Circling the Sun, by Paula McClain

People

Couples and Lovers

Beryl (Clutterbuck) Markham Charles – father Clara – mother Dickie – brother Harry Kirkpatrick – Clara’s second husband (met in Nairobi and moved to London with Dickie when Beryl was five) Ivan and Alex – sons Emma Orchardson – housekeeper Doris “Dos” Waterman – friend, bunkmate at boarding school Jock Purves – Beryl’s first husband Kibii – native friend (became arup Ruta as an adult) Kimaru – wife Asis - son Jim Elkington – neighbor Paddy – pet lion Mansfield Markham – second husband Gervase – son – stayed in London with Mansfield Sir Charles Markham - brother Mrs. O’Hea – Markham’s mother Colonel O’Hea – second husband

Casmere “Boy” Long – first affair, ranch manager for Delamere Genessee – wife Lord and Lady Delamere (“D”) Denys Finch Hatton Berkeley Cole Cockie Birkbeck – Blix, second husband Ben – husband Ginger Mayer – Ben’s lover and second wife Bror “Blix” Blixen – Cockie, second wife Karen “Tania” – wife (affair with Denys) Frank Greswolde - benefactor

 For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from the paperback edition.

1. When Beryl’s mother left for England with Dickie, why didn’t she take Beryl with her?  Why did she never contact Beryl?
2. Do you think someone should have told Beryl about her mother and why she left at some point in her teens? 
3. Do you think her father was wrong to let her grow up so wild?  Was there anything different he could have done?
4. When Beryl was thinking about her marriage on page 84, she wondered which is better preparation for marriage (or any union) – love or practicality?  How important is each one?
5. When she married Jock, what other options did she have at the time?  Did you agree with her father and Emma’s advice?  What were your thoughts when Beryl and Jock returned from their honeymoon and her father and Emma were still in Kenya?
6. On page 130 in a conversation with Karen, Beryl says that she wants to be on her own to, “Make your own choices or mistakes, without anyone telling you what you can and can’t do.”   Karen states, “Society does that...I’m not sure anyone gets what they want.  Not really.”   Do you agree?   How difficult is it to go against what “society” expects?
7. What did you think of Clara’s behavior in chapter 26 when she returns to Kenya and expects Beryl to take care of her.  She never says anything about leaving Beryl when she was five and never contacting her.  Also, what did you think of the way she was parenting Ivan and Alex?
8. In chapter 41 Beryl saw Clara again at one of the races after not hearing from her for a year.  They only had a brief conversation and then Clara left again.  Why do you think she maintains such limited contact with Beryl?
9. What did you think about D firing Beryl after he was assaulted by Jock?  Why did he do that?  Could he have done anything else?
10. In chapter 42, were you surprised that Blix was marrying Cockie?  Was there any hint of that earlier in the book?  (If so, I missed it!)
11. Which of the people in Beryl’s life treated her fairly or unfairly?  What do you think was each person’s motivation?  Should or could Beryl have been able to understand and avoid what happened in each problem she encountered?
12. Could Beryl have achieved what she did if her childhood and early adult life had been more conventional?
13. Did you like the writing style?  What about how the book begun and ended, with the flight across the ocean.  Did that set the stage for you reading?

*****
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