Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Grace Clark has lost her mother and barely knows her father. Mary Leakey has had a storied career in illustrations and archaeology, but her work with her husband and on her own in Africa made her a household name. What few knew though, was the loss and loneliness Mary felt behind the scenes throughout her life. So when a teenaged Grace Clark moves into Mary’s dig camp with her father, Mary sees herself at that age – a girl needing a chance to grieve her loss and find purpose to help move forward. What happens next surprises them all.
South African author Penny Haw is back with her latest historical fiction release Follow Me to Africa. Following real-life archaeologist Mary Leakey from her budding career as an illustrator to her later years directing excavations in the Olduvai Gorge, the author delivers a biographical novel mixed with a little fiction that will pull readers in. Examining the dangers and the thrills of life in the Sahara, this novel is the perfect read for history and archaeology lovers alike.
I give Follow Me to Africa 5 out of 5 stars. I grew up loving archaeology and initially wanted to chase the origins of civilization across the world by following fossils. I really enjoyed reading about Leakey’s life and her struggle to work through the influential early loss of her father. Haw builds beautiful imagery and makes the landscape leap off the page. With some scientific terminology and difficult vocabulary, some readers may find this a bit difficult to follow. In the afterword, the author acknowledges that the plot timeline has been adjusted and some events in Leakey’s life have been altered. Typical to historical fiction, the author also added in characters that were not present in Leakey’s life. The alteration of the timeline is the only reason this book didn’t receive a perfect 5.0 rating.
With some references to adultery and sex, this book would be best directed to more mature readers over 13. I would highly recommend this for anyone who, like me, grew up fascinated by fossils and tracking early civilization. This would also be a great book for a woman entering the field of archaeology – seeing the obstacles Leakey overcame to follow her passions is inspiring! I would also recommend this for any historical fiction book club with so many interesting encounters to unpack.
As I mentioned, I chose this book based on the description – Leakey is a bit of a hero for me. However, this novel has a beautiful cover and interesting title that both drew my attention. I’ve not yet had the pleasure of reading Haw’s other historical fiction, but will be circling back to read The Invincible Miss Cust and The Woman at the Wheel soon!
Follow Me to Africa will release February 25th but you can preorder your copy today in our Bookshop.org store!
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