Out of Africa, by Karen Blixen

I started this book because of our upcoming trip to Kenya. The author lived in Africa during the early 1900's. She and her husband moved to Kenya to start a coffee plantation which eventually went bust (not good coffee growing climate) and then she had to move back to Denmark. This book is written nearly 20-30 years later as she looks back on her life in Africa.

It's clear that she really loved Africa and the people there. She has a respect for the Africans that I think was rare in those days. Nevertheless, there are some aspects of her perspective that are very colonial and paternal toward the country and the people there. I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of the different types of people. The locals, called Kikuyus, the nomad Masai, and the Somalis (who consider themselves Arab and are "Mohammedans") are all portrayed as unique cultures.

The stories are told as little vignettes without any particular plot line that holds them together. But in the end these stories combine to paint a picture of a life in Africa that doesn't exist anymore. The lion hunts in the morning, flying freely over the country to observe the wildlife, acting as doctor/nurse/judge to the locals on her land, building dams for water supply, seeding ponds with fish - these are all tales of a historical time and lifestyle now gone.

Recommendation: I'm glad I read it and am looking forward to our trip to Africa.