Collection
Publication
Random House Large Print (2015), Edition: Large Print, 512 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR, BOOKPAGE, AND SHELF AWARENESS � �Paula McLain is considered the new star of historical fiction, and for good reason. Fans of The Paris Wife will be captivated by Circling the Sun, which . . . is both beautifully written and utterly engrossing.��Ann Patchett, Country Living This powerful novel transports readers to the breathtaking world of Out of Africa�1920s Kenya�and reveals the extraordinary adventures of Beryl Markham, a woman before her time. Brought to Kenya from England by pioneering parents dreaming of a new life on an African farm, Beryl is raised unconventionally, developing a fierce will and a love of all things wild. But after everything she knows and trusts dissolves, headstrong young Beryl is flung into a string of disastrous relationships, then becomes caught up in a passionate love triangle with the irresistible safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton and the writer Baroness Karen Blixen. Brave and audacious and contradictory, Beryl will risk everything to have Denys�s love, but it�s ultimately her own heart she must conquer to embrace her true calling and her destiny: to fly. Praise for Circling the Sun �In McLain�s confident hands, Beryl Markham crackles to life, and we readers truly understand what made a woman so far ahead of her time believe she had the power to soar.��Jodi Picoult, author of Leaving Time �Enchanting . . . a worthy heir to [Isak] Dinesen . . . Like Africa as it�s so gorgeously depicted here, this novel will never let you go.��The Boston Globe �Famed aviator Beryl Markham is a novelist�s dream. . . . [A] wonderful portrait of a complex woman who lived�defiantly�on her own terms.��People (Book of the Week) �Circling the Sun soars.��Newsday �Captivating . . . [an] irresistible novel.��The Seattle Times �Like its high-flying subject, Circling the Sun is audacious and glamorous and hard not to be drawn in by. Beryl Markham may have married more than once, but she was nobody�s wife.��Entertainment Weekly �[An] eloquent evocation of Beryl�s daring life.��O: The Oprah Magazine.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member TempleCat
Circling the Sun is a couple of love stories, entangled and intertwined. These stories are both about loves that give wings to the spirit and provide security and comfort and belonging and joy. As is forever true about love, their objects also cannot be owned, be possessed, but must, themselves,
Beryl became world famous in 1936 for being the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west, against the prevailing winds. Circling the Sun begins and ends with that flight, but its vast center concentrates on developing the character of Beryl from her early childhood in Kenya, illuminating how she developed the spirit of a warrior, the courage, the stoicism, the energy and the ability to move through fear toward a dangerous objective, frequently living life against the prevailing winds.
Beryl's father brought his family to British East Africa when Beryl was four years old. He was an accomplished horse trainer and had decided that his future lay in the colonies, on cheap imperial land. Beryl grew up in Njoro, at the edge of the Great Rift Valley, with the misty blue Mau Forest behind their home and the smoky-purple Aberdare Range in the distance before them. Several Kipsigis families lived in and beyond the forest on Beryl's family's land and Beryl was accepted among them, even being given the name Lakwet ("very little girl"). Running and playing with her lifelong Kipsigis friend Kibii, Kenya's red soil merged with the wrinkles in her skin, took residence under her nails. The endless azure sky filled her eyes and the green hills lengthened her legs and toughened her soles. She competed with Kibii, who was learning to become a warrior, proving her ability to run and move silently through the forest, hunt stealthily, use a bow, a spear, and even a rungu, a deadly throwing club used by young men watching their cattle or goats and thrown at predators, even lions, very effectively dissuading them from attacking the herd. The spirit that would give her the fortitude to persevere in the face of the dangers and setbacks and losses that Beryl would experience in life was born in the green hills of Njoro and it would give her the courage to face the prevailing winds and fly in her own direction.
Denys Finch Hatton had a spirit like Beryl's. "Shouldn't" was not a word that either of them included in their vocabularies. They were drawn to each other like leopard moths to the flame. Denys was the long time lover of Karen Blixen, who ran a coffee plantation in the Ngong Hills, a few miles west of Nairobi. (Blixen is famous as the author of "Out of Africa," writing under the pen name of Isak Dinesen). While Denys owned land near Mombasa, on the Indian Ocean, a small cottage on Karen's land, close by her home, was his usual residence and the place from which he started his safaris. He was inspired by poetry, usually carrying around one of his many favorite books. He was a well-known sportsman and one of the first to fly an airplane to spot wildlife for safari. And he was certainly a worthy love!
Beryl met Karen at her farm, "Mbogani," in the Ngong Hills. They became good friends, and a triangle was formed. The social mores of the colony allowed "indiscretions" and dalliances, but one had to be somewhat circumspect and always discrete. This proved difficult for Beryl, who had grown up pretty much outside the colony and understood the native Kipsigis better than the society of the colonists. Her yearnings, her successes and her losses tear at the heartstrings of the reader, forming heart music that sometimes soars and sometimes clashes in a terrible cacophony.
Paula McLain has written a story bursting with the glorious imagery of Kenya and its animals and people. It also bursts with the excesses and cleavages of the heart, of love fulfilled and love forsaken. It is an exceptionally well-written story that will not be put down and forgotten for a very long time. As an aside, I lived in Africa for several years and have visited Karen Blixen's home in the Ngong Hills and, indeed, have been to many of the locations described in Circling the Sun. McLain's images are so accurate and the way she captures the atmosphere in Kenya created by the light and the dust and the mist and the altitude is just brilliant! It makes me yearn to return and it will make the souls of her readers swoon.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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always be free. This is the story of Beryl Markham and the things she loved the most in her life - Denys Finch Hatton, a big game hunter and safari guide, and Kenya, known as British East Africa at the time of the story, the early 1900s. Denys captured Beryl's heart; Kenya owned her soul.Beryl became world famous in 1936 for being the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west, against the prevailing winds. Circling the Sun begins and ends with that flight, but its vast center concentrates on developing the character of Beryl from her early childhood in Kenya, illuminating how she developed the spirit of a warrior, the courage, the stoicism, the energy and the ability to move through fear toward a dangerous objective, frequently living life against the prevailing winds.
