The Good Lion
Beryl Markham was born in England in 1903, but moved to East Africa when she was three. She thrived in Africa and threw herself into the spirited, outdoor sport of her African playmates. At 19, she trained racehorses, a skill she learned from her father. Despite great success with horses, airplanes would capture her heart. She learned to fly and became a bush pilot, crisscrossing vast savannahs delivering mail and supplies, or spotting big game for safaris. In 1936, Beryl made the first solo east-to-west transatlantic flight.
Beryl's memoir of Africa and flying, West With the Night, was published in 1942 to great popular and critical success. And while there's controversy as to whether or not she actually wrote the book, itıs a fantastic read. All of Beryl's adventures are amazing, but itıs her childhood memories of East Africa that are perhaps the most vivid. The story about Paddy is one such memory-a near tragedy-but Beryl finds only compassion and sympathy for the lion and disagrees with punishing him for abiding his essential nature. It's an unforgettable story that upsets our notions of "tame" and "good" and makes this encounter truly remarkable.

 
 
Ruth Law Thrills a Nation / Alice Ramsey's Grand Adventure / One Giant Leap / Rare Treasure / Uncommon Traveler / A Voice from the Wilderness / Across a Dark & Wild Sea  / Far Beyond the Garden Gate / Mack Made Movies / American Boy /  Our Time on the River /  Odd Boy Out /  Kid Blink Beats The World /  The Good Lion

All contents copyright Don Brown 1999, 2000, 2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005