The Brightest Sun

January 15, 2018
Set in 1990s Kenya, this expansive debut from Benson follows the lives of five women over two generations that interconnect in extraordinary circumstances. Leona is an anthropological researcher living among the rural Maasai near Narok. After becoming pregnant during a capricious fling, Leona has her child in the isolated Maasai village and feels eerily disconnected from the baby. In her confusion, she turns to her Maasai friend, Simi, who provides her stability. Unable to have children, Simi adopts baby Adia to fulfill her dream of being a mother and to restore her identity and prestige in the strongly maternal Maasai society. In Liberia, Jane, a diplomat’s wife who used to live in Narok, grapples with fear: a violent coup during her pregnancy has deeply affected her psyche, and she is consumed by the worry that her brother’s mental illness will appear in her unborn daughter, Grace. Years later, teenaged Adia and Grace become friends after meeting in class and decide to track down Adia’s father, which opens up many old wounds for all five women. Though the characters are intriguing, strong women, much of their personalities are delivered in chunks of exposition that slow the plot. Benson’s depiction of motherhood across circumstances will please readers interested in stories about forging homes in other cultures.

February 1, 2018
After a one-night stand, Leona, an American anthropologist, gives birth in a remote part of Kenya. Reluctant to take on parenting, she is perfectly happy to let her friend Simi adopt her baby, Adia. The arrangement suits Simi as well, since her own inability to bear a child makes her a village outcast. But Leona is forced to take some responsibility for her daughter to spare her from the Masaai tradition of circumcising girls, so Adia grows up with two mothers, Leona in Nairobi and Simi back in the manyatta. Another American woman, Jane, comes to Kenya to work for the Elephant Foundation and, after being attacked by poachers, meets and falls in love with a diplomat. Through years of different foreign service postings, Jane pours all her energy into her daughter, Grace. Adia and Grace meet in school in Nairobi when both are 13, and their friendship has consequences that change everyone's lives. The African backdrop gives an interesting spin to Benson's exploration of themes related to motherhood, outsiderness, and emotional connection(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

February 1, 2018

Set largely in Kenya, Benson's debut novel is essentially a story about mothers and daughters. Leona is an anthropologist working with the Maasai who avoids close personal connection owing to childhood trauma. When a one-night stand leads to pregnancy, she allows a childless Maasai woman, Simi, to adopt her daughter, Adia. Meanwhile, Jane, an elephant researcher turned diplomat's wife, struggles to sustain her bond with her husband. She turns her focus to their daughter, Grace, who eventually meets and befriends Adia. The harsh realities of life in Kenya during a period of drought and political upheaval lead to tragedy and redemption. The opening chapters often read like plot summaries of entire novels, relating a lot of background information about the characters without letting the reader experience the story with them. It's not until midway through the book that the story begins to slow down and jell. And apart from the chapters from Simi's point of view, this is yet another story about white people experiencing a foreign culture. VERDICT The themes of motherhood have some universality, but there isn't enough of a sense of time or place conveyed to feel truly immersed in the setting. [See Prepub Alert, 9/25/17.]--Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2017

Harlequin's new literary imprint is feeling radiant about this 1990s Africa-set debut, which explores three women on the continent: two white American expats and an indigenous Massai. With a 30,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.