An Act of Defiance

Harare, 2000: Gabrielle is a newly-qualified lawyer fighting for justice for a young girl. Ben is an urbane and charismatic junior diplomat attached to Harare with the American embassy. With high-level pressure on Gabrielle to drop the case, and the president’s youth wing terrorizing his political opponents as he tightens his grip on power, they begin a tentative love affair. But when they fall victim to a shocking attack, their lives splinter across continents and their stories diverge, forcing Gabrielle on a painful journey towards self-realization. Irene Sabatini, winner of the 2010 Orange Award for New Writers, navigates Zimbabwe’s unfolding political crises, showing how the dehumanizing effects of state-sponsored violence can shape and remake a life. An Act of Defiance is a sweeping political drama about a young woman’s fight for love and agency in turbulent times.

"An incredible achievement." —Chika Unigwe, author, On Black Sisters' Street

"Raw, moving and utterly compelling. Sabatini has written an incisive and unflinching novel." —Tendai Huchu, author, The Hairdresser of Harare

"A brave novel about conscience and trauma, justice and fear, and the struggle to regain strength after the near destruction of the soul." —Helen Benedict, author, Wolf Season

"A wonderfully enjoyable and heartwarming novel with intergenerational appeal." —Bernardine Evaristo, author, Girl, Woman, Other, on Peace and Conflict

Irene Sabatini spent her childhood in Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. After attending the University of Zimbabwe in Harare, she moved to Colombia, where she worked as a teacher. She has a masters degree in child development from the Institute of Education at University College London. Irene is the author of two previous novels; her debut novel, The Boy Next Door, won the 2010 Orange Award for New Writers. She divides her time between New York, Geneva, and Bulawayo.