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Leopard at the Door

Jennifer McVeigh (Goodreads Author)

4.03 · Rating details · 4,829 ratings · 715 reviews

After six years in England, Rachel has returned to Kenya and the farm where she spent her childhood, but the beloved home she’d longed for is much changed. Her father’s new companion—a strange, intolerant woman—has taken over the household. The political climate in the country grows more unsettled by the day and is approaching the boiling point. And looming over them all i ...more

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Hardcover, 400 pages

Published January 3rd 2017 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

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Jun 12, 2017 Paromjit rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, netgalley, history

This is a brilliant well researched historical novel that does not spare the reader the insanity of British colonial history in Kenya in the 1950s. It plays out amidst the recent independence of India and a Britain determined to stave off further losses by ruthlessly squashing all signs of rebellion in other parts of its empire. Kenya is a particularly horrific and ugly part of the British in Africa and McVeigh captures the struggles that took place in a realistic manner. In Kenya, upon the trag This is a brilliant well researched historical novel that does not spare the reader the insanity of British colonial history in Kenya in the 1950s. It plays out amidst the recent independence of India and a Britain determined to stave off further losses by ruthlessly squashing all signs of rebellion in other parts of its empire. Kenya is a particularly horrific and ugly part of the British in Africa and McVeigh captures the struggles that took place in a realistic manner. In Kenya, upon the tragic death of her mother, twelve year old Rachel Fullsmith is sent to England to live with her grandparents and attend boarding school. However, all Rachel wants is to return to her beloved Kenya, and at 18 years old she returns. Rachel has an innocence and naivety that you might expect of a young woman of that age. What follows pushes Rachel to question all that she thought she knew about the country and its people. Amidst the political intrigue and turbulent times, she finds herself in search of a home, and a identity.

On returning home to her isolated family home, Rachel finds her father living with another woman, Sara and her son, Harold. Sara is a woman that is hard to like, with unpalatable views that echo grim imperialistic thinking and attitudes. Her father bends to Sara's views, and Sara cannot bear Rachel's perspective which leaves Rachel deeply unsettled in her family home, although she does become closer to Harold. The Mau Mau are leading a rebellion which results in the murder of white settlers and other atrocities in their attempt to rid themselves of the shackles of British rule. There is good reason behind the uprising with the treatment that Kenyans have received but the Kikuyu communities are splintered. Some have embraced the rebellion whilst others remain loyal to the British which triggers violence within the communities. The British response is hard hitting and ruthless. What is hard to bear is that the brutality extends to animals as well as people. This is a story of secrets, lies, betrayal, divisions, and a dangerous love.

This is a beautifully written atmospheric novel that describes the beauty of Kenya's landscape and wildlife juxtaposed with the brutal horror that unfolds within the country. The narrative is tense and compelling infused with fear and menace throughout. The characterisation is complex and vibrant, reflecting the times and the place, many of the characters are hard to like. This is not an easy read, not surprising given what happened in Kenya at that time. A great book that gives a glimpse into a period of history that deserves to be better known, but not for the faint hearted. Thanks to Penguin for an ARC. ...more

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May 01, 2017 PorshaJo rated it liked it

Shelves: challengereads-2017, challengereads, audio

This is the story of Rachel. A young British girl (around 18 now) who is returning to Kenya after being away for 6 years. Her mother was killed when she was young and she was sent to England to live with her grandparents and go to school. But now, she is going home. Oh she has missed her beloved Kenya and can't wait to return. But Kenya has gone through so many changes over the years and it is no longer a safe place to return to. Her father still lives on the family farm but urges her, a bit to This is the story of Rachel. A young British girl (around 18 now) who is returning to Kenya after being away for 6 years. Her mother was killed when she was young and she was sent to England to live with her grandparents and go to school. But now, she is going home. Oh she has missed her beloved Kenya and can't wait to return. But Kenya has gone through so many changes over the years and it is no longer a safe place to return to. Her father still lives on the family farm but urges her, a bit to late, to not return home. There is political turmoil via a the group Mau Mau, a secret society intent on uniting the native Kenyans against the whites. She does return to Kenya, but she will never be the same.

