January 2025 Book Club: Democratic Republic of Congo

Join us to read a book from one of the 54 countries in Africa each month.

See past events to catch up on the previous 27 books we read.

Our meetings take this format:
Introduction of new attendees and check-in by regular attendees.
Information about the author.
Brief review of the book.
Curious questions and observations.
Interesting/inspiring quotes.
Final thoughts and ratings.

*****

Book #28 is King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild (Author).

Winner of the Duff Cooper Prize, King Leopold's Ghost is the true and haunting account of Leopold's brutal regime and its lasting effect on a ruined nation.

In the late nineteenth century, a time when Africa was being parcelled among European powers, King Leopold of Belgium seized vast and mostly unexplored territories around the Congo River. Under his brutal regime, resources were stolen, natives oppressed and populations halved. Amidst the corruption, Leopold maintained a carefully constructed façade of a compassionate leader.

In King Leopold's Ghost , author Adam Hochschild introduces us to a group of missionaries and idealists who, upon their arrival in Africa, found themselves in the middle of a horrifying holocaust. Their courage to stand against Leopold shines a light on this often overlooked chapter of history.

A devastating piece of African history, King Leopold's Ghost is the inspiring and deeply moving account which explores the grave cost paid by those silenced by colonial terror.