And for those of us who made it to the end, the final section is devastatingly good. Blixen's time in Africa shaped her as a writer, and we found this fascinatingly revealed on the page. Our discussion was nuanced in its recognition of Blixen's vantage point as a privileged Western woman, but also the transformation in her thinking (on humanity) from living alongside another culture so closely and respectfully for all those years. While a beautiful record of a time and place, the colonial lens was sometimes hard to bear in a contemporary context. However, the writing is also copiously dense, so we found this to be an epic read. Lyndall Clipstone writes magical YA gothic romances about monsters and the girls who like to kiss them. Blixen writes the country, its colours, people, sensations, smells, sounds, animals, and seasons with electric detail. This memoir of Blixen's 18 years in Kenya, running a coffee plantation at the outbreak of the First World War, is a stunning evocation of place. I was swept away with Violetta and Rowan into this dangerous yet magical world, and I never wanted to. Lyndall Clipstone casts another spell with this lush, atmospheric sequel. Kylie Ann Freeman, bookseller at Indigo Books. Last month at Matilda Bookshop we discussed the iconic classic, Out of Africa, by Karen Blixen. Lyndall Clipstone is a brilliant new voice in YA and certainly one to keep watching for.
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