Beryl's father brought his family to British East Africa when Beryl was four years old. He was an accomplished horse trainer and had decided that his future lay in the colonies, on cheap imperial land. Beryl grew up in Njoro, at the edge of the Great Rift Valley, with the misty blue Mau Forest behind their home and the smoky-purple Aberdare Range in the distance before them. Several Kipsigis families lived in and beyond the forest on Beryl's family's land and Beryl was accepted among them, even being given the name Lakwet ("very little girl"). Running and playing with her lifelong Kipsigis friend Kibii, Kenya's red soil merged with the wrinkles in her skin, took residence under her nails. The endless azure sky filled her eyes and the green hills lengthened her legs and toughened her soles. She competed with Kibii, who was learning to become a warrior, proving her ability to run and move silently through the forest, hunt stealthily, use a bow, a spear, and even a rungu, a deadly throwing club used by young men watching their cattle or goats and thrown at predators, even lions, very effectively dissuading them from attacking the herd. The spirit that would give her the fortitude to persevere in the face of the dangers and setbacks and losses that Beryl would experience in life was born in the green hills of Njoro and it would give her the courage to face the prevailing winds and fly in her own direction.
Denys Finch Hatton had a spirit like Beryl's. "Shouldn't" was not a word that either of them included in their vocabularies. They were drawn to each other like leopard moths to the flame. Denys was the long time lover of Karen Blixen, who ran a coffee plantation in the Ngong Hills, a few miles west of Nairobi. (Blixen is famous as the author of "Out of Africa," writing under the pen name of Isak Dinesen). While Denys owned land near Mombasa, on the Indian Ocean, a small cottage on Karen's land, close by her home, was his usual residence and the place from which he started his safaris. He was inspired by poetry, usually carrying around one of his many favorite books. He was a well-known sportsman and one of the first to fly an airplane to spot wildlife for safari. And he was certainly a worthy love!
Beryl met Karen at her farm, "Mbogani," in the Ngong Hills. They became good friends, and a triangle was formed. The social mores of the colony allowed "indiscretions" and dalliances, but one had to be somewhat circumspect and always discrete. This proved difficult for Beryl, who had grown up pretty much outside the colony and understood the native Kipsigis better than the society of the colonists. Her yearnings, her successes and her losses tear at the heartstrings of the reader, forming heart music that sometimes soars and sometimes clashes in a terrible cacophony.
Paula McLain has written a story bursting with the glorious imagery of Kenya and its animals and people. It also bursts with the excesses and cleavages of the heart, of love fulfilled and love forsaken. It is an exceptionally well-written story that will not be put down and forgotten for a very long time. As an aside, I lived in Africa for several years and have visited Karen Blixen's home in the Ngong Hills and, indeed, have been to many of the locations described in Circling the Sun. McLain's images are so accurate and the way she captures the atmosphere in Kenya created by the light and the dust and the mist and the altitude is just brilliant! It makes me yearn to return and it will make the souls of her readers swoon.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member santhony
This is a novel of historical fiction, taking as its subject the life of Beryl Markham, an English woman who grew up and spent much of her time in British East Africa (Kenya). Ms. Markham was quite a free spirit and trailblazer, undertaking many activities (horse training and aviation) that were
This novel is very simply written and largely unremarkable. In a move certainly meant to raise interest and boost sales, many of the characters overlap with those of Isek Dinesen’s Out of Africa. You’ll find Baroness Karen Blixen, Denis Finch-Hatton, Lord and Lady Delamere, Bror and Barkley playing prominent roles. Not being aware of the actual history of Ms. Markham, it is hard to tell how much artistic license is taken here, though I don’t doubt that the English ex-pat community in Kenya was a tight knit group.
Again, the writing is very pedestrian and the characters rather two dimensional. Having been to Kenya, it is a pleasure to relive the landscapes and cultures, but this book does little in my opinion to bring those things to life. Overlapping so much with Out of Africa is a double edged sword, because the writing in this case pales by comparison.
Markham was largely a horse trainer by birth (following in her father’s footsteps) and training. It is therefore inexcusable that the author would make some pretty basic errors in both terminology and practice when dealing with her profession. She repeatedly refers to Markham purchasing yearling and two year old “studs”. Studs are breeders. Prior to age four, male thoroughbreds are referred to as “colts”, thereafter “horses” until sent to the breeding shed, at which point they become “studs”. She refers to a yearling “stud” undergoing training. Yearlings are too immature to undergo training (not the same as “breaking”), and do not race until age two. The type of races referred to by the author (1¾ miles) would not be undertaken by a two year old colt and certainly not against far stronger older horses.
The novel also largely papers over the widely acknowledged affair between Markham and the Duke of Gloucester, Prince Henry, in effect insinuating that it never happened. This despite the fact that the Prince paid her an annuity for the remainder of her 83 year long life. Given her impressively long string of lovers (both while married and single), it is doubtful that her friendship with the Duke was platonic.
Finally, in the Acknowledgements it is disclosed that Ms. Markham penned an autobiography of sorts, West with the Night, which was hailed by Ernest Hemingway as being beautifully written. Given a choice between the two, I can’t imagine you’d read this instead.
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strictly the province of males at the time.This novel is very simply written and largely unremarkable. In a move certainly meant to raise interest and boost sales, many of the characters overlap with those of Isek Dinesen’s Out of Africa. You’ll find Baroness Karen Blixen, Denis Finch-Hatton, Lord and Lady Delamere, Bror and Barkley playing prominent roles. Not being aware of the actual history of Ms. Markham, it is hard to tell how much artistic license is taken here, though I don’t doubt that the English ex-pat community in Kenya was a tight knit group.
Again, the writing is very pedestrian and the characters rather two dimensional. Having been to Kenya, it is a pleasure to relive the landscapes and cultures, but this book does little in my opinion to bring those things to life. Overlapping so much with Out of Africa is a double edged sword, because the writing in this case pales by comparison.
