"A Spear of Summer Grass" by Deanna Raybourn follows the journey of Delilah Drummond, a scandalous socialite sent to Africa to escape the repercussions of her latest scandal. Delilah finds herself in British East Africa, where she encounters various dangers, from marauding lions to murder, and possibly finds love as well. The novel is set in the 1920s and portrays a woman whose life has been shattered by the Great War, seeking solace in Africa. The story unfolds with vivid descriptions of Africa's wild beauty and explores themes of self-discovery, redemption, and the complexities of relationships in a changing world.
From The Publisher:
Paris, 1923
The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even among Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savanna manor house until gossip subsides.
Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society.
Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teemingyet fleeting and often cheap.
Amidst the wondersand dangersof Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting forand what she can no longer live without.
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