WINNIE MANDELA

Part of the "Women of Our Time" series, this biography of the wife of the South African leader who has become a freedom fighter in her own right is a clear and timely cry against injustice. After a brief sketch of Mandela's early life, showing how painful early experiences shaped her attitudes towards the injustices of her society, Meltzer turns to her life with Nelson Mandela. Their marriage, based on a determination to put their country's needs above their own, has brought a lifetime of political involvement, climaxed by Winnie's current role. Meltzer takes the story to 1985, when Winnie defied a ban by moving to Soweto after her home in an African "homeland" was destroyed by bombing. Less a biography than a recitation of imprisonments, bannings, and harassments, this narrative is accurate but sometimes confusing, since the constraints of the series prevent Meltzer from providing much background on the issues. His tone is occasionally strident; passion sometimes replaces rational discussion. Still, he is telling an important story, an introduction that should inspire readers to read further.