Markham was largely a horse trainer by birth (following in her father’s footsteps) and training. It is therefore inexcusable that the author would make some pretty basic errors in both terminology and practice when dealing with her profession. She repeatedly refers to Markham purchasing yearling and two year old “studs”. Studs are breeders. Prior to age four, male thoroughbreds are referred to as “colts”, thereafter “horses” until sent to the breeding shed, at which point they become “studs”. She refers to a yearling “stud” undergoing training. Yearlings are too immature to undergo training (not the same as “breaking”), and do not race until age two. The type of races referred to by the author (1¾ miles) would not be undertaken by a two year old colt and certainly not against far stronger older horses.
The novel also largely papers over the widely acknowledged affair between Markham and the Duke of Gloucester, Prince Henry, in effect insinuating that it never happened. This despite the fact that the Prince paid her an annuity for the remainder of her 83 year long life. Given her impressively long string of lovers (both while married and single), it is doubtful that her friendship with the Duke was platonic.
Finally, in the Acknowledgements it is disclosed that Ms. Markham penned an autobiography of sorts, West with the Night, which was hailed by Ernest Hemingway as being beautifully written. Given a choice between the two, I can’t imagine you’d read this instead.
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LibraryThing member Tanya-dogearedcopy
'Circling the Sun' is the story of Beryl Markham, an extraordinary Englishwoman who, abandoned as a child by her mother, ran wild and went native in the East Africa Protectorate; and who would go on and continue to defy efforts to mold her into a more conventional woman of the times. She was often
Paula McLain once again reminds us what it's like to lost in another world when we open up a book. In 'Circling the Sun', McLain immerses the reader into what is now known as Kenya, a country rich with red soil, luscious jungle foliage, and awesome vistas of savannas. We are also witness to some of the vicissitudes of African life, including drought, racial discrimination, and inflation ... all of which have both immediate and far-reaching consequences for its inhabitants. McLain deftly supplies the readers with the details that bring each scene to life: the kohl rimming a character's eyes, the monogrammed lighter that flashes in the hands of a suitor, the thrum and stutter of an airplane's engine as it makes for shore... However, despite setting realistic scenes, McLain's writes of ghosts. The people of the Happy Valley set (which included Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatton of 'Out of Africa' fame) are oddly portrayed without much depth or life. Just as McLain's previous novel, 'The Paris Wife' generated interest in Ernest Hemingway's 'The Sun Also Rises' and 'A Moveable Feast', 'Circling the Sun' serves as an appetizer for further reading (Isak Dineson's 'Out of Africa' and Beryl Markham's 'West of the Night') and investigation. As one reads though the contemporary accounts or gazes at the photos though, one can't help but be struck by how the verve and élan of these remarkable people seems to have been leeched out of the characters in the novel.
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beleaguered by the people in her life, suffering from social gossip and a series of failed relationships; but her obstinacy as a child evolved into a strength in determination as a young woman that would carry her from her personal failures to success as the first licensed horse trainer in the country as well as an accomplished aviator in the 1930s.Paula McLain once again reminds us what it's like to lost in another world when we open up a book. In 'Circling the Sun', McLain immerses the reader into what is now known as Kenya, a country rich with red soil, luscious jungle foliage, and awesome vistas of savannas. We are also witness to some of the vicissitudes of African life, including drought, racial discrimination, and inflation ... all of which have both immediate and far-reaching consequences for its inhabitants. McLain deftly supplies the readers with the details that bring each scene to life: the kohl rimming a character's eyes, the monogrammed lighter that flashes in the hands of a suitor, the thrum and stutter of an airplane's engine as it makes for shore... However, despite setting realistic scenes, McLain's writes of ghosts. The people of the Happy Valley set (which included Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatton of 'Out of Africa' fame) are oddly portrayed without much depth or life. Just as McLain's previous novel, 'The Paris Wife' generated interest in Ernest Hemingway's 'The Sun Also Rises' and 'A Moveable Feast', 'Circling the Sun' serves as an appetizer for further reading (Isak Dineson's 'Out of Africa' and Beryl Markham's 'West of the Night') and investigation. As one reads though the contemporary accounts or gazes at the photos though, one can't help but be struck by how the verve and élan of these remarkable people seems to have been leeched out of the characters in the novel.
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LibraryThing member amerynth
Paul McLain has a lovely way with prose, but I really, really disliked her book "Circling the Sun."
The root of the issue, for me, is that it's historical fiction... and generally, if I'm interested enough in a topic to read about it, I'd rather just read nonfiction.
Beryl Markham's book "West with
I find Markham fascinating and I am very intrigued by her relationship with Denys Finch Hatton (and his relationship with Karen Bixon (aka Isaac Dinseon.) But "Circling the Sun" just grated at me, because so much of it was a reflection of "West with the Night" and other books -- why read about what an author thinks Markham was feeling when you can just read what she was actually thinking in her memoir.
The root of the issue, for me, is that it's historical fiction... and generally, if I'm interested enough in a topic to read about it, I'd rather just read nonfiction.
Beryl Markham's book "West with
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the Night" is one of my most read books -- it is so well written that there's plenty of debate about whether she was the person who actually wrote it. I didn't feel like McLain's vision of Markham really fit in my with vision of her. I find Markham fascinating and I am very intrigued by her relationship with Denys Finch Hatton (and his relationship with Karen Bixon (aka Isaac Dinseon.) But "Circling the Sun" just grated at me, because so much of it was a reflection of "West with the Night" and other books -- why read about what an author thinks Markham was feeling when you can just read what she was actually thinking in her memoir.
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LibraryThing member TerriBooks
This is a novelized version of the early life of Beryl Markham, who grew up in Kenya in the early 20th century. I loved the description of colonial Africa, I could practically look over the vistas toward the highlands. I, of course, recognized some of the characters, as this story intertwines with
Although Beryl seemed to have an unbelievable list of unfortunate incidents (some of them her own fault!) she was raised to be strong and independent, so she carried through and survived it all. That characteristic of hers was echoed in the short story of her solo flight across the Atlantic, which was the parentheses that began and end the novel. No matter what happened she was never fatalistic, but always found a way to go forward. I think she is an inspiring character in that regard.
Her love of Denys Finch Hatton, though, was a disappointment. She allowed her romanticized view of a difficult, albeit fascinating, man to interfere with her chance for mature relationships with both men and women. On the other hand, I kept seeing Robert Redford in the role, so maybe I'd have been the same!
