes fascinated with Nelson Denoon, a charismatic intellectual surrounded by wild speculation. People claim he created a secret utopian society hidden in the remote Kalahari Desert, where he lives as the sole man ruling over a community of Black women like a sultan. The brilliant and determined young woman decides she must seduce him. Their encounter sparks an intense romance that operates on both emotional and intellectual levels. She finds herself drawn into his experimental world, where idealistic visions collide with human reality. The passionate relationship becomes a testing ground for both personal desire and political theory. Yet utopian dreams prove fragile, whether in matters of the heart or social organization.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, anthropology, 21st-century, africa, academia, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Botswana, Kalahari Desert
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
Paperback · LIVRE DE POCHE (LGF)