With years of abuse behind her and a bleak future ahead, a young German woman dreams of her country's colony in South-West Africa. When she learns of the women being transported to the colony to attend to the needs of male settlers, Hanna X takes the leap.
In Africa she is confronted with the harsh realities of colonial life. For resisting the advances of a German officer, she is banished to Frauenstein, a phantasmagoric outpost that is at once a "prison, nunnery, brothel, and shithouse." When the drunken excesses of visiting soldiers threaten the young girl who has become her only companion, Hanna revolts.
Mounting a ragtag army of women and native victims of brutality, she sets out on an epic journey to take on the German Reich. Combining the history of colonialism with the myths of Africa, this is an exquisitely written tale of suffering, violence, revenge, and, simply, love.

Author: André Brink
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Published: 03/08/2004
Pages: 311
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780156029643


Review Citation(s):
New York Times 03/14/2004 pg. 24

About the Author
Brink, André: - Andre Brink was born in South Africa in 1935. He is a three-time recipient of South Africa's CNA Award, and has been twice short-listed for the Booker Prize. He is a professor of English at the University of Cape Town.