All in all, a lovely book, well written, well paced, and providing a glimpse into a beautiful and fascinating setting.
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that told in the movie "Out of Africa", and that made the story even more interesting. Although Beryl seemed to have an unbelievable list of unfortunate incidents (some of them her own fault!) she was raised to be strong and independent, so she carried through and survived it all. That characteristic of hers was echoed in the short story of her solo flight across the Atlantic, which was the parentheses that began and end the novel. No matter what happened she was never fatalistic, but always found a way to go forward. I think she is an inspiring character in that regard.
Her love of Denys Finch Hatton, though, was a disappointment. She allowed her romanticized view of a difficult, albeit fascinating, man to interfere with her chance for mature relationships with both men and women. On the other hand, I kept seeing Robert Redford in the role, so maybe I'd have been the same!
All in all, a lovely book, well written, well paced, and providing a glimpse into a beautiful and fascinating setting.
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
Circling the Sun, Paula McLain, read by Katharine McEwan
This beautifully imagined and poignantly read work of historic fiction, about Beryl Markham, born in 1902, brings this remarkable woman to life . Written with a lyrical prose, representative of the way novels used to be, with beautifully
Known perhaps too well for her promiscuity, Beryl Markham’s accomplishments and versatility faded to the background. She was indeed a self-made woman in a time when women were expected to know their place in the class oriented world of the British, and she often defied the rules. As a child, she was brought to Kenya, a place she grew to love and respect. It’s beauty is well described by the author. At the tender age of four, she was abandoned by her mom who was unable to withstand the hardships of life in Kenya. She returned to England, taking only her son, leaving her daughter, Beryl, behind. She remained with her father, was raised with local children and ran free for several years without the influence of a woman in her life. She grew up without the knowledge a young girl would have normally been taught, like the art of conversation and the art of maintaining a home. She, instead, was fiercely independent, very capable and not very feminine.
Beryl took from life what she wanted and although she often regretted her behavior, or at least in the novel she was given to some remorse for her many betrayals of others, she never did seem to learn from her mistakes. Too often, she repeated them, and while I found her to be a compelling person, willing and eager to take risks and blaze trails, I also found her to be immature. She did not seem to grow up, until at the tender age of about 30, tragedy struck her profoundly.
Beryl had several romantic interludes and several unhappy relationships. She had one true love but he was already taken. When she married, shortly before her 17th birthday, she had no idea what she was getting into, and only decided on marriage as a way out of her dilemma when her father told her their farm was failing, and he was moving to Cape Town. She was completely unprepared to be a wife, and although she tried to be a dutiful one, the marriage was difficult and she was soon unfaithful. I found it odd that someone so young and naive would have engaged in a love affair. I began to wonder about which part of the story was history and which was fiction. At any rate, when her husband discovered her infidelity, he eventually horrified and humiliated her by chastising her in public which served only to help spread her wanton reputation further.
She married again, a few years later, into the world of class and wealth, but it too was unsuccessful. She eventually even married a third time.
A talented woman of fierce spirit, Beryl achieved much in her life at a time when little opportunity presented itself to women. Her friends ranged from royalty to the local children she grew up with and played. She was nothing, if not versatile and open minded. She became the first woman to obtain a horse trainer’s license, which she accomplished before the age of 20. She became the first person and first woman to fly alone across the ocean from London to America, in 1936, when barely 35. She achieved some notoriety as a writer when her authorship was questioned.
I thought at times that the book concentrated too heavily on her romantic interludes and unfaithful episodes, which tended to diminish her accomplishments and make her less likable, although the author did present her in a sympathetic light.
The book begins in flight and ends in flight, and while It covers only about a decade in Beryl’s life, she accomplished more in that decade than many women do in a lifetime.
This beautifully imagined and poignantly read work of historic fiction, about Beryl Markham, born in 1902, brings this remarkable woman to life . Written with a lyrical prose, representative of the way novels used to be, with beautifully
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constructed and descriptive sentences, the author utilizes a vocabulary that is perfectly expressive for the imagery desired.Known perhaps too well for her promiscuity, Beryl Markham’s accomplishments and versatility faded to the background. She was indeed a self-made woman in a time when women were expected to know their place in the class oriented world of the British, and she often defied the rules. As a child, she was brought to Kenya, a place she grew to love and respect. It’s beauty is well described by the author. At the tender age of four, she was abandoned by her mom who was unable to withstand the hardships of life in Kenya. She returned to England, taking only her son, leaving her daughter, Beryl, behind. She remained with her father, was raised with local children and ran free for several years without the influence of a woman in her life. She grew up without the knowledge a young girl would have normally been taught, like the art of conversation and the art of maintaining a home. She, instead, was fiercely independent, very capable and not very feminine.
Beryl took from life what she wanted and although she often regretted her behavior, or at least in the novel she was given to some remorse for her many betrayals of others, she never did seem to learn from her mistakes. Too often, she repeated them, and while I found her to be a compelling person, willing and eager to take risks and blaze trails, I also found her to be immature. She did not seem to grow up, until at the tender age of about 30, tragedy struck her profoundly.
Beryl had several romantic interludes and several unhappy relationships. She had one true love but he was already taken. When she married, shortly before her 17th birthday, she had no idea what she was getting into, and only decided on marriage as a way out of her dilemma when her father told her their farm was failing, and he was moving to Cape Town. She was completely unprepared to be a wife, and although she tried to be a dutiful one, the marriage was difficult and she was soon unfaithful. I found it odd that someone so young and naive would have engaged in a love affair. I began to wonder about which part of the story was history and which was fiction. At any rate, when her husband discovered her infidelity, he eventually horrified and humiliated her by chastising her in public which served only to help spread her wanton reputation further.
She married again, a few years later, into the world of class and wealth, but it too was unsuccessful. She eventually even married a third time.
A talented woman of fierce spirit, Beryl achieved much in her life at a time when little opportunity presented itself to women. Her friends ranged from royalty to the local children she grew up with and played. She was nothing, if not versatile and open minded. She became the first woman to obtain a horse trainer’s license, which she accomplished before the age of 20. She became the first person and first woman to fly alone across the ocean from London to America, in 1936, when barely 35. She achieved some notoriety as a writer when her authorship was questioned.
