Now in paperback from London Times columnist Paul Pickering—the breathtaking story of a young pianist who travels through the Congo to meet a former mentor with whom he shares a dark past, falling in love with a Congolese army officer’s wife along the way.

• A renowned writer: A seasoned journalist and novelist, Paul Pickering has traversed the globe for his stories. For The Leopard’s Wife, he undertook an expedition down the Congo River, from Kisangani to Kinshasa, to craft a novel brimming with authenticity of a majestically beautiful country torn apart by civil war.

• A captivating story of love and war: The Democratic Republic of Congo has been embroiled in a civil war since 1998, during which more than 5 million people have been killed. The Leopard’s Wife provides a searing look at both the atrocities committed, particularly against women, and the resiliency of its people to soldier on in the face of constant uncertainty. It is a beguiling story of greed, power, and ever-changing alliances, of the consequences of misplaced idealism and betrayal, and of the lengths people will go to for love.