I adored Sacken’s Annie Hawkins Green novels set in Afghanistan, and she hits a fourth home run with The Women Who Stand Between set in Zimbabwe.
When nature cinematographer Julia Wilde’s current film ends in a disastrous plane wreck for which she is unjustly blamed, her career nosedives, and to survive, she accepts a university teaching job in the wilds of Wisconsin. Several years later, she learns that to get tenure she must make a film. With hastily organized finances, much of which comes from her own retirement fund, Julia returns to Zimbabwe to film a documentary on the Mambas, an all-female anti-poaching group. Stakes rise as she and her group are drawn into the line of fire of Gus Sinclair, a big-game hunter turned poacher as well as the corrupt government officials who tolerate his activities in exchange for kickbacks.
Having spent time in Africa, Sacken’s descriptions of the landscape, people, and multiple animal species is accurate. Best of all, her protagonist blows to bits the “great white hunter” mystique personified by Ernest Hemingway. It’s a lovely tribute to the nature and the conservation efforts of groups like the Mambas.
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The Women Who Stand Between (Ten16 Press, September 16, 2025) is available through:
Your local independent bookseller | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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You can read my reviews of the Annie Hawkins series here:
A sequel novella is also available:
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