The Mandela Plot

A Jewish teenager is drawn into the political violence of apartheid South Africa in this “riveting thriller” by the award-winning author of The Lion Seeker (Booklist, starred review).

As the 1980s draw to a close, apartheid is in its death throes and South Africa is a maelstrom of social unrest. Johannesburg teenager Martin Helger has problems of his own. The son of a Jewish scrap dealer, he’s out of place at his elite private school. When an American named Annie comes to stay with his family, Martin becomes transfixed. But as he gets closer to her, he finds himself wrenched from his privileged bubble and thrust into the raw heart of South Africa's racial struggle.

Meanwhile, secrets from the past begin to emerge and old sins return to tear Martin’s family apart, even as the larger forces of history and politics tear apart the country. At once a riveting literary thriller, a moving coming-of-age tale, and an unforgettable journey through a fascinating world, The Mandela Plot entertains and terrifies in equal measure.

A Finalist for the National Jewish Book Award