Redemption Road: The Quest for Peace and Justice in Liberia (A Novel)

Set in Monrovia during the administration of Liberia's former president, Charles Taylor, this riveting debut is a story of recovery, atonement, and the continuing quest for peace and justice in a nation plagued by conflict and inequalities since its founding by free blacks and former American slaves. Life in war-torn Liberia is not easy, and it is especially challenging for Bendu Lewis, a young woman who counsels traumatized survivors of Liberia's civil war while struggling silently with memories of her own war-time experiences. When the warlord who once held her in captivity suddenly appears in town, she decides that for her own healing, and for the voiceless victims of the war, she must bring him to justice for his past atrocities. In her pursuit of Commander Cobra, Bendu finds much more than she bargained for, including the courage to finally confront and make amends for her own painful war-time secret. Written with compassion, honesty and clarity, Elma Shaw's Redemption Road helps us to finally begin to make sense of what has often been termed a 'senseless' war. Hers is a new but mature voice that shows remarkable insight into both the causes of Liberia's civil war, and the cure for healing the wounds and averting further conflict.