by Paula McLain
First published 2015
Young Beryl Markham lives on her father's Kenyan estate after her mother abandons the family. The Kipsigis tribe helps raise her alongside her father. This unusual childhood creates a fearless woman who understands the natural world. When her stable life crumbles, Beryl enters a series of failed relationships. She builds a career training horses and catches attention from the Happy Valley set. These wealthy European expatriates live by their own social rules in colonial East Africa. Beryl meets Denys Finch Hatton among this bohemian crowd. Their passionate romance shows Beryl who she really is. Through love, she discovers her destiny lies in aviation.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, biographical-fiction, africa, aviation
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, second-chance
Setting: East Africa, Kenya
Period: 20th Century
366 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books