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    Promise the Night
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    Promise the Night
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    Promise the Night
    Ebook268 pages4 hours

    Promise the Night

    By Michaela MacColl

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Immediately compelling and action-packed, this carefully researched work of historical fiction introduces young readers to the childhood of the famous yet elusive Beryl Markham, the first person to fly solo from England to North America. As in her debut novel, Prisoners in the Palace, MacColl propels readers into a multilayered story with an unforgettable heroine and evocative language that brings the backdrop of colonial British East Africa to life. A fascinating read for anyone with a thirst for adventure.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChronicle Books Digital
    Release dateNov 18, 2011
    ISBN9781452111476
    Unavailable
    Promise the Night

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    Reviews for Promise the Night

    4/5

    48 ratings21 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is my second book by Michaela MacColl and I'll be looking out for her third - I enjoyed both of them thoroughly. While the subject of Promise the Night couldn't be more different from her first, about young Queen Victoria, both had the same jaunty, exciting style that I'm totally unable to stop reading without seeming at all rushed. MacColl seamlessly blends fact and fiction (mostly fact, according to the author's note) to show the interesting side of history to any young reader. I'm definitely older than this book's target audience, but I couldn't put this down - I'd recommend it to any eleven year-old girl. Any small faults of style or story I noticed would go right over the head of a middle school-er. Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      Fictionalized life of Beryl Markham first woman to fly solo from England to USA. as a young girl raised in Africa..
    • 5/5
      As a fan of West With the Night, I was immediately draw to this mostly fictionalized account of Beryl Markham's early life in Africa. MacColl does an amazing job of drawing her characters as if they were in the room with you. This book is what all good historical fiction should be - a seamless blend of fact and fiction.
    • 3/5
      Beryl Markham was a famous aviator (actually, I never heard of her until I read this book) who flew across the Atlantic east to west. However, before she was Beryl Markham, she was Beryl Clutterbuck, the daughter of a racehorse breeder in Nairobi. MacColl chose this part of her life to fictionalized, and it did prove exciting as Beryl was not one to conform to the conventions of how a young lady should act. There were some sad moments, but overall, an uplifting story.
    • 4/5
      Michaela MacColl’s Promise the Night is historical fiction about Beryl Markham, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean from east to west, the more difficult route because the pilot is flying into the dark of night. The title is a spin off from Markham’s own reminisces, West Into the Night. The bulk of the book describes Markham’s life in what is now Kenya from ages 11 through 13. She was a rambunctious, undisciplined, competitive child, raised by her father, Charles Clutterbuck (the “Captain”), because her mother left when Beryl was two. The Captain allowed her to be trained by the local African Nandi tribe, despite protestations from her governess. As a result, Beryl was an agile runner and hunter, like the Nandi tribesman. Interspersed are a few fictionalized versions of news articles, journal entries and thoughts about and during her trans-Atlantic flight. While the book held this reader’s interest, what might be of equal interest is Ms. Markham’s life from age 13 to the point at which she decided to engage in her flight, which was on a dare. However, the gap seems too wide to ignore. The book’s brief biography of Ms. Markham and its Further Reading will help fill in some gaps. Promise the Night provides interesting insight into life in Africa in the early 1900s. The characters are interesting and readers will immediately like Beryl Markham. While there are many interactions with the Nandi males, Promise the Night will appeal more to girls.
