The distant roar of a waking lion rolls against the stillness of the night, and we listen. Markham is not a white woman living in Africa, apart from the native inhabitants, she is a part of Africa.she hunts with Nandi, she lives an African life. Her stories unfold seamlessly and you are there with her seeing and feeling and knowing Africa and its people. I could feel that wind and smell the swamps. But there was loneliness in it and aimlessness, as if its passing were only a sterile duty lacking even the beneficent promise of rain. It whipped at the oil flares and snatched at the surfaces of the Avian. It bore the odour of swampland, the smell of Lake Victoria, the breath of weeds and sultry plains and tangled bush.

Hot night wind stalked through the thorn trees and leleshwa that surrounded the clearing. I certainly felt that from Markham, that Africa was more than a place to her, that it was a spirit, a soul. I am always taken by the way books set in Africa become somehow about the country in a way that transforms it into almost a character in itself. What a remarkable woman, so fearless and capable and well-ahead of her time. ( )Īfter reading, I was anxious to read Beryl Markham's own account of her life, and it was well worth reading. As an added bonus, Anna Fields does a first-rate job of voice acting in the audio book. If you are looking for well-written non-fiction about a strong woman that led the life of a non-conformist, pick this one up. I felt a sense of accompanying her on her flights. Her writing is descriptive, eloquent, and artistic. She keeps her private life private, sticking to career, colleagues, friends, and family. The final two chapters describe her solo flight. She encounters lions, elephants, warthogs, zebras, and more. Published in 1942, the majority of the book is focused on her life in Africa. She was the first woman to fly solo east to west over the Atlantic, from England to Nova Scotia. She flew the African bush, bringing medical supplies to remote locations, spotting wildlife, and searching for downed pilots. Her life included “up close and personal” experiences with African wildlife, training racehorses, and flying aircraft. Born in England, she moved to Kenya (then British East Africa) at age four. Beryl Markham (1902-1986) certainly led an adventurous life.

West with the Night by Beryl Markham