Glory

by NoViolet Bulawayo

First published 2022

Destiny, a young goat, returns to her homeland of Jidada just as the Old Horse's decades-long rule crumbles. The aging dictator who has controlled this nation of animals faces a sudden coup that throws the country into chaos. As the regime collapses, Destiny moves through a population caught between the end of oppression and an uncertain future. She observes the daily struggles of animals navigating this upheaval while uncovering the hidden stories of the females who have shaped Jidada's history from the shadows. The chorus of animal voices around her reveals both the brutality needed to maintain absolute power and the courage required to tear it down. Through Destiny's eyes, the surreal becomes clear as she documents this moment of transformation. Her witness captures not just the fall of one leader but the birth pangs of a nation trying to find its way to true freedom.

Genres: dystopia, animals, african-literature, political-thriller

Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator

Setting: Jidada

414 pages · ebook · Vintage Digital

Content warnings: violence

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