'A Tragedy of Lives' edited by Chiedza Musengezi and Irene Staunton

This powerful book is based on interviews with (former) prisoners that were conducted by Zimbabwe Women Writers. The stories that are told are revelatory. Women who find themselves in prison are too often driven by circumstances into a situation where the emotional or material poverty of their lives makes breaking the law appear the only option. The vivid particularity of these personal stories, often told with unexpected candour, is balanced by essays written by experts in law, gender, and prison reform. A Tragedy of Lives is a book which will demand that we ask how much responsibility should be borne by the culprits, and how much by society; and, what can be done both to prevent the ‘crime’ and create a more compassionate environment.