Tall, striking, and adventurous to a fault, young British relief worker Emma McCune came to Sudan determined to make a difference. She became a near legend in the bullet-scarred, famine-ridden country, but her marriage to a rebel warlord spelled disastrous consequences for her ideals.

Enriched by Deborah Scroggins' firsthand experience as an award-winning journalist in Sudan, this unforgettable account of Emma McCune's tragically short life also provides an up-close look at the volatile politics in the region. It's a world where international aid fuels armies as well as the starving population, and where the northern-based Islamic government—with ties to Osama bin Laden—is locked in a war with the Christian and pagan south over religion, oil, and slaves.