An inside story of asbestos, death, and the fight for justice by thousands of South Africans against a multinational mining corporation intent on denying responsibility. For nearly 90 years, a British company called Cape used local labor to mine and mill asbestos in South Africa. Poor and mostly black men, women, and children―some as young as seven―worked every day in clouds of asbestos dust that they carried home to their families, caked onto their skin, hair, and clothes. The appalling levels of disease and death in these communities caused by asbestos exposure were heartbreaking. In 1995, Richard Meeran, a young British lawyer with Indian and African roots, driven by his own experiences of racism in England, embarked on a David and Goliath battle against the company and its top-tier legal team to hold them accountable. David Kinley's In a Rain of Dust tells the harrowing story of this international legal drama. Facing deep-pocketed opponents and a century of established legal precedent, Meeran's case before the UK courts seemed hopeless. But after nine years of painstaking investigation, agonizing setbacks, vaudevillian escapades, and unlikely champions, Meeran prevailed. Drawing on dozens of interviews with key players and countless hours poring over thousands of documents across three continents, Kinley reveals an epic tale of triumph and justice against all odds. Marking a significant moment in both legal and human rights history, the book also highlights the profound political implications that victims faced in the newly post-Apartheid South Africa, where the case was widely seen as a test of racial as well as economic redemption. Asbestos mining in South Africa left a legacy of callous neglect, suffering, and corporate coverups. Working conditions in the country's asbestos mines and mills―described as a never-ending "rain of dust"―persisted for two decades after they had been outlawed in the United Kingdom and the United States. Meeran's case against Cape represented a turning point in making corporations pay for their human rights abuses overseas, and its impact helped launch the global corporate social responsibility movement that continues today. This landmark case offers both a searing indictment of corporate negligence and an inspiring example of justice against extraordinary odds. ― Trial Magazine Kinley's masterful telling of this tale makes the complex legal topics accessible, but most importantly, brings to life the stories of the many and varied victims of Cape Plc. ―Justine Nolan, The Conversation In A Rain of Dust is an absorbing, well written and extensively researched record of the Cape asbestos litigation... It is well worth reading. ― Journal of Law and Medicine The gripping story of how a young lawyer succeeded in "piercing the corporate veil" to hold a British multinational to account is not only a riveting read but also a timely reminder of the consequences of an industrial legacy that continues to cause death and destruction on a global scale. ― The International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) Holding large multinational enterprises liable for the harms they cause is one of the great human rights challenges of our time. David Kinley's beautifully written book is a harrowing but also hopeful story of human suffering and human perseverance, and it deserves to be widely read. Most importantly, the book serves as a powerful reminder of why access to justice matters everywhere. ―Kate O'Regan, Director, Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, University of Oxford I welcome with great enthusiasm David Kinley's account of Richard Meeran's relentless pursuit of justice on behalf of victims of asbestos-related diseases. In a Rain of Dust is a captivating exploration of a case that opened up opportunities for universal litigation to hold multinational corporations to account for human rights violations. ―Navi Pillay, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Kinley brings vividly to life a decade of dogged and ultimately successful litigation in the UK courts against a mining company whose South African operations wreaked havoc with the lives of thousands of miners and their families. It is a riveting tale and contains many lessons for anyone seeking to understand the challenges of holding businesses to account for serious human rights violations. ―Philip Alston, New York University School of Law Kinley's book is a compelling narrative that will be an important read for anyone with an interest in the real work involved in seeking justice against all odds, defending human rights, and holding companies accountable for severe harm to people and communities. ―Christopher Avery, Chair, Human Rights and Business Award Foundation Kinley's book is not just a record of past struggles. It speaks directly to present and future challenges... reminds us why telling these stories matters, because they reveal both the power and the limits of law in shaping global justice. ― Transnatio