"The biography of Ruth Mompati, tells of a woman of great courage and dedication who throughout her life fought apartheid as a member of the African National Congress (ANC). She continued after 1994 and helped to rebuild the country through various positions in government. The book covers Mompati's early life and political awakening; her personal and political life while in exile as one of the very first women members of the ANC's military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, and a strong leader in the ANC's senior leadership; her role in the negotiations to end apartheid in the early 1990s; and the manner in which she continued to contribute to the South African nation after 1994, being suitably honoured for her incredibly hard work over decades yet not stopping to pause. In more ways than one, Ruth Mompati broke through many of the inhumane restrictions that might have been expected to constrain her life as a woman in colonial and apartheid South Africa. The factual narrative and powerful reflective passages in Mongane Wally Serote's portrait of a revered leader draw on a great deal of original research and material. A Life of Courage and Service however, is much more than the average biography. The tale spun by its author is a rich tapestry of interwoven strands. On more than one occasion, Mongane pauses to describe, lovingly and carefully, one of the wellsprings of Ruth Mompati's strength: the rich facets of African philosophy and traditions of her Setswana heritage, including beliefs about relationships between people, attitudes to the natural world, and the ancestral presence of the numerous warriors of both genders who gave their blood for freedom. Because this is in part a book honouring the contribution of women in the struggle, the author has paid special attention to the pain and strengths of women from the development of mining and throughout the twentieth century. This is a theme he returns to, then expands on in some of the most lyrical writing in the book, resulting in an extended tribute to pain, endurance and resistance that will leave readers awed and moved. More than a tribute, A Life of Courage and Service is a means of salvaging and reviving the grandeur of various South African philosophical and political traditions, and offers readers a positive vision of enduring humanity and human values."--Provided by Balakudu.