Oh how I wanted to love this one more than I did. It started off so beautiful. It so reminded me out of 'Out of Africa' initially (only read 1/2 the book, I'm slow...but *love* the movie). The vivid descriptions of Kenya and the love the author has for the place and time of long ago. I listened to this one and it was wonderful to hear of this beauty, the animals roaming, and the way of life back then. But then it had a dramatic turn to the dark. I should have known what I was in for when there were vivid descriptions of how pigs are slaughtered on her uncles farm. It continued from there. There were too many details of animal tortures and slaughter, graphic descriptions of murders of whites by members of the Mau Mau. And the characters were equally disgusting. Her father, has no love for her. He has moved in a new 'woman', Sara, who is so horrible. Sara, feels that the Kenyans must be kept down, they should not have an education, and treated horribly. The British did not 'take their land' since there was no one on the land when they arrived. Her father can't think for himself, he is controlled by Sara.

The story is more the story of Rachel and her memories of Kenya and how she is adapting to the current conditions. I wanted to hear more backstory of the Mau Mau, the struggles of the locals, perhaps more character development of the others. Rachel seemed so naive too and towards the end I no longer felt for her. The audio narration was good. So my rating is the book 3, but bumping it to 3.5 for the narration.

Keep in mind, this was just how I felt about this one. Perhaps being vegan, all the animal cruelty in the book got to me. The descriptions of the murders of the whites just seemed to keep adding up and almost not needed. Many things seemed added just for shock value. The end just seemed so out of place and rushed. Perhaps I just expected so much more based on the title and description. ...more

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Sep 14, 2017 Margitte rated it really liked it

Shelves: family-sagas, history, suspense, thriller, 2017-read, africa, british-author, drama, historical-fiction, reviewed

This was an intense read, well-researched, well-developed story line. A brutal history of the Mau Mau struggle against the British colonial powers in Kenya in the 1950s. The subject, namely the brutal war, was the actual protagonist with the main character, eighteen-year-old Rachell Fullsmith, coming in at a close second. Upsetting, appalling, shocking, terrible. The focus stayed relentlessly on the detail of the massacres of people all over the country. The author claimed that only 32 farmers w This was an intense read, well-researched, well-developed story line. A brutal history of the Mau Mau struggle against the British colonial powers in Kenya in the 1950s. The subject, namely the brutal war, was the actual protagonist with the main character, eighteen-year-old Rachell Fullsmith, coming in at a close second. Upsetting, appalling, shocking, terrible. The focus stayed relentlessly on the detail of the massacres of people all over the country. The author claimed that only 32 farmers were killed. The slaughtering of farmers repeated all over Africa ever since, while thousands of black people got killed in the process as well. (view spoiler)

This freedom struggles were characterised by the conflicts between friends, brothers against brothers, fathers against sons, blacks against whites, blacks against blacks, and whites against whites. It was omnipresent and everywhere. I admire the authors guts to tell the complete story.

Leopard At The Door presented all sides of the story and did it well. Captivating. Engrossing. Gripping. Well told.

There's little criticism on my part of this book. I just became apathetic, almost detached (probably from revulsion) with all the brutality and violence at some point as the main focus. Too much of it lessened the emotional impact for me. Over-kill, no pun intended.

The characters were like dancers around a fire, which shot sparks in all directions and everyone got charred to the bone but kept coming back for more. And when the fire was extinguished, there was little left to say about where it started in the first place. Lives were destroyed no less. Nobody walked away unscathed. It was still a beautiful, sad, family saga and worth a read. This tale is a simplified version of history, but detailed enough to set the playing field and players up for an unforgettable, horrific drama.

Rachel had to deal with the death of her mother; the memories she dared not share with anyone of what she witnessed as a twelve-year old girl at her uncles meat factory in Kenya; a lonely life at a boarding school in England; her father's choice of second wife, Sara; the circumstances in the country to which she finally returned against her father's wishes; and people who forced her to grow up at the speed of lightning - sleaze-balls such as Steven Lockhart. But beautiful souls like Harold, Sara's son, Nat Logan the American news photographer, and Michael, the Kikuyu worker, her childhood friend, who became her only supporter, allowed her to stand tall and face the challenges waiting on the farm.

Eric Bowker slaughtered, my father under the spell of another woman and Steven Lockhart thickening this nightmare. I breathe deeply and press my hands to my eyes. I have fallen down a rabbit hole—home has been turned inside out, inhabited by ghouls and strangers who sit where my mother once sat, and the African protectors of my childhood have become killers. And somewhere at the bottom of it is a sense of forewarning, and displacement. Kenya is a black man’s country.

