Shortlisted for
book of the month
AMAZON UK £5.25 £12.69
AMAZON US
$7.53 $12.63
AMAZON CA $8.93
Family drama /
adventure
19th
century
London &
Africa
Anna is running
away. From whom or what? She has changed her name and takes passage on a ship
bound for anywhere. She doesn’t care, doesn’t even want to know. She is
determined to shed the constraints of her society and live independently
somewhere far away from England. The captain of the ship turns out to be a man
from her past, the husband of a late and dear friend. He too has changed his
name. Why? He is a very menacing and mysterious character and Anna is wary of
him. Could he possibly be the love interest? To add a little more spice to the pot,
also on the ship are Mrs. David Livingstone and children who are going to meet
Mr. Livingstone. Yes, Anna’s destination turns out to be Africa.
By this time –
the third chapter – I was so firmly hooked, I could hardly move from my chair. Nothing
could be a greater contrast to Anna’s previous experience than the lifestyle of
the Livingstones and the culture of Africa. We observe this young, well-bred
English lady as she rides for days in the back of a wagon, watches an animal
being butchered, learns to pluck a fowl, lives through a drought, a lion attack
and a war… and yet loves Africa. Meanwhile she suffers nightmares of her past
life and struggles to come to terms with the person she was.
Anna is a bit of
a trope – a woman trying to live according to the mores of a later time – but
because of the author’s excellent writing and story-telling, she rises above
such clichés. All the main characters are interesting and well-presented, but
my favourite is the Chief - also a real person - as colourful and delightful a
character as you could hope to meet. The relationship between him and the
Livingstones is heartwarming.
Judging by the
ending, I feel sure there will be another book.
Heartily
recommended
© Susan Appleyard
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