Francesca Marciano

I think the author was not well served by her editor, as the literary veneer (pretentious epigraphs, Joycean method of punctuating dialogue) creates expectations that the facile prose does not fulfill. Definitely not a novel for people who need to like the protagonist, or find characters "relatable." Interesting view into the lives of white Kenyans, but the author is a tad superior, and her tone a little glib; she tries too hard not to be Isak Dinesen, but ends up making Out of Africa (the novel) seem like even more of a masterpiece in comparison.… (meer)

I bought this book when it first come out and began to read the opening chapters. I got incredibly busy with my trip to Russia in the summer of 1999 and the book went into a box with other items going to storage for later. It was not until the summer of 2022, that I picked up again and read the entire novel in just a few days. Somehow, the book puts that time period, some 20+ years ago into context with not only the events that Marciano writes about but also how I felt about being in my early 30's. She captures life at this age so well. This novel does hold up well over time because of the reference points and the struggles that come with discovering oneself and the daily challenges of just living and loving where your are going as a person. In some ways, reading it twenty years later holds a wonderful sense of nostalgia too. If you have ever been caught between two relationships at one time, you can relate to some of these characters.… (meer)