num_pages: 272
description: In a British colony in West Africa, Henry Scobie is a pious and righteous man of modest means enlisted with securing borders. But when he’s passed over for a promotion as commissioner of police, the humiliation hits hardest for his wife, Louise. Already oppressed by the appalling climate, frustrated in a loveless marriage, and belittled by the wives of more privileged officers, Louise wants out. Feeling responsible for her unhappiness, Henry decides against his better judgment to accept a loan from a black marketeer to secure Louise’s passage. It’s just a single indiscretion, yet for Henry it precipitates a rapid fall from grace as one moral compromise after another leads him into a web of blackmail, adultery, and murder. And for a devout man like Henry, there may be nothing left but damnation.
language: English
title: The Heart of the Matter
titlecomplete: The Heart of the Matter
characters: Pemberton, Yusef, inspector Wilson, Major Scobie
genres: 20th Century, Religion, Historical Fiction, Africa, Literary Fiction, Novels, Literature, Classics, British Literature, Fiction
ratings_count: 28596
places: Africa, West Africa
awards: awardedAt: -694281600000
name: James Tait Black Memorial Prize
category: Fiction
publisher: Vintage Classics