A Man Who Is Not A Man

A Man Who Is Not A Man recounts the personal trauma of a young Xhosa initiate after a rite—of—passage circumcision goes wrong. With frankness and courage, this powerful novel details the pain and lifelong shame this protagonist experiences as a result not only of the physical trauma, but the social ostracism from being labeled ‘a failed man.’ He decodes the mysteries of this long—standing cultural tradition and calls to account the elders for the disintegrating support systems that allow su...