I LOVED the author's first book The Fever Tree. A Magnificent read. Leopard At The Door, not so much. It was well-written, but left me strangely wanting at the end. Perhaps I would have liked a different ending, I don't know. Will have to think about it more. There's a fairytale-gone-horribly-wrong vibe to this tale. Stepmother and little princess battle for the heart of the king. The prince turned out to be ..... nah, I'm not telling.

A very good read though that should be considered. I will read this author again. ...more

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Apr 13, 2017 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it really liked it

4 stars to Leopard at the Door. The 1950s colonial period in Kenya made for an atmospheric setting, and the author's writing was beautifully descriptive. The main character, Rachel, has returned from England to her childhood home of Kenya after six years away, in the midst of the Mau Mau rebellion, and she's found that everything in her former life has changed. Secrets are covered up, and true character is revealed along the way. McVeigh has a talent for writing incredibly sympathetic, loathsome ...more

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Jan 09, 2017 Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews rated it it was amazing

Can you really come back home? Is it always the same or always changed?

Rachel was returning to her childhood home after being in England for six years and living with her maternal grandparents for schooling after her mother had passed away.

Rachel always loved her home in Africa, but coming back didn't seem like the right choice after she met her father's live-in companion, Sara, and with all the upheaval and Mau Mau Rebellion. Sara was not like her sweet, caring mother, and Rachel didn't agree ...more

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Aug 08, 2016 Heather *Undercover Goth Queen* rated it it was ok

Shelves: net-galley, 2016, fiction-lit, fpp-bad, historical, stupid-heroine

"Authority is not a substitute for truth."

McVeigh has a talent for writing characters you hate. Just really fucking hate. And not in a fun way. More like you want to reach into the book and stab them, but since you can't you're actively wishing they'll somehow die in the pages of the story. I noticed this when reading her first book, The Fever Tree. They do the stupidest things, or the most loathsome things, and it's SO FRUSTRATING. It's physically painful at times to read about the choices ...more

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Nov 26, 2016 Marjorie rated it it was amazing

When Rachel Fullsmith loses her mother at the age of 12, she also basically loses her father and her home in Kenya due to her father sending her to boarding school in England. When she returns to Kenya 6 years later, she finds that very little remains the same. Not only is another woman living with her father, but there is political upheaval taking place. The Mau Mau Rebellion was a real-life uprising that took place in Kenya in the 1950’s. The Kikuyu community has been split apart, some remaini ...more

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Aug 03, 2017 Chrissie rated it liked it

Shelves: audible, kenya, 2017-read, philo-psychol, life-stages, love, hf

This is an exciting story and it teaches about Kenya's Mau Mau Rebellion of the 1950s. It is a good book to start with to get a general idea of this civil war.

The book depicts the well-warranted fear of the isolated English farmers on the edge of the Rift Valley, English imperialistic attitudes, as well as the beauty of Kenyan landscape and flora and fauna.

The story is plot-oriented and is meant to be exciting. The central character is eighteen-year-old Rachel Fullsmith. The year is 1952. She is This is an exciting story and it teaches about Kenya's Mau Mau Rebellion of the 1950s. It is a good book to start with to get a general idea of this civil war.

The book depicts the well-warranted fear of the isolated English farmers on the edge of the Rift Valley, English imperialistic attitudes, as well as the beauty of Kenyan landscape and flora and fauna.

The story is plot-oriented and is meant to be exciting. The central character is eighteen-year-old Rachel Fullsmith. The year is 1952. She is returning to Kenya after a six-year absence. Since the death of her mother she has been living in England with her maternal grandparents. Her father remained in Kenya and is now living with his to-be English bride in the house Rachel grew up in. On returning to Kenya, she must tackle unresolved issues concerning her mother's death, her relationship with her father and prospective stepmother and the land which she calls home. In this respect, it is a coming-of-age story. The setting is the Mau Mau Rebellion, Kenyan socio-political attitudes and English imperialism.

The plot line is invented by the author to be exciting and to pull in as many topics as possible. Would all of this happen to one girl? Yes it is possible, but believability is stretched. In my view, depiction of the farmers' fear as the uprising evolves would have been adequate without the additional threat of her (view spoiler). To this is added (view spoiler) and then (view spoiler)! All together this is just a bit too much. It does make for a riveting story though. Furthermore, that (view spoiler) also pushes believability! The book is more plot-oriented than in-depth character portrayal.

