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48 pages 1 hour read

West with the Night

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1942

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Book Brief

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Beryl Markham

West with the Night

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1942
Book Details
Pages

294

Format

Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction

Setting

Kenya • 1930s

Publication Year

1942

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14+ years

Lexile Level

1140L

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Super Short Summary

West with the Night by Beryl Markham chronicles her adventures growing up in Kenya among indigenous communities, learning to hunt and train racehorses, and eventually becoming an aviation pioneer. Her captivating journey includes searching for downed pilots, training horses, and flying solo across the Atlantic, crash-landing in Canada in 1936. The text reflects colonialist biases and includes references to suicide and animal attacks.

Adventurous

Contemplative

Inspirational

Nostalgic

Serene

Reviews & Readership

4.3

46,730 ratings

80%

Loved it

15%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Reviewers widely praise Beryl Markham's West with the Night for its lyrical prose and vivid depiction of early 20th-century Africa and aviation. Readers admire her adventurous spirit and storytelling. Criticisms include perceived embellishments in her accounts and occasional disjointed narrative flow. Overall, it's considered a compelling memoir blending adventure with introspection.

Who should read this

Who Should Read West with the Night?

Readers who enjoy West with the Night by Beryl Markham relish adventure memoirs and historical narratives. Comparable to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Wind, Sand and Stars and Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast, this book appeals to those fascinated by early aviation, African landscapes, and pioneering spirits.

4.3

46,730 ratings

80%

Loved it

15%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

294

Format

Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction

Setting

Kenya • 1930s

Publication Year

1942

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14+ years

Lexile Level

1140L

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