Book notes | Circling the Sun
This historical novel depicts the life of Beryl Markham from her birth in 1902 until her mid-thirties. Beryl was born in England but moved at age 4 when her father took the family to Kenya to set up a horse farm. Kenya at the time was the colonial British East Africa. Beryl’s mother soon abandoned her and her father, returning to England with Beryl’s brother.
Beryl’s childhood was greatly influenced by her father and the native Kipsigis tribe. She grew up with little restraint or attention to the cultural norms for women at that time. This unconventional upbringing came into conflict with expectations once she came of age for marriage.
In describing Markham’s life in 1920s colonial Kenya, author Paula McLain introduces us to a variety of characters that influenced Markham’s life. The beauty of the country also comes through clearly in the novel, as does the strangeness of British citizens trying to superficially maintain their British ways of being in Africa while also living and loving by their own rules.
A non-conformist
Markham was a non-conformist, becoming the first licensed woman horse trainer in Kenya at the age of 17. She married more than once and had a passionate affair with safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton, who was romantically involved with the Danish author Baroness Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen). Markham became a bush pilot and, in 1936, was the first pilot to successfully cross the Atlantic, east to west, from England to North America. She wrote a memoir about her life, West With the Night, upon which McLain based much of the story in her historical novel.
The responses of UMRA Book Club I members to the book were mixed. Many enjoyed the descriptions of Kenya and the character’s early life as well as the depiction of colonialism in the story. Some readers found it difficult to like Markham as an adult because of the choices she made. There was general agreement that she was an interesting character who broke boundaries for women as both a horse trainer and aviator.
Readers of Markham’s memoir felt that McLain’s historical novel did not emphasize accomplishments that were more detailed in the memoir. Instead, the second part of the book seemed “gossipy” to them, focusing too much on the amoral lifestyle of the ex-patriots living in Kenya.
—Kathy Cramer, UMRA Book Club I member
Book Club I to meet July 15
Fri, Jul 15 2022, 2pm
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of Circling the Sun by Paula McLain when the UMRA Book Club I meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 15.
Email Pat Tollefson for more information, including suggestions for starting a new book club.
Upcoming Events
Silk Parachute, an anthology of essays and the 40th of 44 published books by author John McPhee, will be the topic of discussion when UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CDT on April 26.
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.