Circling the Sun. Book Review.

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain is a beautiful trip to 1920s Kenya, where the reader follows a woman whose spirit cannot be contained by the rules that British society puts on her gender.

Told in the first person, the reader follows a unique and adventure-filled life, led by a woman with a free spirit and eagerness for adventure.

Beryl was raised by her British father and the Kipsigis tribe in early twentieth century Kenya. She grew up with horses, but that wasn’t enough for her: she wanted to learn how to fly.

The story also follows her compelling quest to fit in with British society, though she sometimes relates more to the Kipsigis tribe’s way of life.

The story shows this woman’s tenacity and grit, her perseverance and her bravery. It also shows a young woman who is lost and trying to find who she is and what she can be in a world that doesn’t seem structured to let her fit her exactly how she is.

While it is another white female empowerment story, it is a story of a woman who did some remarkable things during her time, and the first-person perspective makes her (and her sometimes strange decisions) relatable.

Would I Recommend It?

Yes. It was a good read, and great to learn about a specific time and place in history.