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fionak's review against another edition
3.0
I was totally on board with this book's premise but, almost from the beginning, it was a disappointment. Mostly due to the lame attempts at misdirection in an effort to create excitement in the narrative; the most egregious example being Olive's "disappearance" which was just her being in her tent. I suspect I would have enjoyed Olive MacLeod's book about her trip (which was titled Chiefs and Cities of Central Africa) much more than this awkward modern reimagining that tries to frame Olive as a lovesick puppy searching for her fiancee.
I received a free copy of this book for review from the publisher.
I received a free copy of this book for review from the publisher.
tsmasi's review against another edition
3.0
I received this as a Goodreads giveaway. The story is fascinating, historical novels are my favorite. But I had a hard time getting into the novel, it was somewhat disjointed. The idea of a woman going to Africa in 1910 definitely grabbed me but it was just too slow moving
bob_dw's review against another edition
4.0
An entertaining real life story of a Olive MacLeod's trip across central Africa in 1910. The author has found a wealth of primary documents that has allowed him to tell the story with intriguing detail.
Thanks to Libro.fm for a review copy.
Thanks to Libro.fm for a review copy.
linyarai's review
2.0
This book had a lot of potential, but the pace really lost it for me. I found Olive to be kind of wishy-washy in the beginning with her feelings and decisions, but once she sets out for Africa she definitely had more of a spine. That sounded like quite a hard journey for an aristocrat. Regardless, the whole thing just kind of plodded along at a slow pace and even the exciting incidents didn't spark a lot of interest. The history and geography was interesting, but this was not the exciting journey that I expected.
emileereadsbooks's review
4.0
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for this free advanced listening copy.
The way this book is written from Olive’s perspective with a beautiful effort by Brad Ricca in the research made it a fascinating nonfiction read unlike any I have read before. I felt like I knew Olive. Olive MacLeod was a Scottish socialite who in 1910 ends up taking a trip to Africa to find her missing fiancé, the famous naturalist Boyd Alexander. But while seeking Boyd, Olive finds so much more in Africa. She finds a sense of herself (the strong single female she is) as she discovers the many facets of people, places, animals, and rituals Africia has to offer. This book is hard to read in parts as you experience from a first person account how European countries colonized Africa, but I also like that this is a pretty unfiltered look into one epic journey through the continent.
The way this book is written from Olive’s perspective with a beautiful effort by Brad Ricca in the research made it a fascinating nonfiction read unlike any I have read before. I felt like I knew Olive. Olive MacLeod was a Scottish socialite who in 1910 ends up taking a trip to Africa to find her missing fiancé, the famous naturalist Boyd Alexander. But while seeking Boyd, Olive finds so much more in Africa. She finds a sense of herself (the strong single female she is) as she discovers the many facets of people, places, animals, and rituals Africia has to offer. This book is hard to read in parts as you experience from a first person account how European countries colonized Africa, but I also like that this is a pretty unfiltered look into one epic journey through the continent.
bitesbooksbrews's review
5.0
I loved this book so much! I love who Olive was in such a hard time to be a woman. She was so brave, strong and amazing! Following her adventure was an adventure and so inspiring. Also, learning more about Africa was wonderful. I can’t wait to share this with my friends! I highly recommend this!
Just keep in mind this is a biography, so it reads slower like them, rather than a fiction. But it is totally worth the work of reading non-fiction!
Just keep in mind this is a biography, so it reads slower like them, rather than a fiction. But it is totally worth the work of reading non-fiction!