Circling the Sun

by Paula McLean

I didn't realize this was based on real-life people and events.  At some point I began to wonder if their was some truth to the story, probably when I read the name Karen Blixen, which sounded familiar.  I looked up Karen Blixen and reacquainted myself with Isak Dinesen's real name. Dinesen is her pen name -- you'll recognize her as the author of "Out of Africa."  Denys Finch Hatton and the main character of the book, Beryl Clutterbuck were also real.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which is a fictional account of real people's lives and relationships.  As with any historical fiction the reader must keep in mind that the conversations and much about the relationships is conjecture on the author's part.  However, there are facts to be gleaned and general circumstances to be trusted.

Beryl was a strong female with a great deal of grit and determination.  Sometimes she made life harder for herself with her unconventional thinking and actions.  She became the first woman to earn a license as a horse trainer in Kenya and England.

After Dnys Finch Hatton was killed in a plane crash, Beryl took up flying.  She was the first woman to fly solo from east to west over the Atlantic.

Circling the Sun was an absorbing read.  I rarely stay up late to finish a book but I did just that with this book.  Even with her successes, I felt sad for Beryl.  It seemed she was always trying to prove herself good enough for the men she loved and, mostly, for herself.

* I received a copy of Circling the Sun  from NetGalley in exchange for my review.  No other compensation was received.