I thought the audiobook narration by Katharine McEwan was excellent, truly excellent! Rachel is young, naive and immature. She is unsure of herself. You hear this in the narration. Rachel is telling us her story. She is soft-spoken. She is a delight to listen to. She has an English accent but with what I imagine to be an accurate African flavor. I have no intimate knowledge of English-African accents; this is just my guess. Her voice gives a wonderful balance to all the bash bang events happening around her. The narration could easily have been over dramatized, but it isn't. Different intonations are used for the men, and they are not overdone either. Five stars for the narration. ...more

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May 01, 2018 Steven Walle rated it it was amazing

This book was great. This book was based on a young lady's life growing up in Great Britan when she was born in Affrica. She has to deal with the changes in Affrica as Great Britan in cyvalising the contenant.
Enjoy and Be Blessed. ...more

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Dec 30, 2016 Katie B rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, africa, kenya, arc, giveaways, read-in-2016

A beautiful but tragic story set in the 1950s about a young woman who returns to her home in Kenya and realizes everything has changed in her absence. After the death of her mother, Rachel is sent to live in England with her grandparents while her father remains in Kenya on their family's farm. Upon returning, not only have things changed on the farm but also throughout the country as the Mau Mau attempt to overthrow the white settlers. This is a story of a young woman discovering how to stay tr ...more

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Jan 30, 2017 Stephanie Anze rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

At the age of twelve, upon the death of her mother, Rachel is sent back to England. Having lived in Kenya for most of her life, Rachel does not quite adapt to her new surroundings. When she is eighteen, Rachel moves back home (Kenya) but the situation is far from the idyllic childhood she remembers. There is another woman in her house, the political atmosphere is heavily charged and the secret Rachel has been harboring threatens her very safety.

The background for this novel is Kenya and the Mau ...more

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Aug 16, 2017 Andrea rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

This book is not what I normally read,but like to read something different I've visited Kenya and the details of this book is spot on.really enjoyed this book a family story and the hardships of living in Kenya shocker of an ending.won this book on first reads.goodreads is great as you get to read books you would never pick up and there's alot of good new authors. ...more

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Jul 02, 2017 Bill Kupersmith rated it really liked it

This is an excellent work of historical fiction. It succeeds in being fair to both sides of a conflict impossible to view in any terms but black & white, not only from the skin colour of the participants, but from a moral perspective. That Jennifer McVeigh could portray the views of both sides with such sympathy & understanding awes me. When I was a child, Mau Mau represented the worst form of atavistic diabolical blood-thirsty savagery. In the 'post-colonial' period Mau Mau transmogrified into This is an excellent work of historical fiction. It succeeds in being fair to both sides of a conflict impossible to view in any terms but black & white, not only from the skin colour of the participants, but from a moral perspective. That Jennifer McVeigh could portray the views of both sides with such sympathy & understanding awes me. When I was a child, Mau Mau represented the worst form of atavistic diabolical blood-thirsty savagery. In the 'post-colonial' period Mau Mau transmogrified into the Kenyan Land Army, a national independence movement commanded by a Field Marshal. And the whites were changed from innovative farmers who had brought civilisation & economic development to a beautiful but backward land, who loved the country & the animals & cared for & employed the native people, to brutal bloodthirsty colonialist oppressors who robbed the true inhabitants of their land & imprisoned thousands of innocents in concentration camps. Somehow, both of these totally contradictory accounts seem to me to be absolutely true. There are many villains in the historical setting, but few heroes. Except for the central character, Rachel, all of the other persons in the story struck me as types rather than distinct individuals, but they show the spectra of race, culture & class, both European & African, very nicely. Rachel may be a bit too good to be true, but she represents what most readers admire sypathetically, someone who loves the land & the animals & the people, is honest & fair, yet ultimately prevented by her race & culture from being part of what she loves. I expect the readers who will enjoy this book most are those who come with fewest preconceptions concerning the antagonistic sides, & simply let Jennifer McVeigh unfold Rachel's story, learning their Kenyan history as they go. If you are already a partisan, you may find Rachel either a 'bleeding heart' or still tainted by the seeds of 'colonialism' & 'white privilege'. Which is perhaps another way of saying Rachel is an attractive & well-drawn character indeed.

...more

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Jun 13, 2017 Cora Tea Party Princess rated it really liked it · review of another edition

5 Words: Family, home, prejudice, change, cruelty.

It took me a while to get into the story with this book. I found myself distracted by the descriptions, daydreaming instead of reading. And how wonderful is that?

This is my second book by this author, and like the first book there are conservation messages subtly strewn throughout the text. It really makes you think.

