An Angel's Demise

*Winner of the 2023 NIHSS Best Fiction Novel Award.

A gripping saga of identity, love, and betrayal set against the turbulent backdrop of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle.

An Angel's Demise is an epic tale that explores a contested legacy and the heartrending destiny of a family. The story begins in 1977 on a farm in Somabhula with the birth of Angel. The farm is run by Paul Williams, an outwardly harsh and bigoted man who holds the livelihoods of many in his hands.

When Angel's parents join the liberation struggle, she is left in the care of her grandmothers, who have been in service to the Williams family for generations. Angel grows up on the farm over three momentous decades that see a convoluted past and inheritance unfold into an equally complicated present. Through her, we witness a woman's quest to unearth her identity and assert her independence. In the process of self-discovery, Angel realizes that sometimes you need to be uprooted before you can grow.

Sue Nyathi's fourth novel is a gripping story infused with spirituality. It recounts an explosive tale of love, war, bloody massacre, and betrayal that encompasses a harrowing history, the cruel caprice of politics, gender-based violence, and what happens when ordinary people get caught up in lies. An Angel's Demise is a thought-provoking page-turner that will resonate long after the final page.