Nada the Lily

Written in 1892, Haggard’s Nada the Lily is a work of historical fiction inspired by the author’s time living in South Africa from 1875 to 1882. Recounting the story of Umslopogass, the son of Zulu king Shaka, and his love for a beautiful African girl known as Nada the Lily, the novel is very unusual for a Victorian work as the entire cast of characters is South African and black. Based loosely on actual historical events and folktales of South Africa, Nada the Lily features an inventive account of the assassination of Zulu king Shaka, the Weenen Massacre and the Battle of Blood River.