The Good Terrorist

In contemporary London, a loose-knit group of political vagabonds drifts from one cause to the next, picketing and strategizing for hypothetical situations. But within this world, one particular small commune is moving inexorably toward active terrorism. At its center is Alice Mellings, a brilliant organizer who knows how to cope with almost anything, except the vacuum of her own life. Always reliable, she makes herself indispensable to the commune, earning a precious sense of belonging by denying her own sense of self. But now, suddenly, the stakes are rising. Some in the group appear to have ties to insurgents in Northern Ireland and even to Soviets who are "recruiting." A small bomb set off on a deserted street leads to ideas that are dangerously ambitious, and there is a "professional" who is eager to meet with Alice and discuss her future with his organization.

Doris Lessing (1919-2013) was one of the most celebrated and distinguished writers of our time and the recipient of a host of international awards, including winning the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature. She wrote more than twenty books, including novels, stories, reportage, poems, and plays. Recurring themes in her writing are her concerns with politics, the changing destiny of women, and a fear of technological disaster.