Elspeth Huxley (1907–1997)
Author of The Flame Trees of Thika: Memories of an African Childhood
About the Author
Series
Works by Elspeth Huxley
Associated Works
On the Firing Line: The Public Life of Our Public Figures (1989) — Contributor — 128 copies, 1 review
Written by Herself, Volume II: Women's Memoirs from Britain, Africa, Asia, and the United States (1996) — Contributor — 93 copies, 1 review
Gentlemen, Scholars and Scoundrels: A Treasury of the Best of Harper's Magazine from 1850 to the Present (1972) — Contributor — 62 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: Carter's Castle • The Great Husky Race • The Red Fox • The Flame Trees of Thika (1985) 7 copies
Cargoes of the east: The ports, trade, and culture of the Arabian Seas and western Indian Ocean (1978) — Foreword — 6 copies
The Carrier Corps: Military Labor in the East African Campaign, 1914–1918 (1986) — Introduction — 5 copies, 1 review
In the Wake of Da Gama : The Story of Portuguese Pioneers in East Africa 1497-1729 — Introduction — 3 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Huxley, Elspeth Joscelin
- Birthdate
- 1907-07-23
- Date of death
- 1997-01-10
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of Reading
Cornell University - Occupations
- writer
journalist
broadcaster
government service
magistrate
environmentalist (show all 8)
farmer
author - Awards and honors
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1962)
- Relationships
- Huxley, Gervas (husband)
- Short biography
- The New York Times said in her obituary that Elspeth Huxley (née Grant) was a witty and energetic journalist and author of more than 30 books, including memoirs, biographies, crime stories and novels, many inspired by her childhood in colonial Kenya. Although her eclectic literary output reflected an extraordinary range of interests, Mrs. Huxley was perhaps best known for a 1959 work of autobiographical fiction, ''The Flame Trees of Thika,'' which was based on her early life among white settlers on her father's coffee plantation. Although some Kenyans denounced it as an apologia for colonial rule, the book was widely praised for its rich sense of humor, its affectionate personal portraits and its gentle evocation of life in a singular place.
- Nationality
- England
UK - Birthplace
- London, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Thika, Kenya
Wiltshire, England, UK - Place of death
- Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England, UK
- Associated Place (for map)
- England, UK
Members
Reviews
After watching The Flame Trees of Thika on television and Out of Africa in the theater, I became fascinated with Kenya during the time period of 1900-1940. There were some highly interesting people there doing all sorts of things, and I read one book after another about them. One of those interesting people was the author of The Flame Trees of Thika, Elspeth Huxley. The memoir of her childhood in Africa is excellent, so it didn't come as any surprise when I enjoyed Murder on Safari so much. show more The woman knew how to write.
The setting is absolutely superb. I felt as though I were on safari with the cast of characters, and it was a treat to be on such a swanky one. In addition, it's through this vibrant setting that Huxley often shares her opinions of big game hunting, poaching, and Britain's behavior as a colonial power.
Vachell, formerly of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, is new to the country and his position as superintendent, and he's not in camp long before it's been proven to him that he's among a bunch of rich, entitled twits. Huxley's sly sense of humor raises her head with Vachell. Lady Baradale insists that he would do a much better job if everyone else didn't know he was a policeman, so he's persuaded to go undercover as a great white hunter. It's an ill-fitting disguise and provides some laughs along the way.
The mystery in Murder on Safari kept me guessing as well as providing a few chills and thrills. There's nothing like trying to search for clues in a tent "...in total dark, knowing [you're] not alone." I normally don't care for crime fiction written in the 1920s and 30s, but Huxley's mystery is certainly an exception to the rule. I'll be looking for more. show less
The setting is absolutely superb. I felt as though I were on safari with the cast of characters, and it was a treat to be on such a swanky one. In addition, it's through this vibrant setting that Huxley often shares her opinions of big game hunting, poaching, and Britain's behavior as a colonial power.
Vachell, formerly of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, is new to the country and his position as superintendent, and he's not in camp long before it's been proven to him that he's among a bunch of rich, entitled twits. Huxley's sly sense of humor raises her head with Vachell. Lady Baradale insists that he would do a much better job if everyone else didn't know he was a policeman, so he's persuaded to go undercover as a great white hunter. It's an ill-fitting disguise and provides some laughs along the way.
The mystery in Murder on Safari kept me guessing as well as providing a few chills and thrills. There's nothing like trying to search for clues in a tent "...in total dark, knowing [you're] not alone." I normally don't care for crime fiction written in the 1920s and 30s, but Huxley's mystery is certainly an exception to the rule. I'll be looking for more. show less
This seemed a little hard to get into, but maybe that was because of my mood rather than the writing, because when I picked it up again I found it beautifully lyrical: I kept wanting to copy sentences out but there were too many. Elspeth Huxley looks back at her childhood in Kenya, near Nairobi, when her parents left England to seek new fortunes on a plantation, in the early 20th century. The young Elspeth is observant, unprejudiced and headstrong, fearless or perhaps unaware of any dangers. show more She seems to be about 11, hovering between innocence and understanding of relationships that are hinted at but left unspoken. I was quite surprised to learn that the real Elspeth was only five or six when the family went to Kenya, so the memories must be cosmetically enhanced. It is a good book that made me laugh at times, and feel sad for many reasons; I just regret that I never found out the truth about that boomklops; I wonder if Elspeth did. I should mention that this is a very nicely produced hardback from Slightly Foxed, with a ribbon bookmark, creamy paper and just the right size for carrying around in my bag to read on the train. show less
Based on the author’s childhood in Kenya just before WWI, where her father was attempting to start a coffee plantation. Literally out in the middle of the bush- nobody else for miles around, a long rough journey by oxcart to reach the place. The story is about how they lived rough at first, then built a house and put in the coffee seedlings. Their difficulties in getting labor to help- most of the people from tribes nearby didn’t understand what they were trying to do, couldn’t show more comprehend the instructions (language barrier), had varying priorities and expectations about getting paid for their work (cultural differences), etc. Theft and intertribal conflicts were a constant problem. Differences between the Kikuyu and Masai, and a few other tribes they encountered. Eventually some other Europeans came out to develop land on other plots nearby, so they had neighbors of sorts.
