I picked this up as a library discard (!), a Modern Library edition in a nice tight, small cover, easily packed into my bookbag or thrown into the backseat of the car. Ever since having seen the movie several years ago, I've thought I should read the book, and when it appeared thus, I decided to do just that. The opening line, "I had a farm in Africa," has stuck with me since seeing the movie. Blixsen has a way of making mundane seem poetic and landscape alive. Africa is a fascinating place and the interaction between all of its peoples at the turn of the twentieth century is rich for exploration. It was a delight each time I opened it up, but it was easy to put down since it allowed for further contemplation of what the experience must have been like or what my experience might have been like if I had been there.