ktxx22's review against another edition
1.0
Biggest steaming pile of trash/poop I’ve had the pleasure to read/listen to ever. 1/5 And if I could give it less I would. I got 70% of the way through this book and I’m not wasting any more time on it.
This book is marketed as a “historical fiction memoir” of Beryl Markham. Beryl Markham is Britain’s “Amelia Earhart” 1st Woman to successfully cross the Atlantic. So on reading the premise you think this book is gonna be Bad ass! A female who defied the gender norms of her era and did a lot of awesome things. If I were in anyway related to Beryl Markham I’d sue McLain for slander. This book is smut. Lots of gratuitous sexual encounters. Beryl is depicted as a whiny wan woman. Who falls into bed with various men for no real reason. Other than they can help her financially... sounds like a hooker to me. There are so many loose ends that never get tied up. The only really wonderful thing is the scenery depictions of Kenya. I loved that. The rest of this book can be thrown in the garbage.
This book is marketed as a “historical fiction memoir” of Beryl Markham. Beryl Markham is Britain’s “Amelia Earhart” 1st Woman to successfully cross the Atlantic. So on reading the premise you think this book is gonna be Bad ass! A female who defied the gender norms of her era and did a lot of awesome things. If I were in anyway related to Beryl Markham I’d sue McLain for slander. This book is smut. Lots of gratuitous sexual encounters. Beryl is depicted as a whiny wan woman. Who falls into bed with various men for no real reason. Other than they can help her financially... sounds like a hooker to me. There are so many loose ends that never get tied up. The only really wonderful thing is the scenery depictions of Kenya. I loved that. The rest of this book can be thrown in the garbage.
maggersann's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Not at all what I expected, but an engaging story nonetheless! Now, off to do loads more research on Beryl Markham.
jeri's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Boring
vojohnson's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
internationalkris's review against another edition
3.0
Paula McLain selected an amazing woman to write about but a lot of her descriptions and dialog felt lifted from the script from Out of Africa.
pagesofthevalley's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Such beautiful and descriptive writing. I didnt realize until the end that this was based on true story. A woman named Beryl Markham. It had many slow spots throughout the book but still manageable.
mkhaas29's review against another edition
4.0
Perhaps closer to 3.5 stars, but the story of a remarkable life has its sway. While I understand that capturing the twists and turns of someone’s real events puts an increased challenge on a writer and storyteller, I did feel like this one lost its way every once and a while. That being said, I also had read a few headlines about Beryl before starting this book which perhaps was a mistake. Expecting a tale detailing the events leading up to her love of flight, etc knowing she was the first person to cross the Atlantic solo was the first misstep. This is truly about her life leading up to that- and by that I mean anything to do with her interest in flight in truly the last three chapters or so (out of 62 and an epilogue).
This is not meant to discredit all the fascinating and wonderful things she accomplished and significant barriers she faced as a bold woman in the early 1920s forging her way in a man’s world, let along in Africa. Abandoned by her mother early on, then essentially by her father as well as a teenager she was served her lumps. While she herself was no innocent, hers is a life I’m glad to know more about. And without this book I probably never would have encountered her.
This is not meant to discredit all the fascinating and wonderful things she accomplished and significant barriers she faced as a bold woman in the early 1920s forging her way in a man’s world, let along in Africa. Abandoned by her mother early on, then essentially by her father as well as a teenager she was served her lumps. While she herself was no innocent, hers is a life I’m glad to know more about. And without this book I probably never would have encountered her.
kandicez's review against another edition
4.0
From Wikipedia: Beryl Markham (née Clutterbuck; 26 October 1902 – 3 August 1986) was an English-born Kenyan aviator (one of the first bush pilots), adventurer, racehorse trainer and author. She was the first person to fly solo, non-stop across the Atlantic from Britain to North thAmerica. She wrote about her adventures in her memoir, [b:West with the Night|1624|West with the Night|Beryl Markham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1368204688l/1624._SY75_.jpg|192528].
The back flap of this book says basically the same thing, so when I read it I kept waiting for the flying part! I feel it was a bit of a bait and switch since we mostly get Beryl's story up until she begins flying, none of the details of the flying itself. In all honesty, I would have been ok with that and not felt cheated at all, since she was a remarkable woman even without the solo flight. But why market the book using that? I digress.
This reminded me very much of [b:Out of Africa|781787|Out of Africa|Isak Dinesen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1608486134l/781787._SY75_.jpg|1189079] even before Karen Blixen and her Denys show up. Both books are about independent and amazing women, living in Africa in the late 19th, early 20th centuries. Clearly, Africa was the place to be for women at that time!