I thought at times that the book concentrated too heavily on her romantic interludes and unfaithful episodes, which tended to diminish her accomplishments and make her less likable, although the author did present her in a sympathetic light.
The book begins in flight and ends in flight, and while It covers only about a decade in Beryl’s life, she accomplished more in that decade than many women do in a lifetime.
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LibraryThing member PamelaBarrett
I remember reading Beryl Markham’s memoir West with the Night after seeing the movie Out of Africa, and how it touched me emotionally. Circling the Sun did the same thing to me, tugging on my heart so much I wanted to cry. The beauty of Africa in the 1920s juxtaposed against the ugliness of what
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Beryl went through from her childhood until her death it’s hard to read it and not be heart touched and a little changed. She experienced the highs and lows of life: there were things and choices she made that I absolutely hated and they brought up memories of my own bad choices in my 20s. The self-centeredness, hedonistic lifestyle of some of the crowd she hung out with was such a contrast to her down to earth relationships with the native friends from her childhood. And then there is her awesome talent with her horses and the struggle she went through as the first woman trainer. Paula McLain captured it all. There is some suggested sexuality, but not over done. Get this five star novel for your summer read. Show Less
LibraryThing member cameling
There is much of Beryl Markham that reminds me of another female aviator, Amelia Earhart. They are both free spirits, independent, confident, love challenges, challenge the gender status quo and are unconventional.
This historical fiction of Beryl Markham's life starting from her unconventional
Intuitive and wise as she was with horses, Beryl was out of her depth in society, swinging from one disastrous relationship to another. And still nothing could destroy her fierce spirit and determination to be her own person.
When she discovered flying, she discovered a freedom she had thought lost to her after her childhood.
This historical fiction of Beryl Markham's life starting from her unconventional
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childhood in Kenya, growing up among the Kipsigis tribe after her mother left her and her father. She went through governesses quickly, not liking having to spend her hours indoors on studies when she could be out with the horses and only went to school for a few years before she was suspended and sent home. As wild as she was, she had an inherent understanding of horses and became the first female horse trainer.Intuitive and wise as she was with horses, Beryl was out of her depth in society, swinging from one disastrous relationship to another. And still nothing could destroy her fierce spirit and determination to be her own person.
When she discovered flying, she discovered a freedom she had thought lost to her after her childhood.
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LibraryThing member RBeffa
I received an ARC through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. The ARC itself is a handsome book, the sort one would expect from a high end trade paperback. I must say that a nicely laid out book enhances the reading experience for me as a reader.
First off, this is a good book, one that I am
I more or less devoured the first half of the novel. Where it started to bother me was when young Beryl Clutterbuck, at 16 years of age, got married. Circumstances beyond her control pushed her into accepting a marriage proposal that was quickly recognized as a bad decision. If one reads this novel one will have one's own opinion, but the author never let me understand why this marriage was not ended by divorce or even annulment, and very quickly. It has devestating effects on Beryl and her friends. The young girl and woman that the reader loves in the first half of the book slowly becomes someone that for me was hard to understand in regards to choices she made. I realize that this is part of who Beryl was, but I as the reader did not gain understanding. After her marriage we really began to get insight into how Beryl became a trainer, way ahead of her time, but then this promising part of the novel falls by the wayside for a while. Instead we begin a phase of "society" stuff that for the most part quickly becomes uninteresting. Not a complete loss here, because elements of this with Denys Finch Hatton and Berkeley Cole I thought were pretty well done and added to the story.
Still, even as the story continued, there were parts of the story I was really drawn to and enjoyed. The relationship with Karen Blixen (Isak Dineson) and Denys Finch Hatton is brought to life here, just as one would hope. Aviation unfortunately gets pretty short shrift. We get an excellent prologue and the subject doesn't really reappear until towards the end of the book to complete the little circle of this novel. By this point the story seemed to have recovered it's legs a bit and was more interesting again in places and we do get led to a satisfying conclusion. But ... I wouldn't have minded going further.
There are some things about the storytelling that bother me here and there. A few things I wanted to know, a couple things that didn't seem quite right including what I think was a glaring error with Beryl and her injured horse, something I can't imagine any horsewoman doing, and a few bits of the storyline that I think detracted from the book. Beryl Markham was by no means a simple person. In reference to her "West With the Night," using wikipedia as a source I find that Ernest Hemingway said this:
"Did you read Beryl Markham's book, West with the Night? ...She has written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer. I felt that I was simply a carpenter with words, picking up whatever was furnished on the job and nailing them together and sometimes making an okay pig pen. But this girl, who is to my knowledge very unpleasant and we might even say a high-grade bitch, can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers ... it really is a bloody wonderful book."
I don't think we see anything in "Circling the Sun" that would rate a high-grade bitch rating for Beryl or anything close. Does that mean the author soft-balled us with this book, or that the bad side of Beryl came later? This novel only covers the early part of Beryl's life and I'm inclined to believe that the abrasive side that Hemingway refers to came later. However, I found it increasingly hard to be sympathetic towards Beryl as the story progressed. She's reckless and selfish and I guess she got into situations for survival but also some entirely of her own making and that doesn't make it pleasant. She was perhaps one of those people who will not allow themselves to be happy.
I read Markham's "West With The Night" many years ago and I plan to return to it one day and see how these two stories mesh.
Overall I have mixed feelings about "Circling the Sun." In the last few chapters we begin to get to Beryl the aviatrix, the one we saw very briefly in the prologue, and as I noted, I feel rather strongly that we the readers got shorted on the aviation with only a few pages and when I thought about it I realized I didn't have a good feel from this why Beryl flew west with the night. Was she flying away from everything she had been? Perhaps.
