Circling the Sun was written by Paula McLain, author of New York Times and internationally bestselling novels, such as The Paris Wife. This historical fiction novel was published during 2015 by Ballantine Books.
It tells the story of an unconventional woman named Beryl Markham who embarks on an adventurous journey of aviation, horse training, and romance. After traveling from London to settle in Kenya as a young girl, she becomes inspired by the natural beauty of this country and sets out to unleash her wildest dreams. Yet the path she forges for herself is not without hardship and pain.
The Boston Globe said "...like Africa as it's so gorgeously depicted here, this novel will never let you go." People (Book of the Week) said "famed aviator Beryl Markham is a novelist's dream...." On the other hand, several Goodreads reviewers were not impressed by the perceived romanticism of life in Africa as well as the perceived colonialist attitudes of certain characters, among other things.
Circling the Sun is a New York Times bestseller, in addition to being considered a top novel by NPR, Shelf Awareness, and Bookpage.
