It is Zululand in the 1870s; a bloodthirsty Zulu king is embroiled in bitter war with the English. Witches dwell in every cave and wizards are abroad in every village. The son of the chief of the Tshanini tribe, Benge, is a frail cripple, but he is believed by some to be a magic dwarf, a person set apart, with strange powers. This superbly written novel, originally published in 1957, is the story of Benge, leader of men, caught in a body too small for his heart. It is a tale that bridges the emotional barrier between the reader and the Zulus with greater passion and precision than any factual accounts can achieve.