    • 4/5
      This is my second book by Michaela MacColl and I'll be looking out for her third - I enjoyed both of them thoroughly. While the subject of Promise the Night couldn't be more different from her first, about young Queen Victoria, both had the same jaunty, exciting style that I'm totally unable to stop reading without seeming at all rushed. MacColl seamlessly blends fact and fiction (mostly fact, according to the author's note) to show the interesting side of history to any young reader. I'm definitely older than this book's target audience, but I couldn't put this down - I'd recommend it to any eleven year-old girl. Any small faults of style or story I noticed would go right over the head of a middle school-er. Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      Promise the Night by Michaela MacColl is a high-intensity adventure story based on the childhood of pilot Beryl Markham. Although intended for tween readers, it's meaty enough, with its frequent questioning about self and others, to stand up as a YA novel, particularly for readers who enjoy historical fiction.We meet Beryl Clutterbuck as a ten-year-old girl awakened in a mud hut in Africa. Her watchdog is attacked by a leopard and taken into the night. As Beryl leaps out of bed to pursue the leopard, the story assumes its thrilling, almost breathless pace. We watch Beryl race through three years, becoming an honorary member of the Nandi (a local people), racing thoroughbred horses, hunting various wild creatures, and grudgingly attending a boarding school for the sons and daughters of colonials.As a novel set in early-twentieth-century British Empire, the text must deal with the issue of race. Initially, this topic is treated obliquely, but when Emma (a new colonist abandoned by her anthropologist husband) arrives, racism becomes a more overt theme. Neither Beryl nor the narrator comments explicitly on the racist remarks, leaving readers to work out the situatedness of these attitudes.Young Beryl's personality is likely to appeal to a range of readers. She is independent to a fault and resists the limitations others try to impose on her because of her sex. Often these qualities mean that Beryl refuses to acknowledge social conventions, whether British or African, and she sometimes comes across as quite mean, particularly in her interactions with other females. Between chapters we meet an older Beryl, now a daredevil pilot crossing the Atlantic on a dare. These sections — ostensibly excerpts from a logbook — are not uniformly successful, but they do provide some thematic continuity and an opportunity for the author to modulate the novel's pacing. This is a solidly exciting reading experience. I would recommend this text for upper elementary school and classroom libraries. There is much to engage readers here, particularly in settings where they can discuss the book with other readers (especially a librarian or a teacher). The author's afterword and bibliography are nice additions to the text.
    • 4/5
      A very fast read, which looks at a couple of years of Beryl's life growing up in Kenya. The adventures are nonstop, from becoming an adopted member of the local tribe and wrangling her way into their lion hunt, to her year at boarding school in Nairobi. The 'flying' aspects of the story with adult Beryl are quite small, and I would've liked to seen more of that.
    • 4/5
      What a wonderful idea for a book! A teen novel about Beryl Markham?? What a concept. This was a wonderful book about a strong and interesting young female character. This book was perhaps intended to be read alongside Markham's autobiography, which would greatly enhance one's understanding of all that MacColl describes here. Nevertheless, this is a wonderful stand-alone book for young adults.
    • 4/5
      I had no idea who Beryl Markham was when I started this book, but I will be checking out her autobiography thanks to this book. I really enjoyed it, and found Beryl to be a great protagonist for girls to identify with. She's smart, adventurous, brave, strong, and sassy, but she's still a kid, and makes childish decisions sometimes.I didn't like the flash-forwards that were inserted between chapters. It didn't seem like they tied in very well with the young Beryl, and the diary style didn't make any sense when the book was wrapping up. I would have liked this book just fine without those parts, and would have preferred to see more ties between past and future Beryl if the author really feels strongly about keeping them in. Maybe a bit more explanation about how she ended up as a pilot. It wasn't obvious at the point where we left her as a child.
    • 4/5
      I got this book free through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.This is an excellent story, full of all sorts of roaring African adventures that will keep 9-to-12s of both sexes enthralled. But there's more depth to the book than I would have thought: in addition to Beryl's tramping around the African forests like Tarzan, you see more subtle themes of growing up, and trying to get on with others different from you. Beryl would be a delightful heroine even if she didn't later become a famous pilot.
    • 4/5
      I received this book as an ARC copy. The letter from the editor had me with those wonderful lines- we made a commitment to Michaela MacColl to do books that are not in a series, nor do any of them have anything to do with vampires, teen angst or werewolves. What this book does contain is a richly told historical account of a young girl raised in Africa who goes on to become a one of the first female pilots in Africa crossing the Atlantic by herself ala Amelia Earhart and ran a successful horse breeding farm as well. The book gives us glimpses of letters and interviews with Beryl as a young adult but it is predominantly about her childhood. We see a young girl whose mother takes off from Africa leaving Beryl to be raised by her busy and often distant father. She becomes fearless and trains to become a warrior (as no woman has done white or native) and has more near death experiences as a youth than most men have experienced in battle. Beryl is not ladylike, cannot be taught anything she does not deem worthy of learning and simply will not conform to what the rest of the world expects from a young woman. Her strength, courage and resolve comes through loud and clear and both boys and girls will have a difficult time putting this book down from page one. Cannot wait to see her next book
    • 5/5
      I very much enjoyed MacColl's "Promise the Night" This is a slightly fictionalized account of the life of Beryl Markham, the first person to fly solo from England to North America. The book is separated by chapters about Beryl's early life if Africa and journal entries of her as an adult from her flight across the Atlantic. I particulalry enjoyed the tales of Beryl's formative years in Africa. Normally I would not think to pick up a book of this type, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Wish the ARC would have had the new cover though. A few typos in this copy need to be fixed as well. Great story!
