‘Confession of the Lioness’: Plot full of metaphors is to be savored

While author Mia Couto may not be a household name in Iowa, he is in Portuguese-speaking Africa, and after reading his latest novel, 'Confession of the Lioness,” it's easy to see why.

Life is difficult, to say the least, for women in the small, remote Mozambique village of Kulumani: their husbands and fathers control their every move; they are forced to stay indoors at the slightest hint of excitement, and they are subject to horrific 'security” measures when their husbands leave on business. But when the village women one by one are attacked by lions, their plight draws the attention of the outside world, resulting in a series of events that will change the life of Mariamar, a young woman who both fears - and longs for - a way out of her village.

The author, a native of Mozambique who works as a biologist, notes that the novel is inspired by real events that transpired in 2008. Both in real life and in the novel the village residents are torn as to whether the lions are actually to blame for the attacks or if something even more sinister is at play: 'I don't know what they're looking for in the bush. The lion is right here in the village.”

And while 'Confession of the Lioness” is remarkable for its plot and metaphors, where Couto really shines is in the beauty of his language. Told from the perspective of both Mariamar and the hired hunter, the novel gains momentum when the hunter arrives and readers are reintroduced to the village - this time from an outsider's perspective.

But the novel is slow to start, and there are times where Couto's emotional language falls flat. While the tension in the novel comes from discovering the identity of the killer(s), the point becomes overwritten at times, resulting in some passages that feel hokey rather than intense.

Even so, Couto's exploration of the many ways humans can transform into animals is both fascinating and tragic - as is the ending, making this a work to be studied, discussed and savored.