Writer and activist, Lee Wengraf, reviews The World Turned Upside Down for the Tempest Magazine.

“We have already seen the first wave in 2011 in North Africa and the Middle East, but new movements are developing. A further, deeper intifada, incorporating a far larger swathe of the planet. Intimations of the future, I think …”

Leo Zeilig’s latest novel is a wild ride. From the opening pages about a wealthy banker’s violent death to an ending overshadowed by the threat of fascism and the hope of resistance, The World Turned Upside Down is an exciting read. But more than a page-turner, it is a powerful reflection on a world in crisis and one woman’s urgent voice, framed by the key upheavals of our time.

Published on the ten-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring revolutions, the novel is anchored in the demands of those struggles. The protagonist, Senegalese-born, London-based professor Bianca Ndour, rails at inequality, oppression, and human misery, taking particular aim at the ravages of neoliberalism and the corruption of the 1 percent. But the arc of history—its victories and defeats—also animates and enrages her. Bianca swings between hope and a deep pessimism, both for the world and for her relationships.

Read the full review here.