First off, this is a good book, one that I am
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glad to have read. "Circling the Sun" is what I would call in modern lingo something of a re-boot of "West With The Night," Markham's own memoir. It certainly makes the material accessible to a modern reader. The story here is a first person narrative told by Beryl Markham. It works exceedingly well that way, especially in the first part of the novel, but one must remember that this is fiction, historical fiction. For those of us who have read Isak Dinesen's novels and short stories, such as "Out of Africa" and read other books set in British East Africa shortly after the start of the 20th century, through the 1930's, the settings and many of the characters in this new book are going to be familiar. They will probably be even more familiar if one has seen the movies and films and mini-series set there. Markham, of course, is our primary character here, but the country, Kenya itself, is just as important of a character. Kenya and how it is brought to life here, reinforced by what one may have read or seen before, is what is going to make or break this story for the reader. In my case it made it. Kenya the country however is something different than the Kenya of the mostly British ex-pat society, much of which is pretty insular and unpleasant to put it mildly. Not all, there are some good people in here, but plenty that are not. If that part of Kenya overpowers the reader then the book might not succeed very well.I more or less devoured the first half of the novel. Where it started to bother me was when young Beryl Clutterbuck, at 16 years of age, got married. Circumstances beyond her control pushed her into accepting a marriage proposal that was quickly recognized as a bad decision. If one reads this novel one will have one's own opinion, but the author never let me understand why this marriage was not ended by divorce or even annulment, and very quickly. It has devestating effects on Beryl and her friends. The young girl and woman that the reader loves in the first half of the book slowly becomes someone that for me was hard to understand in regards to choices she made. I realize that this is part of who Beryl was, but I as the reader did not gain understanding. After her marriage we really began to get insight into how Beryl became a trainer, way ahead of her time, but then this promising part of the novel falls by the wayside for a while. Instead we begin a phase of "society" stuff that for the most part quickly becomes uninteresting. Not a complete loss here, because elements of this with Denys Finch Hatton and Berkeley Cole I thought were pretty well done and added to the story.
Still, even as the story continued, there were parts of the story I was really drawn to and enjoyed. The relationship with Karen Blixen (Isak Dineson) and Denys Finch Hatton is brought to life here, just as one would hope. Aviation unfortunately gets pretty short shrift. We get an excellent prologue and the subject doesn't really reappear until towards the end of the book to complete the little circle of this novel. By this point the story seemed to have recovered it's legs a bit and was more interesting again in places and we do get led to a satisfying conclusion. But ... I wouldn't have minded going further.
There are some things about the storytelling that bother me here and there. A few things I wanted to know, a couple things that didn't seem quite right including what I think was a glaring error with Beryl and her injured horse, something I can't imagine any horsewoman doing, and a few bits of the storyline that I think detracted from the book. Beryl Markham was by no means a simple person. In reference to her "West With the Night," using wikipedia as a source I find that Ernest Hemingway said this:
"Did you read Beryl Markham's book, West with the Night? ...She has written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer. I felt that I was simply a carpenter with words, picking up whatever was furnished on the job and nailing them together and sometimes making an okay pig pen. But this girl, who is to my knowledge very unpleasant and we might even say a high-grade bitch, can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers ... it really is a bloody wonderful book."
I don't think we see anything in "Circling the Sun" that would rate a high-grade bitch rating for Beryl or anything close. Does that mean the author soft-balled us with this book, or that the bad side of Beryl came later? This novel only covers the early part of Beryl's life and I'm inclined to believe that the abrasive side that Hemingway refers to came later. However, I found it increasingly hard to be sympathetic towards Beryl as the story progressed. She's reckless and selfish and I guess she got into situations for survival but also some entirely of her own making and that doesn't make it pleasant. She was perhaps one of those people who will not allow themselves to be happy.
I read Markham's "West With The Night" many years ago and I plan to return to it one day and see how these two stories mesh.
Overall I have mixed feelings about "Circling the Sun." In the last few chapters we begin to get to Beryl the aviatrix, the one we saw very briefly in the prologue, and as I noted, I feel rather strongly that we the readers got shorted on the aviation with only a few pages and when I thought about it I realized I didn't have a good feel from this why Beryl flew west with the night. Was she flying away from everything she had been? Perhaps.
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LibraryThing member mom2acat
This is the fictionalized story of the life of Beryl Markham who was brought from England to Kenya as child, raised by her father after her mother abandoned her when she was around 4 years old. She had an unconventional upbringing, and played with the children of the Kipsigis tribe who shared her
She also became part of the Happy Valley set, a bohemian community of European expats who lived by their own set of rules. She was married when she was just 17 years old, but it was not a happy marriage. She had a few scandalous affairs and was married and divorced 3 times, but the love of her life was rumoured to be Denys Finch Hatton, who was also involved with Karen Blixen (you may remember their love story from the movie Out of Africa, which starred Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.)
She was also famous for being the first woman to successfully fly from east to west across the Atlantic.
I have to admit I was disappointed by this book; the prologue of the book opens with her getting ready to make that famous flight across the Atlantic, but her accomplishments as an aviator were barely touched upon in the story. The book was 62 chapters, but it's not until chapter 57 that she even considered wanting to learn how to fly, and chapter 58 when she actually started flying lessons. I felt that the author focused too much on her personal relationships and how they affected her reputation in society, rather than her accomplishments as an aviator and horsewoman. I'm not saying that it wasn't a good story, it just wasn't the story I was expecting it to be, especially the way the prologue set it up.
I received an early reviewers copy of this book from Library Thing; it will be released to the public on July 28, 2015. I was not required to give it a good review, only an honest one.
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father's estate. Her love of horses led to her being a horse trainer, which was a rare profession for women back in those days.She also became part of the Happy Valley set, a bohemian community of European expats who lived by their own set of rules. She was married when she was just 17 years old, but it was not a happy marriage. She had a few scandalous affairs and was married and divorced 3 times, but the love of her life was rumoured to be Denys Finch Hatton, who was also involved with Karen Blixen (you may remember their love story from the movie Out of Africa, which starred Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.)
She was also famous for being the first woman to successfully fly from east to west across the Atlantic.
I have to admit I was disappointed by this book; the prologue of the book opens with her getting ready to make that famous flight across the Atlantic, but her accomplishments as an aviator were barely touched upon in the story. The book was 62 chapters, but it's not until chapter 57 that she even considered wanting to learn how to fly, and chapter 58 when she actually started flying lessons. I felt that the author focused too much on her personal relationships and how they affected her reputation in society, rather than her accomplishments as an aviator and horsewoman. I'm not saying that it wasn't a good story, it just wasn't the story I was expecting it to be, especially the way the prologue set it up.