    • 2/5
      I enjoyed MacColl's Prisoners of the Palace as a retelling of what has become a familiar story (Victoria's transition from Princess to Queen). For this book, MacColl found a more obscure but no less compelling historical woman to focus on. Beryl Markham would have made for a great book even if all she had done was attempt fly a plane from London to New York. But as it is with many of us, her story started long before she found herself in the spotlight. MacColl chooses to focus on Beryl's life when she was around 11 years old, so the audience for this book may be slightly younger than that of Prisoners of the Palace. As she tells of Beryl's childhood in Africa, growing up as part of an African tribe, riding horses, and yearning to be a hunter, the reader can see the fearless woman she would grow up to be. Interspersed with the narrative of these formative years in Beryl's life are "letters" retelling Beryl's adventures as a pilot and adventurer in the 1930s. I loved the details of Beryl's life in early 20th century Africa and the amazing spirit she shows throughout the book. That being said I found the story itself more compelling than the storytelling and I found myself wishing for photos and illustrations as is common with nonfiction books (this book straddles the line between fiction and nonfiction). I was also disappointed to learn that the sections from "grown up" Beryl were not direct quotes, but I suppose it makes sense as the intended audience in younger readers.I would recommend this book to girls with an adventurous streak or anyone looking for an interesting historical "biography" for a book report or school project, but with a caveat in saying that I think it does the reader a disservice by not providing anything more than an author's note at the end of the book (rather than a timeline of Beryl's life, photos, etc).
    • 4/5
      Promise the Night is an action filled historical fiction with a truly memorable female protagonist. The heroine, Beryl Markham, is an independent and adventurous girl who lives with her father in Kenya during British colonization. Without the influence of a "proper" British society or a mother, Beryl actively pursues a life and dreams far different than the cultural expectations of her time. She aspires to become a warrior like her best friend, Kibbi, a boy from the local Nandi tribe. Eventually, Beryl becomes the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west. Promise the Night addresses gender and cultural stereotypes in a manner that is appropriate for younger readers. However, the plot weakens toward the end of the story as the action occurs without sufficient character development for Beryl and other minor characters. Due to the mature subject of colonization, this book would be best suited for middle grade readers who can better appreciate the complexity of Beryl's struggle in the larger cultural and historical context. Promise the Night is a worthy supplement to any collection for its message of perseverance.
    • 4/5
      Promise the Night is a quick reading stand alone novel about the aviatrix Beryl Markham, whom I had never heard of prior to reading the description of this book. Beryl had a fascinating nontraditional girlhood living in British East Africa with her horse trainer father and sundry other characters. MacColl has certainly picked a fascinating character for a heroine, but she's certainly difficult to like. Although Beryl's adventures show her to be resourceful, tenacious and loyal to her loved ones, she is also distant, stubborn, occasionally violent and rather a willful brat at times. It makes an interesting point that one can be a heroine and not necessarily heroic. I enjoyed reading of Beryl's growing up and the interspersed accounts of her actual trans-Atlantic flight were tantalizing, but I felt cheated that no one area was really examined in depth. I was surprised that her relationship with Kibii was dropped and never really picked up again. As a biograpgy, one would expect more coverage especially of after she leaves school, but as a tale of how a girl who is truly like no other girl in her day grows up and makes the life she wants, it is truly impressive. The book does read very young, but the writing is lovely. Recommended for grades 4-6.
    • 4/5
      Beryl Markham was one of the famous pilots of the golden age of aviation, even becoming the first pilot - male or female - to fly the East-to-West route across the Atlantic Ocean solo. Yet even before this amazing feat, Beryl led a remarkable life. Raised on a remote Kenyan ranch by her father, Beryl Markham grew up racing horses and living a life atypical for daughters of European settlers. She became best friends with a Nandi boy, Kibii, and grew up alongside him and his tribe, breaking both ethnic and gender barriers. This historical novel tells the story of Beryl's childhood.Beryl Markham's early life makes for interesting reading, whatever your age. English colonialism, African tribal practices, horse racing, early aviation, boarding school drama, and more are all covered. My main complaint with this book, though, is that the only one of these that's really discussed in-depth is Nandi lifeways. I don't have a problem with lifeways forming the basis of the novel - the anthropologist in me absolutely loves it - but I think the author could have delved more deeply into the other aspects of Markham's childhood rather than just mentioning them more topically. MacColl based the majority of the book's details on Markham's own memoirs and in many ways what's covered in the novel is probably there because it is what's covered in Markham's writings, but part of historical fiction is taking a little creative license with the details that aren't all there. Otherwise, you end up with parts of a book that are fantastic in the history they tell and parts that seem like they're not fleshed-out enough. Even with this complaint, though, MacColl succeeds in keeping the history parts of the book exciting, and in this way Promise the Night is a good read for Middle Grade audiences who get very little African and colonial history in school. When I was that age, I would have devoured this book and never noticed everything I just said I didn't like.
