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Circling the Sun, by Paula McLain

Set in Nairobi, Kenya, in the early 1900s, this novel delves into the lives of the British expats who had a vibrant social life, including horse racing, safaris, and upscale parties, where “champagne was compulsory!” The main character, Beryl Markham, alternates between rags and riches. A triangle of love and friendship between Beryl, Karen, and Denys Hatton is a constant theme, with the two women circling around Denys. In spite of Beryl’s secrets and scars, in 1931 she flew solo from Africa to New York. She was also the first woman to gain a professional pilot’s license. This is good historical fiction, carefully researched, just like The Paris Wife.

—Ree, Harbor Books, Old Saybrook