This book was a lot more violent than I was expecting, and I did have to put it down a few times as there are some graphic descripti ...more

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May 22, 2017 Irena BookDustMagic rated it really liked it

Review to come.
I mean it.

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Jan 12, 2017 Myndi rated it really liked it

At the age of 12, after her mother’s death, Rachel’s father sent her away from their home in Kenya, to live with her grandparents and attend school in England. Six years later, she returns to Kenya and discovers that you can never really go back home.

My feelings about this book are all over the place. The writing itself is beautiful. McVeigh does a masterful job of setting us up in the gorgeous and wild country of Kenya. Africa is a place I’ve always been equal parts intrigued by and terrified o At the age of 12, after her mother’s death, Rachel’s father sent her away from their home in Kenya, to live with her grandparents and attend school in England. Six years later, she returns to Kenya and discovers that you can never really go back home.

My feelings about this book are all over the place. The writing itself is beautiful. McVeigh does a masterful job of setting us up in the gorgeous and wild country of Kenya. Africa is a place I’ve always been equal parts intrigued by and terrified of, and that feeling was with me throughout the entire novel. Although I can’t speak to her accuracy in depicting the Kikuyu, I can speak to the connection I felt, the empathy and respect, for their lives as they once were, and the situation they found themselves in through no fault of their own.

As is always the case with good historical fiction, I find myself wanting to know more about that time period and what really happened. It has always been my feeling that Africa, on the whole, has been misunderstood (and unfairly disparaged) by those who have never lived there, and despite that, I’ve done little to learn more about it. Perhaps now that will change.

The story itself was intriguing, though I admit, I struggled with the characters sometimes. Rachel seemed so naïve at times, so blind to what she did not wish to see, or perhaps denied what she knew to be true so that she could pursue what she wanted. Her father’s live-in girlfriend is simply awful, and while to some the evil stepmother trope might seem a bit overplayed, I understand why it had to be that way. She was despicable, but she served so many purposes – shining light on the imperialistic mindset of the British in Africa and on the weakness of Rachel’s father. The characters were not all likeable, but it isn’t exactly a happy go lucky story. So there you go.

Up to the end, I was prepared to give the story the highest rating, I was just loving it so, so much. But the ending…I don’t know if it is how it as written or what was written that bothers me. It wasn’t what I expected and it felt rushed. The pace of the rest of the novel was slow and introspective, building up to the climax gradually, and then after what appeared to be the great cataclysmic event…it wasn’t over yet. I don’t know if it should have been cut off earlier, if the ending should have simply been different entirely, or if the ending that was written should have been a little less abrupt, but it did leave me wanting. So, despite the brilliant writing, etc., the ending rubbed a little of the shine off.

However, I still recommend it. Despite its tiny imperfections, it’s a gorgeous book, and the subject matter is well worth your time.

Note: I received this book from the publisher. I pride myself on writing fair and honest reviews.
...more

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Dec 21, 2016 Laura rated it it was ok

Shelves: digital-copy

Leopard at the Door narrates two different struggles through the perspective of Rachel, the daughter of a settler in Kenya, some years after WW2. The first one is the Mau Mau revolution that aims to get rid of the English in Kenya; and the second one is Rachel's own attempt to return to the life she lived as a child, before she was taken away to England.
Though interesting, Rachel's family issues are very frustrating and sometimes even boring. To begin with, Rachel's father doesn't seem to care, Leopard at the Door narrates two different struggles through the perspective of Rachel, the daughter of a settler in Kenya, some years after WW2. The first one is the Mau Mau revolution that aims to get rid of the English in Kenya; and the second one is Rachel's own attempt to return to the life she lived as a child, before she was taken away to England.
Though interesting, Rachel's family issues are very frustrating and sometimes even boring. To begin with, Rachel's father doesn't seem to care, in any point, about her. He's cold, distant and unsympathetic, and he never takes Rachel's side in any situation that arises. Instead, he allows himself to be manipulated by Sara, the woman he has been living with after his wife's death. Though Sara might not be very smart (she somehow manages to get her own son killed and her step-daughter interned in a mental hospital), she's just an 'evil step-mother' trope, and adds nothing new to the story. She is friends with Steven Lockhart, a man who has previously represented a threat to Rachel and who continues to stalk her. He is also a very stereotipical villain, whose motivations to stalk Rachel are vague and generic at best, and who is responsible of much of her suffering. However, the real villains in this story are Rachel's father and her own stupidity. His indifference and her own inability to read and understand her situation drive her story to a very disheartening conclusion. To make matters even worse, Rachel gets involved in a 'romantic' relationship with one of the servants, Michael, who is supposed to be in love with her as well, but who (in my opinion) ends up taking advantage of her and never really cares for the way things will turn out for a girl he greatly advantages in age and experience. This romance is the lowpoint of the story for me, because instead of being driven by love, it reads as if it's just driven by Rachel's dispair and Michael's abuse of the situation, and it can only be plausible by accepting that Rachel is a hopeless moron.
On the other hand, the storical setting is amazing. Though I cannot vouch for its accuracy, reading about the Mau Mau revolution and its consequence on Kenya's society, through the European point of view, but with a modern appreciation of the historical movement, is incredibly interesting and compelling, and it motivated me to learn more about this country and its history.