I received an early reviewers copy of this book from Library Thing; it will be released to the public on July 28, 2015. I was not required to give it a good review, only an honest one.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
This historical fiction book is based on the facts of the life of Beryl Markham. We begin with her childhood as a tomboy being raised by her father in Africa. Her love of horses, her confusion over societal norms and why she had to follow them. She lived in a world where lions roaring in the not so
Her life was so fascinating, but also filled with challenges. Almost everything she wanted to do in life, train horses have freedom, be a pilot, so many things, were limited because she was a woman. There's one thing that the book says she said at one point that I just loved. Someone tells her, "I can't do that because I'm afraid." She responds by saying that she hasn't been fearless in her life, but she's learned to do things even though she's afraid. Her life was filled with so many loses. It wasn’t perfect in anyway, but she never shied away from pursuing her passions. That kind of strength is inspiring.
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distant plains was completely normal. Her life was so fascinating, but also filled with challenges. Almost everything she wanted to do in life, train horses have freedom, be a pilot, so many things, were limited because she was a woman. There's one thing that the book says she said at one point that I just loved. Someone tells her, "I can't do that because I'm afraid." She responds by saying that she hasn't been fearless in her life, but she's learned to do things even though she's afraid. Her life was filled with so many loses. It wasn’t perfect in anyway, but she never shied away from pursuing her passions. That kind of strength is inspiring.
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LibraryThing member c.archer
I enjoyed The Paris Wife immensely, and had high expections for this book about the life of Beryl Markham. I was not disappointed. Paula McLain has the ability to make characters come off the pages. As with The Paris Wife, she has chosen to write about historic figures, highlighting a woman. She
I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates an adventure tale. Whether you know about Beryl Markham or not, you will appreciate her story told so masterfully. Fans of Ms. McLain's The Paris Wife also will undoubtedly enjoy this, her latest book. Personally, I can't wait to see who and what she will write about next.
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has certainly gotten into the skin of Ms Markham by writing in a first person style to bring out her feelings and viewpoints on the events in her exciting yet traumatic life. I loved Beryl's story, especially her independent spirit and her ability to bounce back when life wasn't fair. Her life in Africa and the adventures and difficulties that she goes through make for riveting reading.I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates an adventure tale. Whether you know about Beryl Markham or not, you will appreciate her story told so masterfully. Fans of Ms. McLain's The Paris Wife also will undoubtedly enjoy this, her latest book. Personally, I can't wait to see who and what she will write about next.
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LibraryThing member ShadowBarbara
This was a bio about Beryl Markham but was way too drawn out and fictionalized for my taste. Didn't finish it but it was interesting to learn about her childhood in Africa and how her mom left and she was raised by her father.
LibraryThing member sebago
I won my copy of "Circling the Sun" as an ER through LT. I requested this book because I had read "West with the Night" a number of years ago and loved it. "Circling" has all of the elements that I love; Africa, flying and a strong but truly believable protagonist. Beryl worked through many
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challenges due to her own choices and the time in which she lived. I love the fact that yes, she made some choices that maybe she regretted but all of her decisions shaped her into the person she became. Big hearted, strong, dedicated and daring to break through the glass ceiling of the times. I enjoyed this book very much! Show Less
LibraryThing member EllenH
This was the first book I'd read by Paula McLain and I loved it. Beryl Markham was an interesting person as were her friends and McLain does a great job presenting the story. I had to stay up late to finish it, always a sign of a great book. This is an advance copy from Librarything.
LibraryThing member Quiltinfun06
I love the way Paula Mc Lain delivers a story. First The Paris Wife and now Circling The Sun have both been incredible reads. She has introduced me to Beryl Markham a woman that I would not ever have come to know. This novel had so much to hold the read captive. Beryl a woman who as a child grew up
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in the jungle of Africa. From her struggles then she learns about horses and becomes the first woman certified horse trainer. Though she wasn't as lucky in love as she was with horses, the events of her love life intensify the story. Her love for Denys a man who is loved by Karen readjusts her moral compass which gets her further into trouble. After several marriages all ending in divorce, she sets her goal on becoming the first woman to get a class B flying license. Without a doubt a compelling book that everyone should read. Show Less
LibraryThing member MomMom46
Sorry to say that I enjoyed this book about as much as I do laundry day. I really enjoyed Paula McLain's previous book,The Paris Wife, so maybe I just prefer Paris to Kenya.