I didn't like Beryl. I have to admit that right away. She was selfish and self serving, but also incredibly admirable, and in reality, maybe being selfish was the only way to be an independent woman in that time period. I found it just as remarkable that she was the first female licensed horse trainer as the solo flight. I squirmed at her affairs, especially the affair that affected Blixen, since I had grown to love Blixen from her own book, and then even more so from Meryl Streep's portrayal.
I found myself trying to cast Beryl, who definitely deserves her own movie. I think Charlize Theron could have played her perfectly a few years ago, maybe even now if they used makeup or CGI to make her younger in the beginning. Scarlett Johansen or Alicia Vikander would also do justice to the role.
The back flap of this book says basically the same thing, so when I read it I kept waiting for the flying part! I feel it was a bit of a bait and switch since we mostly get Beryl's story up until she begins flying, none of the details of the flying itself. In all honesty, I would have been ok with that and not felt cheated at all, since she was a remarkable woman even without the solo flight. But why market the book using that? I digress.
This reminded me very much of [b:Out of Africa|781787|Out of Africa|Isak Dinesen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1608486134l/781787._SY75_.jpg|1189079] even before Karen Blixen and her Denys show up. Both books are about independent and amazing women, living in Africa in the late 19th, early 20th centuries. Clearly, Africa was the place to be for women at that time!
I didn't like Beryl. I have to admit that right away. She was selfish and self serving, but also incredibly admirable, and in reality, maybe being selfish was the only way to be an independent woman in that time period. I found it just as remarkable that she was the first female licensed horse trainer as the solo flight. I squirmed at her affairs, especially the affair that affected Blixen, since I had grown to love Blixen from her own book, and then even more so from Meryl Streep's portrayal.
I found myself trying to cast Beryl, who definitely deserves her own movie. I think Charlize Theron could have played her perfectly a few years ago, maybe even now if they used makeup or CGI to make her younger in the beginning. Scarlett Johansen or Alicia Vikander would also do justice to the role.
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
2.0
I so badly wanted to love this one! I have a 10 year history with Kenya and its people, and I've read very little historical fiction that takes place in Kenya, let alone during colonization. However, I was dreadfully disappointed by this novel.
What I Liked
Beryl's upbringing was the best part of the book. She is essentially abandoned by her mother and left by her father to her own devices until she hits puberty.
What I Didn't Like
I was so saddened that there were no deep Kenyan characters in this story. Every Kenyan seems token and shallow, and colonization is portrayed from only the white perspective.
Beryl as a character is maddening.
The story reads slow-paced and dull with very little character development. I was shocked to learn that Beryl Markham was a real person, and felt pity for her that a historical fiction piece about her life favored her in such poor light.
What I Liked
Beryl's upbringing was the best part of the book. She is essentially abandoned by her mother and left by her father to her own devices until she hits puberty.
What I Didn't Like
I was so saddened that there were no deep Kenyan characters in this story. Every Kenyan seems token and shallow, and colonization is portrayed from only the white perspective.
Beryl as a character is maddening
Spoiler
and essentially becomes her own mother after she abandons her child!The story reads slow-paced and dull with very little character development. I was shocked to learn that Beryl Markham was a real person, and felt pity for her that a historical fiction piece about her life favored her in such poor light.
jenmat1197's review against another edition
4.5
This is a historical fiction novel based on a very real person named Beryl Markam. Beryl lived in Kenya in the 1920s and she was a record-setting aviator. Before she learned to fly, she grew up on a horse farm with her father. Her mother, who was originally from England, couldn't take the Kenya lifestyle, so she abandoned Beryl and moved away. She was raised by her father and the Kipsigis tribe which turned her into a bold young woman who didn't let anything stand in her way just because she was female.
Beryl becomes a horse trainer after her dad and his second wife move away due to hard times. Her abilities attract a lot of attention when her horses begin to win races. She meets Denys Hatton and falls in love with him. Unfortunately, at the time of their meeting, she - nor he - are available and so their secret love affair begins.
Through Beryl's life she is married twice, divorced twice, and has a child she barely sees. Through it all, she continues to return to Denys hoping that one day they might be together. But a tragic accident gets in the way, and leaves Beryl lost once again.
This was a good book. Knowing that Beryl was a real person and she did indeed break aviation records, made it all that more interesting. The author doesn't reveal what all was true about her story beyond that, except her relationships. Everything else was left to the author's imagination.
Beryl lived out the remainder of her days in Kenya and died not a well known or well understood person. I think the author did a good job of retelling even a small part of her life to draw interest in Beryl Markam once again.