In conclusion, Leopard at the Door has its moments. Some are good, some are dull; most of the plot points aren't innovative nor unpredictable, but the setting is interesting enough to might be worth the read.

As a side note, I believe that Harold's character was terribly mistreated. Instead of following the only truly original member of the family, the author gets rid of him in the first opportunity for shock value, and moves on from his death so quickly that it makes one wonder why was he written so well in the first place. ...more

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Dec 20, 2016 Janet rated it it was amazing

Shelves: literary-fiction

Wow...just wow! I'm stunned by how good this book is. I just finished it and am still breathless over the ending. How is it that I've never heard of this author before? I will definitely seek out her works in the future.
The protagonist, Rachel, is born and raised in a huge farming/ranching estate far out in the wilds of Kenya with her mother and father and a number of African servants. At the age of 12, her beloved mother dies, and she is sent to boarding school in England, their country of ori Wow...just wow! I'm stunned by how good this book is. I just finished it and am still breathless over the ending. How is it that I've never heard of this author before? I will definitely seek out her works in the future.
The protagonist, Rachel, is born and raised in a huge farming/ranching estate far out in the wilds of Kenya with her mother and father and a number of African servants. At the age of 12, her beloved mother dies, and she is sent to boarding school in England, their country of origin, where she feels rejected and miserable, longing to be back in Kenya. Six years later, she returns to Kenya to find a very different world from the one she remembered.
Her father now has a common law wife, who is deeply unhappy with her life, and who makes everyone else miserable as well. She wants nothing to do with Rachel, and makes that clear to her. Her father repeatedly takes the side of this petty and mean woman over Rachel's interests, leaving Rachel feeling betrayed and unloved.
Politically, the idyllic world she remembers has changed as well. There is an uprising of Africans demanding more rights, and independence from England. Many Kenyans, having fought in WWII, and having seen more of the outside world, have a new perspective on the situation in their country and no longer believe that the British are superior, or deserve to treat them in a condescending, controlling way. There is a militant, and often violent faction, called the Mau Mau, that gains increasing power. They terrorize the countryside, attacking both British settlers, and any Africans who refuse to join them.
Rachel is caught up in this turmoil, and feels conflicted because she has a close relationship with many Africans she has known all her life. She becomes increasingly aware that much of what she has been taught about the British rule in Kenya is untrue, a fabrication to justify their continued occupation.
So much happens, but I will not spoil it for you. There is a love story, a menacing villain, and a thrilling escape scene. I found it absolutely riveting; an exhilarating ride through a fascinating time and place with intriguing, complex characters. I highly recommend it.
Note: I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jan 03, 2017 Oreoandlucy rated it it was amazing

This is a very complex historical novel that follows Rachel, a British girl who grew up in Kenya and is returning to after six years. Rachel's mother passed away shortly before she traveled to England to live with her grandparents and attend boarding school and her father has moved in with a very controlling and bigoted woman, Sara. As Rachel tries to get along with Sara and Sara's son, threats arise over a resistance movement, the Mau Mau. The British see the Mau Mau as indiscriminate killers b ...more

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Jul 25, 2017 Renita D'Silva rated it it was amazing

Loved this beautiful book. A beautifully written, poignant tale of love and war and prejudice and courage. Adored it.

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May 24, 2017 Tripfiction rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-set-in-kenya

Novel set in 1952 KENYA

This review originally appeared on our blog, where the author also talks about her research of setting: http://www.tripfiction.com/novel-set-...

Jennifer McVeigh came to prominence with her first book, The Fever Tree, set in 1880s South Africa, which was picked for the Richard and Judy bookclub, garnering a lot of high starred reviews.