I found the character of Beryl mostly unsympathetic, wild,reckless and not appealing. I couldn't feel sorry for the
I found the character of Beryl mostly unsympathetic, wild,reckless and not appealing. I couldn't feel sorry for the
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situations she found herself in or enjoy the majesty of Kenya. Show Less
LibraryThing member tammypanter
Although this story line was a little different from what I typically read, I really enjoy this book. I enjoyed getting to know the main character, Beryl, and learning about her life. Another reviewer describe the author's writing as atmospheric and I totally agree. I felt transported into the
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setting and story being told. Show Less
LibraryThing member katylit
I've always had an interest in British colonialism and have enjoyed many books about various far-flung ex-pats, their lifestyles, their culture, how they incorporated British attitudes and behaviours in foreign lands. Circling the Sun paints a vivid picture of a part of colonial Africa from pre-WW1
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to the 1930s. Its a fictionalized account of Beryl Markham, born in England, but raised in Africa. What a fascinating woman! She broke so many taboos of the time, was reckless, brave, intrepid, and determined. This books paints a vivid account of her early life and young adulthood, depicting some of the life-changing events that helped mold her. She was friends with Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), Denys Finch-Hatton, flirted with the Happy Valley crowd, in short, touched on many of the famous and infamous of early 20th century colonial Africa. Paula McLain has done a wonderful job bringing Beryl to life in these pages. I couldn't put it down, but had to keep finding out what happened next in this amazing woman's life. Well done! Show Less
LibraryThing member Hccpsk
I received an ARC of this book as part of Librarything Early Reviewers. Beryl Markham’s story is fascinating, and as a result I found this book to be an enjoyable page turner. The success of the novel relies heavily on the engaging subject and captivating backdrop of colonial Africa, and not so
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much on character development. I want a lot more exploration of emotions and motivation in fictionalized history, but McLain’s Beryl remains a cardboard outline. I still recommend this book for a well-done travelogue of Markham’s life, but possibly stick with her own memoir (West with the Night) for more depth. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rosareads
This is a Librarything Early Reviewers book. The author, Paula McLain has done a wonderful job of reimagining Beryl Markham's autobiography. Much of the information in the book is accurate, but the fictionalized telling is exciting and dramatic. Beryl Markham is well known for her life in Africa,
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her flight across the Atlantic Ocean, her experiences training horses and racing them, and also her affair with Denys Finch-Hatton. Another significant character in the book and in Markham's life is Karen Blixen, AKA Isac Dinesen, author and mistress to Finch-Hatton. I enjoyed the book. I recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member vwinsloe
I love African memoirs and had read Beryl Markham’s autobiographical "West with the Night" some time ago. Although I couldn't help being engaged by her exciting stories, I found that Markham's minimalist prose left me wanting more than just the bare facts that she related. What were her
Classified as fiction, "Circling the Sun" puts flesh on the bones of "West with the Night." Paula McClain’s well crafted descriptions and thoughtful characterization project an understanding of Markham’s early life and experiences and how they shaped her later life. I began to appreciate the struggles of the white settlers making a living and a life in Kenya in the early 20th century, while the decadent rich Europeans made Africa their playground. I think I can see how people could fall in love with such a place and use whatever skills and wiles it took to stay there and to survive. Markham made many choices to which a reader may be unsympathetic. She didn't intentionally break rules; she simply did not believe that they applied to her. She was by no means an early feminist; she was a unique individual who simply did what she felt she had to do to follow her heart, and often paid a price for it.
"Circling the Sun" is a transporting read and is sure to be on best seller lists for a long time.
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motivations? How did she feel? What was it like?Classified as fiction, "Circling the Sun" puts flesh on the bones of "West with the Night." Paula McClain’s well crafted descriptions and thoughtful characterization project an understanding of Markham’s early life and experiences and how they shaped her later life. I began to appreciate the struggles of the white settlers making a living and a life in Kenya in the early 20th century, while the decadent rich Europeans made Africa their playground. I think I can see how people could fall in love with such a place and use whatever skills and wiles it took to stay there and to survive. Markham made many choices to which a reader may be unsympathetic. She didn't intentionally break rules; she simply did not believe that they applied to her. She was by no means an early feminist; she was a unique individual who simply did what she felt she had to do to follow her heart, and often paid a price for it.
"Circling the Sun" is a transporting read and is sure to be on best seller lists for a long time.
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LibraryThing member wrbinpa
Paula McLain certainly created an interesting cast of eccentric characters, bringing them to life, and the writing is both beautiful and descriptive. I was immediately pulled into the storyline.
Beryl Markham emerges as a strong and determined woman, but also a very complicated woman with an
Beryl struggled with one failed relationship after another, many of them poor choices, and seemed to be at the center of many scandals and gossip. She becomes friends with Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa, but soon betrays her by becoming romantically involved with Denys Finch Hatton, and a love triangle evolves. Karen and Beryl both loved Denys, but Denys belonged to no one and never had. Denys was perhaps the only man Beryl ever truly loved, and their relationship changed the direction of her life over and over again.
The beautiful and bold Beryl Markham was certainly ahead of her time, led an adventurous life, a life that never lacked confidence. A great read! 4 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Goodreads as a first-reads-winner.
Beryl Markham emerges as a strong and determined woman, but also a very complicated woman with an
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adventurous spirit. She becomes a horse trainer, stepping into her father’s shadow, and is granted an English trainer’s license at a young age. It was a dream - come true. Later, she becomes an aviator, where the challenges of flying brought her alive, giving her a feeling of freedom.Beryl struggled with one failed relationship after another, many of them poor choices, and seemed to be at the center of many scandals and gossip. She becomes friends with Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa, but soon betrays her by becoming romantically involved with Denys Finch Hatton, and a love triangle evolves. Karen and Beryl both loved Denys, but Denys belonged to no one and never had. Denys was perhaps the only man Beryl ever truly loved, and their relationship changed the direction of her life over and over again.
The beautiful and bold Beryl Markham was certainly ahead of her time, led an adventurous life, a life that never lacked confidence. A great read! 4 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Goodreads as a first-reads-winner.
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LibraryThing member Neftzger
Brilliant writing and great storytelling have come together to produce a very rich novel that may very well be the best I will read all year. This is one of the few books where I hated to stop reading to do anything else. If you've read and loved both West With the Night and Out Of Africa, then
Beryl is a strong female character during a time when being a strong woman could get you killed for asserting yourself or for attempting to maintain an identity apart from being property. Beryl's struggles are beautifully portrayed and show us how far (and yet at the same time how little) we've come in the last hundred years.
Note: I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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this is a must read for you.Beryl is a strong female character during a time when being a strong woman could get you killed for asserting yourself or for attempting to maintain an identity apart from being property. Beryl's struggles are beautifully portrayed and show us how far (and yet at the same time how little) we've come in the last hundred years.
Note: I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member Jcambridge
This was a good read, but having read nonfiction accounts of Kenya's "Happy Valley" crowd, including White Mischief and West into the Night, I think I would recommend those over this historical novel. Beryl Markham was an interesting historical figure, but I don't feel this book did enough to
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capture her personality and accomplishments. Only the very beginning and a bit at the end of the book focuses on perhaps her greatest accomplishment -- flying across the Atlantic. She lived a long life and I feel this novel only scratches the surface. Show Less
Awards
Ohioana Book Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2016)
NPR: Books We Love (2015)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015
Physical description
512 p.; 9.18 inches
DDC/MDS
| 813.54 |
ISBN
9780804194921
Other editions
Circling the Sun [Paperback] Paula McLain by Paula McLain (Paperback)
Circling the Sun: A Novel by Paula McLain (Paperback)
Similar in this library
Pages
512