Literature -- 5 stars
It is the 1960s when Rachel returns to her beloved Kenya after 6 years of suffering through an English education. Her mother is dead, and her father's new companion is an intolerant woman who hates Kenya and its people as much as Rachel loves them. Hanging over the reunion is the threat of the Mau Mau uprising, signaling the end of British rule. Adding to the tension is a British occupation leader who has become a frequent and threatening visitor to her family's farm. At first, in light of our current political climate, this book was an uncomfortable read. It was too easy to replace fictional characters with real people in today's news. The intolerance and wrong-headed belief in white superiority was almost painful to read. But the book is so beautifully written, that it kept calling me back. The straight forward, almost casual descriptions of the land, its wildlife, and its native people meld into a novel so atmospheric you can smell the dust. The epilogue, which tied everything in a neat little bow, felt like a betrayal; but ultimately, this is a book that will stay with me for a long time
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