Lying Perfectly Still

A searing, suspenseful story of a woman’s confrontation with the sinister legacy of British colonialism in Southern Africa.

Leaving Oxford and the shocking death of her father behind, Koliwe travels to AIDS-ravaged Eswatini to take a job as an aid worker. Enmeshed in the cold bureaucracy of her office and a queasily erotic relationship with her supervisor, Koliwe begins to feel increasingly split between her British upbringing and African roots—especially when she connects with a local girl and aid recipient named Thandi.

When Thandi goes missing, Koliwe’s search for truth leads her deep into the mountains, towards the harsh reality of the injustice underlying their lives. Tangled in the knotted web spun by corrupt colonial outposts and the instability they breed, Koliwe bears the consequences of uncovering inconvenient secrets. Late author Laura Fish’s final offering burrows under the skin with pervasive mystery, veering between the dream and nightmare of one woman’s return from diaspora.