Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
Published July 28th 2015
Brought to Kenya from England as a child and then abandoned by her mother, Beryl is raised by both her father and the native Kipsigis tribe who share his estate. Her unconventional upbringing transforms Beryl into a bold young woman with a fierce love of all things wild and an inherent understanding of nature’s delicate balance. But even the wild child must grow up, and when everything Beryl knows and trusts dissolves, she is catapulted into a string of disastrous relationships.
Beryl forges her own path as a horse trainer, and her uncommon style attracts the eye of the Happy Valley set, a decadent, bohemian community of European expats who also live and love by their own set of rules. But it’s the ruggedly charismatic Denys Finch Hatton who ultimately helps Beryl navigate the uncharted territory of her own heart. The intensity of their love reveals Beryl’s truest self and her fate: to fly.
Circling the Sun is very different from the books I normally read and I was a little unsure of what to expect. I’m very impressed by how much I actually enjoyed it.
I loved the setting of this book so much. I’ve never read a book that took place in Kenya and I found it very fascinating. The characters were so well written and beautifully flawed. Beryl was such a wonderful character and I loved reading about her.
I did find that this book became a bit slow towards the end and didn’t hold my attention like the first half did. But other than that, I loved this book.
If you’re looking for a really great historical read, I’d definitely recommend Circling the Sun.
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