Reviewlet: West with the Night

Beryl Markham was the first female pilot operating in British East Africa (Kenya) in the early 20th century. West With the Night, her memoir, is like a collection of snaphots taken of an independent, intrepid woman and the country she loved.

As a child she hunted boars with natives and was mauled by a lion. Her level of courage, wisdom and maturity at a young age is stunning. On her own at 19, she decided to use her knowledge of horses to train race horses. She eventually owned and operated a racing stable, overcoming or ignoring prejudice against women trainers.

She writes about the dangers of flying in a matter-of-fact way that I find inspiring. I also like she makes judgements about life and things that matter, saying "this is this way because..." I think that modern authors, influenced by relativism, are hesitant to make such statements. They don't want to take risks, but Beryl Markham does. And she's such a good writer that Hemingway said something like, she writes circles around the rest of us scribblers who claim to be writers.