The Blood of the Land

ABOUT

Set amid the ecologic devastation of Madagascar’s eastern highlands, where the rivers run red as blood when the rains come, Lewis K. Schrager’s second novel explores the costs of personal sacrifice, the search for belonging, and the courage to confront disaster without surrender.

Marina Kahinu, a Madagascar-born, American-trained physician, returns home after suffering a shocking loss in the U.S. She joins an American research team testing antibiotic treatments to cure bubonic plague, a centuries-old killer that still stalks the remote Malagasy highlands. But the refuge Marina seeks after volunteering to serve in the remote village of Analaroa is elusive in a community shaped by deep-rooted traditions, powerful beliefs, and mistrust of outsiders.

Plague sweeps into the village with a ferocity that shatters every expectation. Joined by the outcast son of the village leader, Marina struggles to stem the spread of the disease, even as she hunts for answers before more lives are lost. 

To assist Marina in the race to uncover the secret of why the plague seems beyond human control, Dr. Steven Frey, the study’s American leader, and his colleagues embark on a harrowing journey to Analaroa. 

As Madagascar suddenly erupts into political violence, the team’s fight against the plague becomes a race against a nation unraveling. The turmoil threatens not only a young president's vision for this fragile country's future, but also the life of Marina's father, a prominent theologian caught in the storm.

With the country teetering on the brink and the plague gathering strength, Marina, Steven, and their team are driven to their physical and emotional limits in a desperate struggle against an ancient disease that, once more, has come alive.