Author Description

In 1904, Ota Benga, a young Congolese 'pygmy' - a person of petite stature - arrived from central Africa and was featured in an anthropology exhibit at the St. Louis World's Fair. Two years later, the New York Zoological Gardens displayed him in its Monkey House, caging the slight 103-pound, 4-foot 11-inch tall man with an orangutan. The attraction became an international sensation, drawing thousands of New Yorkers and commanding headlines from across the world. In the novel, we follow our protagonist from the very beginning of his story in the DRC, through his journey to the US, Ota Benga's captivity, the international controversy it inspired, and his efforts to adjust to American life. Written in Bola's beautiful, thoughtful prose, this is a novel of both unimaginable pain and hope. Praise for THE SELFLESS ACT OF BREATHING 'Absolutely stunning' Elizabeth Day 'Breathless and gripping' Yvonne Battle-Felton 'Powerfully raw' Guardian 'A beautiful, absorbing read. By turns searing and quietly devastating' Irenosen Okojie