I have spent the past three months immersed in the colonial lives of the first white settlers in Kenya (or "Keenya" as they liked to call it). It started off with a re-read of Beryl Markham's excellent West with the Night, and I just got carried away with the genre. If you loved watching "Out of Africa" or "White Mischief" and have become enchanted with the Edwardian drama Downton Abbey, you may enjoy reading the list of books below. They are ranked in order of my personal preference.
- Beryl Markham -- West with the Night (beautifully written autobiography)
- Elspeth Huxley -- The Flame Trees of Thika (autobiography)
- Bror Blixen -- African Hunter (autobiography)
- Mary Lovell -- Straight On Till Morning (life and times of Beryl Markham)
- Elspeth Huxley -- Out in the Midday Sun (autobiography)
- Isak Dinesen -- Out of Africa (autobiography, made into the famous movie of the same name)
- Sara Wheeler -- Too Close to the Sun (life and times of Denys Finch Hatton)
- Mark Seal -- Wildflower (life and times of conservationist Joan Root - set a bit later in the century)
- Frances Osborne -- The Bolter (life and times of socialite Idina Sackville)
I have now had more than enough of the "upstairs", it's time to check back into the "downstairs" crew. I have just ordered Tsitsi Dangaremba's 1988 novel Nervous Conditions. I can't wait to start it.
More About: Best Movies Set in Africa l Best Books About Africa
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