Redemption Road: The Quest for Peace and Justice in Liberia

by Elma Shaw

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.

Genres: Liberia, War, Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Harry Rutherford · Rating 1 out of 5]

Redemption Road is a novel about people dealing with the aftermath of civil war in Liberia.

I’ll keep this fairly short because I don’t really enjoy being nasty about books, and this is unfortunately a quite badly written novel. It is full heavy-handed exposition — it has a particularly irritating way of carefully spelling everything out as though readers are a fundamentally unreliable bunch who cannot be trusted to work out anything for themselves. And it’s full of clichés; often the clichés of the romance novel or the crime thriller, which seem particularly clumsy in a book which is painstakingly working through a list of Important Social Issues.

It is so obviously well-meaning that I feel a bit guilty giving it a kicking, but this seems like a novel written as a social project rather than a work of literature.

[David Hillary · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is a great book

[Literature PADI · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redemption Road by Elma Shaw is a novel that gives insight into the post-war traumatic experiences of Liberians and how they navigate through their troubled past. Bendu, the protagonist of the novel, has to come to terms with her traumatic war experiences, as she helps other victims of war do the same. She has to choose between the pursuit of justice or forgiveness; and the disclosure of her war experiences or the continual concealment of what she did and what was done to her during the war.

[Alseta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictional story based on the historical event of Liberia's civil war and internal conflict. A wonderful and inspiring novel. This book sends a powerful message for everyone about finding true peace, healing and forgiveness in order to move forward for the common good.

[Annabel Majekodunmi]

Pls how can I read

[Floccki · Rating 3 out of 5]

traumatized victim bendu Lewis who survived Liberia's bloody civil war in which she was captured and raped starts an NGO to help women cope with the aftermath of the war in hopes of finding peace and her lost daughter

[Dennis P Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

5.

This book was Vicky Sigman's book, which she loaned me to read while I worked in Monrovia, Liberia.

[Emmanuel Freude · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

[Obiora · Rating 1 out of 5]

Until am done reading the book

[Victor Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the book
It's making sense

[Dick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictional script well-crafted on the Liberian civil war and it's aftermath - the quest for reconciliation and reconstruction of the ruins.

[Glory Dennis]

why can't I open the book,I am tapping it it isn't opening

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great insight into the daily struggles of Liberians in bringing justice and reconciliation to their country and families after their horrific war.

[Marge Snoeren · Rating 3 out of 5]

From Liberians I have heard this book portrays what it was like during the drawn-out war years. But I didn't find it a great piece of writing.

[Holly Westwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read it for an African literature class. I was in a college class and I felt like this was written for 12 year olds to be honest.