First published 1998
In the 1880s, King Leopold II of Belgium seizes the Congo, looting its rubber and brutally enslaving its people. A handful of brave missionaries, travelers, and idealists witness the horrific atrocities and lead an international crusade to expose the truth. This is the gripping, untold story of the first great human rights movement of the 20th century. At its heart, a portrait of those who fought Leopold's cruelty - from the young British shipping agent Edmund Morel to the Irish patriot Roger Casement, whose heroic actions came at a terrible personal cost.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, non-fiction, africa
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: based-on-true-events, social-commentary
Setting: Congo (Democratic Republic), Belgium, Africa
Period: 20th century, 19th century, 1885-1908
366 pages · Houghton Mifflin
Content warnings: colonialism, slavery, violence