4 1/2 - 5 stars
Paperback, 363 pages
In the hands of the right author, historical fiction transports the reader into the past so seamlessly that one begins to not only imagine the time period in which the story is set, but to also become a part of it. Paula McLain has done just that in her vivid portrayal of the extraordinary life of adventurer Beryl Markham. I'd previously read McLain's work, having enjoyed her novel, THE PARIS WIFE, about Ernest Hemingway's first wife, but found CIRCLING THE SUN infinitely more powerful. McLain seems to BE Beryl Markham in this beautifully written historical fiction memoir. Her first person voice works perfectly as we the reader hear Beryl speak to us in almost poetic tones about her unconventional upbringing and coming of age in Kenya at the beginning of the twentieth century. Readers might find it interesting to know that Beryl was involved in a relationship with the already involved Denys Fitch Hatton of OUT OF AFRICA fame -- the same man whose love inspired Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen) to pen her autobiographical book of that name.
Perhaps McLain's greatest gift is her ability to get into the heart and mind of her central characters. She doesn't just get at the essence of who Beryl Markham may have been, but more precisely, it's as if she became Beryl Markham. You can sense Beryl's bravery, complexity, and impetuosity. She was a maverick; a woman well ahead of her time. Beryl defied convention, becoming the first licensed horse trainer in Africa, one of the first females to earn her aviator license, and perhaps most noteworthy, becoming the first woman to fly solo from east to west. Later, like Karen Blixen to whom she befriended in Kenya, Beryl would write her own memoir, WEST WITH THE NIGHT, for which Ernest Hemingway envied for her writing style.
McLain's writing is so beautifully compelling that I felt very much in the time and place in which Beryl lived. Ironically, it was in CIRCLING THE SUN more than Blixen's OUT OF AFRICA that I felt transported back to British colonial Kenya, feeling and understanding Beryl's pull to the equally independent and strong-minded Denys Fitch Hatton. There is an almost lyrical ring to McLain's phrasing...deep, real, profound, and moving. It would be impossible for this book not to have a lasting impact on the reader.
I like books that are well written. Certainly, CIRCLING THE SUN is well researched and crafted, but more than that, it seeped into my psyche in such a way that I felt only a greater interest in learning more about its fascinating subject. I highly recommend this book to readers of not only historical fiction, but of simply good writing and compelling storytelling. Beryl Markham was a singularly impressive real life person worth the time to get to know. In McLain's hands, you'll come to be grateful for the introduction.