Leopard at the Door is set in 1952 Kenya, when the white settlers and their way of life are facing growing resistance from the local population. But even amongst the indiginous Kenyans there are diverse factions, the most extreme being the Mau Mau insurgents who, it seems, will go to any length to disrupt and intimidate the white rulers. India gained independence a few years previously, Kenya now, in the 1950s – at the very time Queen Elisabeth II is ascending the throne – is heading that way and the writing is on the wall for those who choose to see it. It is a tough place, it has always been demanding of the settlers: “men who haven’t lived in Kenya cannot know what it asks of you..”

Rachel has been away for some six years, at boarding school in the UK following the death of her mother. She returns to her beloved homeland, where she is searching for the connection to family life that was so cruelly cut short. Her dog is still there, the servants are still in post, but her father has omitted to share with her that he has a new woman by his side, who has brought her son Harold with her into the relationship. The set-up feels so familiar to her in many ways yet profoundly unsettling in others.

From her memory she dredges an incident from her childhood that comes to haunt her throughout the story. The author does not stint on descriptions of the utter cruelty and madness that was rife during this period, both to humans and animals, and through her excellent prose draws a crackling and credible story of the last days of empire.

The author is masterful at creating characters within a very well described setting – both politically and environmentally. Kenya of the time feels very real. It is the pathos of the story unfolding that kept me absolutely hooked in, and without doubt this is one of my top reads 2017. Highly recommended. The recommendation does come with a warning, the levels of violence described are quite disturbing, although I am sure reflect things as they were. ...more

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Jul 02, 2019 Susan Johnson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: in-person-book-club

So moving and touching. This will stay with me for some time.

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Apr 26, 2018 Dawn Michelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: cultural, kindle-read, kindle-carnegie-library, africa, books-read-in-2018, 2018-read-harder-challenge, audiobook-scribd, historical-fiction-read

Very, very sad. And many parts made me crazy angry. This was a very tough book to read.

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Jan 02, 2019 Story rated it really liked it

Shelves: readwomen2019, africa

Engaging story with an excellent sense of place--the reader can feel, see and smell the beauty of Kenya from the author's descriptions--and a heroine to root for. My only quibble was that I found the plot fairly predictable. ...more

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Jul 26, 2017 Roman Clodia rated it really liked it

3.5 stars

Firstly, McVeigh writes lovely, fluent prose and her descriptions, especially, flow off the page. This book is also well-researched enough to be attentive to the disproportionate numbers killed on both sides in the Mau Mau rebellion.

That said, the book overall has a YA feel to it with its naive first person narrator (writing in the present tense), the predictability of the plot arc, and the thinness of characterisation - the wicked step-mother with her crude, racist views; the sadistic 3.5 stars

Firstly, McVeigh writes lovely, fluent prose and her descriptions, especially, flow off the page. This book is also well-researched enough to be attentive to the disproportionate numbers killed on both sides in the Mau Mau rebellion.

That said, the book overall has a YA feel to it with its naive first person narrator (writing in the present tense), the predictability of the plot arc, and the thinness of characterisation - the wicked step-mother with her crude, racist views; the sadistic British officer who is not just a murderer of Africans but also a wannabe-rapist.

Rachel herself, the 18-year old narrator, is cloyingly naive and generally passive - and extraordinarily ill-informed about African politics for someone born in Kenya: "But the Europeans didn't steal their land. There was no-one at Kisima when my father came."

Much of the politicised content is delivered via the voice of Michael who gives some fascinating (but clumsily-inserted) 'lectures' on African politics and economics, as well as the experience of a black Kenyan who fought for the British Army in Burma during WW2. It's typical of Rachel's naivety that when he attempts to show her that British press reports might not be the whole truth, she refuses to accept it:

'I disagree with this paper's refusal to present the political narrative that explains what took place; I disagree with your assumption that what you read here is the whole truth.' He points to the newspaper. 'What it doesn't say is that the government retaliated that night, killing twice as many in the reserves; women and children, with equal brutality.'
'How do you know?'
'Men have legitimate voices, even if they are not sanctioned by your press.'
'I do not believe you,' I say.

The crossing-the-tracks love affair feels both clichéd and also extremely unlikely (how old is Michael if he taught her as a child?), and the Gothic development at the end feels like it's been parachuted in from a Victorian novel...

For all my misgivings, McVeigh has a good story to tell and lovely prose to tell it with: a more sophisticated and complex approach to characterisation would have made this a better book that felt less YA and more adult: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thanks to Penguin for an ARC via NetGalley.

