ANATIONALBOOKCRITICSCIRCLEAWARDFINALIST-ANLATIMESBOOKPRIZEFINALIST-AWASHINGTONPOSTANDNEWYORKERBESTBOOKOFTHEYEAR-Adeeplyresearched,shatteringnewaccountofNelsonMandela’srelationshipwithWinnieMadikizela-Mandelathat“doesjusticebothtothecouple’spoliticalheroismandtothebetrayalsandthesecretsthathoundedtheirunion“(TheNewYorker).Drawingonnever-before-seenmaterial,Steinberg--oneofSouthAfrica’sforemostnonfictionwriters--revealsthefracturesandstubbornbondsattheheartofavolatileandgroundbreakingunion,averymodernpoliticalmarriagethatplayedoutontheworldstage.“Powerful,intimate.“--TheWashingtonPostOneofthemostcelebratedpoliticalleadersofacentury,NelsonMandelahasbeenwrittenaboutbymanybiographersandhistorians.Butinonecrucialarea,hisliferemainslargelyuntold:hismarriagetoWinnieMadikizela-Mandela.Duringhisyearsinprison,Nelsongrewevermoreinlovewithanidealizedversionofhiswife,courtingherinhislettersasiftheywereyoungloversfrozenintime.ButWinnie,everybithispoliticalequal,foundherselfincreasinglyestrangedfromherjailedhusband’spolitics.Behindhisback,shewastryingtoorchestrateanarmedseizureofpower,apathhefearedwouldleadtoanendlesscivilwar.JonnySteinbergtellsthetaleofthisuniquemarriage--itslongings,itsobsessions,itsdeceits--makingSouthAfricanhistoryapage-turningpoliticalbiography.WinnieandNelsonisamodernepicinwhichtraumadoesn’taffectjustthecoupleatitscenter,butanentirenation.ItisalsoaShakespeareandramainwhichbondsofloveandcommitmentminglewithtimelessquestionsofrevolution,suchaswhethertoseekretributionoranegotiatedpeace.Steinbergreveals,withpowerandtenderemotionalinsight,howfartheseforever-entwinedleaderswouldgoforeachotherandwheretheydrewtheline.Forintheend,bothknewtheirswasnotsimplyamarriage,butacontesttodecidehowapartheidshouldbefought.
