TheNatalMidlandsinSouthAfricawasravagedbyconflictinthe1980sand1990sbetweensupportersoftheUnitedDemocraticFrontandInkatha.Theviolenceleftthousandsofpeopledead,injured,homeless,andemotionallywounded.InViolenceandSolace,MxolisiMchunuprovidesahistoricalstudyoftheorigins,causes,andnatureofpoliticalviolenceintheruralcommunityofKwaShangeintheVulindleladistrict,oneoftheareasmostaffectedbythepoliticalviolenceintheNatalMidlands.MchunusurvivedtheinternecineviolenceinNatalandreflectsonhischildhoodexperiencesandthecomplexpoliticalsituationinthehomelandsbetween1985and1996.Threadingindividualandlocalfactorswithregionalandnationalforces,heentwinesautobiographicalreflectionswithhistoricalscholarshiptoexplainthepoliticalviolencethatrockedpartsofNatal.Whileprovincialandnationalleadersemergeascomplexactorsnegotiatingachaoticworldwithnopredictableoutcomes,Mchunushinesthebrightestspotlightonthewomenandchildrenwhosufferedmostduringtheconflict.Theresultisaseminalworkontransitionviolenceduringthetwilightofapartheid.