...more

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Nov 27, 2017 Eileen rated it it was amazing

A departure from my usual fare, this historical fiction set in Kenya during the 1950’s was fascinating! The writing was superb, both with regard to plot and description. Rachel, who had lost her mother when she was twelve, returns to Kenya after completing schooling in London. The author has such a feel for the inherent contrasts, the fierce beauty and also the savagery of the land, coupled with evidence of heart stopping brutality by some of the natives, which is frequently offset by the genuin A departure from my usual fare, this historical fiction set in Kenya during the 1950’s was fascinating! The writing was superb, both with regard to plot and description. Rachel, who had lost her mother when she was twelve, returns to Kenya after completing schooling in London. The author has such a feel for the inherent contrasts, the fierce beauty and also the savagery of the land, coupled with evidence of heart stopping brutality by some of the natives, which is frequently offset by the genuine kindness of others. Here is a passage illustrating the author’s keen awareness..

‘The forest is behind me, breathing its tapestry of sound. And then – like a radio being switched off – it falls silent. A chill flickers down my spine. Juno stiffens beside me and I put a hand on her neck to keep her quiet. In all the years I have been away, I have not forgotten the language of the bush – the chatter of birds when an eagle is near, the slow cracking of branches which heralds the approach of elephant, the low snort of a buffalo. But this sudden silence means one thing – a predator’.

Various themes combine to produce a satisfying, enlightening tale. The British class system and the threat of the Mau Mau, a secret society which encourages mounting resentment among the natives, together with the challenges of living in such a harsh environment, provide a vivid backdrop. Although a young woman when she returns to Kenya, Rachel is still grieving for her mother, as she strives to recapture her remembered happiness there - an effort repeatedly thwarted by her father’s new companion. In addition, a forbidden love sends strong currents through the plot, and the compelling nature of the attraction is convincingly rendered!

‘My heart thuds in my chest. I cannot smile back. Desire is like pain. I feel as though the surface of my skin has been peeled off. Every part of me is raw to his touch. It hurts, and the anticipation of the hurt is almost greater than the touch.’

It was difficult to put this down! Highly readable. Five stars.
...more

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Mar 12, 2017 Tanja Berg rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

Rachel is returning to Kenya after having spent six years in England with her grand parents, having been left there at 12 years old after her mother died. It's the 1950's and the times are troubled. Rachel's father has found a new woman, Sara. They are not married. Rachel struggles to get along with Sara. She also struggles with the attitudes of the time.

Trouble is brewing and there is an uprising by the Mau Mau. British settlers are being murdered. Whom does the land really belong to? The usur ...more

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Nov 19, 2016 Quirkyreader rated it it was amazing

First off, I received this as an ARC from Penguin. Oh my is this a very moving story. It's like "The Flame Trees of Thika" on steroids. It is set just after World War Two. When Rachel, the main character first arrives back home in Kenya, the person who drives her home eludes to the Happy Valley set. And if anyone has read "White Mischeif" you know what the set is.

Rachel tries to restart her life back home, but her father is involved with a woman from the Happy Valley set. What happens next is an ...more

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Nov 25, 2017 Alena rated it liked it

This was a really interesting read. I haven't read much based in 1950s Kenya so I found the backdrop engaging and the action moved swiftly, keeping me turning the pages. Unfortunately, it's also a case of an author trying to do to much. The main drama of a young woman on the wrong side of history would have been enough for me. I didn't need all the (many) side dramas. ...more

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Jun 28, 2017 Nada rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Are you a fan of Historical Fiction?
Whether your answer is a yes or no, you should definitely visit your nearest local bookstore and get yourself a copy of Leopard at the Door.
Set in the 1050’s, Eighteen year old, British Rachel Fullsmith, returned back, after six years, to her home in Kenya expecting her life to be pretty much the same. She soon discovers that a lot had changed and gets caught up in the political drift that involved the secret Mau Mau group, rebelling against the European Colon ...more

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About Jennifer McVeigh

Jennifer McVeigh

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I graduated from Oxford University in 2002, and went on to work in film and publishing before leaving my day job to do an MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. The Fever Tree was a Richard & Judy Bookclub Pick. My second novel, Leopard at the Door, will be published by Penguin in 2017. I live in London with my husband and our three young children.

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“Authority is not a substitute for truth.” — 5 likes

“He is leaving a trail of golden thread, and later, in the quiet of my room, I will stitch it into a tapestry that will bind me to my past.” — 1 likes

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