The landscape is described beautifully and the encounters with wildlife are interesting. The attitudes not so much- there were frequent remarks about how the natives had not improved themselves or their land in thousands of years, and praising the Europeans for turning the country into something productive. Sad to read about how the tribesmen would bring their injured and sick in once they heard one of the neighbors was a nurse- but the ailments were often beyond her skill level or limited supplies. Most intriguing and also what makes this book a bit difficult, is that it’s written from the child’s viewpoint- you have to wonder how much is embellished as I can’t believe she recalled all those conversations so precisely. But then there is so much you have to gather by reading between the lines, from the half-understood comments the little girl heard from the sidelines.. Notably the love affair between two of the neighboring adults- one whose husband was usually absent, away on hunting trips.
And I also was also left wondering what was behind the boomklops– was it really a bird the man wanted to show her, or something sinister? show less
The landscape is described beautifully and the encounters with wildlife are interesting. The attitudes not so much- there were frequent remarks about how the natives had not improved themselves or their land in thousands of years, and praising the Europeans for turning the country into something productive. Sad to read about how the tribesmen would bring their injured and sick in once they heard one of the neighbors was a nurse- but the ailments were often beyond her skill level or limited supplies. Most intriguing and also what makes this book a bit difficult, is that it’s written from the child’s viewpoint- you have to wonder how much is embellished as I can’t believe she recalled all those conversations so precisely. But then there is so much you have to gather by reading between the lines, from the half-understood comments the little girl heard from the sidelines.. Notably the love affair between two of the neighboring adults- one whose husband was usually absent, away on hunting trips.
And I also was also left wondering what was behind the boomklops– was it really a bird the man wanted to show her, or something sinister? show less
Memoir that continues the story started in The Flame Trees of Thika. After the war, the author’s family did return to their farm in Kenya. It continues much the same- with the difficulties of raising crops- one attempt after another that failed to make the profit they hoped for (maize, almonds, coffee and so on- one neighbor was growing geraniums to distill essential oils) and the struggles to keep peace among their employees from different, warring tribes. The descriptions of the show more landscape, plants and wildlife are just beautiful, and the details about the various tribal cultures very interesting. Unlike the prior book where the author often seemed a nonentity in the background eavesdropping on adult conversations (and not really comprehending them), in this book she’s very much a personality and involved in all kinds of events on and around the farm. Efforts to make new enterprises work. Observing disputes among the natives (and how her family handles them). Raising orphaned wildlife- a civet cat, a cheetah cub. Going on hunts and near the end of the book, a longer proper safari after lion. Her unspoken but very evident crush on a young man from a neighbor’s farm. Her early attempts at writing seriously, publishing stories about their hunts and local polo matches in a magazine (which the family doesn’t take any interest in). Her attempts to learn and perform magic tricks, from correspondence kits. There are some very lively descriptions of people, really colorful characters among her parents’ acquaintances. There’s a few chapters describing a visit from her mother’s cousin, an educated wealthy man, very kind and talks so poetically, but also something of a hypochondriac! which made him a difficult guest in their rough accomadations. The beauty of the land and freedom of the wide open space seems to make up for all the hardships and suffering they see around them- the awfulness of diseases for which there is little treatment available, livestock stricken by drought, insects and fire destroying things. Lots of incidents that end badly- and a few that come out surprisingly well. In the end, the book closes very similar manner to the first- the author now eighteen, has to leave for schooling in Europe, but vows she’ll return once again.
I appreciated seeing how her outlook on the use of the land and its wildlife gradually changed. When she was younger she admired the hunters and their trophies, and was eager to participate. But near the end she’s starting to see how uncontrolled hunting has changed the behavior of game animals- and in some areas depleted their numbers entirely. She thrills to see the animals in their native habitat, and doesn’t see the value in killing them just to display horns on a wall or show off a skin. People around her don’t understand her sentiment of preferring to see the land unspoiled as opposed to developed and civilized. She even noted how things the Europeans introduced had changed the native peoples. Insightful. show less
I appreciated seeing how her outlook on the use of the land and its wildlife gradually changed. When she was younger she admired the hunters and their trophies, and was eager to participate. But near the end she’s starting to see how uncontrolled hunting has changed the behavior of game animals- and in some areas depleted their numbers entirely. She thrills to see the animals in their native habitat, and doesn’t see the value in killing them just to display horns on a wall or show off a skin. People around her don’t understand her sentiment of preferring to see the land unspoiled as opposed to developed and civilized. She even noted how things the Europeans introduced had changed the native peoples. Insightful. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 49
- Also by
- 23
- Members
- 2,920
- Popularity
- #8,771
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 64
- ISBNs
- 145
- Languages
- 7
- Favorited
- 5