    • 5/5
      Promise The Night is an excellent blend of facts and story telling. It's one of those books you just enjoy reading. Beryl Markham, the famous aviatrix of the 1930's, is the central character. She shared the headlines of her day with such women pilots as Amelia Earhart. But, it is her formative years in British East Africa that are the main focus of this book. She was raised on a ranch by her British father, Captain Clutterback. When Beryl was very young, her mother left the wilds of Africa taking Beryl's older brother with her back to England. Life in the harsh land of Africa in the early twentieth century was not for the faint of heart. For Beryl, however, it was heaven on earth. She bonded with the land and the people. Her father gave over her up bringing to the leaders of one of the local tribes that worked on his ranch. Beryl, although missing the closeness that should have come from her father, adapted to the life of the wild. She was accepted as a member of the tribe, learning their ways. She even participated in their hunts, which was very unusual for a girl. When she was eventually made to attend English school, she continued to show her spirit and independence, rebelling against authority. The book shows her great love for nature and the land and people of Africa. Girls aged 9-12 will especially enjoy this story of growing up in the wilds of Africa. Provided for review by the well read folks at Library Thing and Chronicle Books.
    • 4/5
      This is a historical fiction on the young life of Beryl Markham while growing up in British East Africa. It contains telegrams from her historic East to West solo flight. A quick read about a woman destined to make her own way in the world no matter what someone thought about her.
    • 3/5
      A fictionalized biography of Beryl Markham. I almost wished that it had simply been non-fiction, as it didn't quite read as a story to me.
    • 4/5
      Galloping into the air much like the horses she later trained, Beryl Clutterbuck Markham was a young women coming of age in a time not prepared for her vivaciousness. Growing up the only daughter of a successful farmer and horse trainer, Beryl turned to the native Nandi people in her East African home to teach her discipline and survival. Every day was an adventure filled with lions, leopards, a “step-mother”, a governess and eventually school in the city. Beryl grew from each of her experiences to become a woman revered by many, but her youth was filled with not only skepticism but danger at every turn. Generally speaking I’m not a huge reader of historical fiction, particularly fictional stories based in reality. What I’ve loved about book reviewing has been the opportunity to stretch myself and discover something I never knew existed or that I would not normally have given a second glance. Promise the Night by Michaela MacColl was one of those such books. Initially, the thought of a middle grade novel about a young girl growing up in Africa based on the true events of Beryl Clutterbuck Markham’s life simply didn’t grab me. What I’ve discovered though is that not only was I wrong, but that I would have missed out greatly on Michaela MacColl’s writing had I passed this novel by. Beryl was a young wild girl and were it not for her father’s concern for her future well-being as well as that of the reputation of their family she may have grown up as one of the Nandi she so loved. Her adventures of lion hunting and leaping in the air above her own head were the things most young children only dream & read about. What was fascinating was Beryl’s headstrong behavior with nearly everyone she came in contact with. It was this determination and no-nonsense sincerity that finally landed her in the cockpit of an airplane ride across the Atlantic in 1936. The story is actually told in alternating parts between her youth (around age eleven) and her adulthood centering around her actual trip. As I read both the pieces of her life slowly fell into place and it became an incredible adventure I thoroughly enjoyed. Promise the Night by Michaela MacColl isn’t only a story about a young girl with a strong personality, but it’s a coming of age adventure most middle grade readers will thoroughly enjoy. Beryl Clutterbuck Markham’s life was an adventure a minute. She ran to the African tribe of the Nandi, had a terrible governess who beat her so much that she had to escape, she chased down and hunted wild animals, trained gorgeous horses and eventually landed in the pilot seat of a small plane. Her life inspired many and will continue to through the wonderful words of Michaela MacColl. As I said, historical fiction is not normally my cup of tea, but in the case of Pomise the Night I’m grateful I made an exception because I truly would have missed out on so much. Originally reviewed and copyrighted at my site There's A Book.