Circling the Sun: A Novel

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Circling the Sun is based on the true story of Beryl Markham, a young Englishwoman who became the first person to fly across the Atlantic from England to North America.

Africa makes Beryl's mother miserable, and after only a few years, she moves back to England with Beryl's brother, leaving her daughter and her husband alone. Lale proves himself an operator, at once cagey and courageous: As the Tätowi erer, he is granted special privileges and manages to smuggle food to starving prisoners. After just two years she abandoned her husband and daughter and took Dickie with her back to England.The aircraft was virtually a flying bomb because of all the extra fuel it had to carry and there was real concern it would be too heavy to get into the air and crash on take-off. Despite his tough-boy personality, Bob was a friend to all: judges, cops, as well as a few members of the notorious Purple Gang. Much of the novel features her early life and loves; less focus is put on her flying acommplishments. I have read lots on the "happy valley" era and most do not necessarily portray Beryl favorably so I am interested to see how Paula McLain portrays her.

Paula McLain is the author of the the New York Times bestselling novels The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, and Love and Ruin. It was indeed Tom Campbell Black, who ultimately started teaching her to fly, but not for many more pages. cooked over an open fire, preserved peaches in syrup , and an almond scented blancmange custard " like the dinner D served when Beryl passed her trainer's exam. p. 330) For all Beryl's doubts and waffling about Denys, it melted my heart to know that he hadn't overlooked the change in plans and would own up to it.As somebody who considers Proust a page-turner, I cannot fault a book for portraying a select social circle and ignoring unsavory realities.