As a young girl, Beryl Markham arrived in Kenya from Britain with her parents who were seeking a new life. For her Mother, the dream quickly faded and she returned home, but Beryl and her father stayed and made a life for themselves in the hard scrabble country along with the Kipsigis tribe who shared their estate. Her mother's abandonment made an impact on her that is certainly hard to calculate. Her unconventional upbringing turned her into a fierce young woman with a love of all things wild...but even wild children have to grow up, and this fictionalized account of her life and loves is a gripping page turner. It presents her as a flawed human being (which we all are) who sometimes makes smart decisions and sometimes pretty stupid ones...but it is written very well and is really an exquisite story of a woman who wasn't afraid to push the boundaries of what was expected at the time in her search to find her way in the world. And though she managed to accomplish a lot in her life, her personal character wasn't always a shining example.
This quote tells you much about Beryl's attitude to life: "We're all of us afraid of many things, but if you make yourself smaller or let your fear confine you, then you really aren't your own person at all--are you? The real question is whether or not you will risk what it takes to be happy."
The descriptions of Africa are what made the book for me, and she certainly managed to capture the adventurous spirit that was Beryl Markham. A remarkable read.
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