Liberia's "Iron Lady"

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia who is charged with turning around one of the most beleaguered countries in the world, has become something of a rock star in the international community. Given that the West seems to have space for one celebrity African leader at a time, she seems to be it right now. This Boston Globe feature shows the fame, the reality, and the hope behind the Johnson Sirleaf era. the odds are long, but if Johnson Sirleaf can do it, she will be worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Nelson Mandela, who has held Most favored African status for more than a decade-and-a-half.