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The Lioness
A luxurious African safari turns deadly for a Hollywood starlet and her entourage in this riveting historical thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant
Tanzania, 1964. When Katie Barstow, A-list actress, and her new husband, David Hill, decide to bring their Hollywood friends to the Serengeti for their honeymoon, they envision giraffes gently eating leaves from the tall acacia trees, great swarms of wildebeests crossing the Mara River, and herds of zebra storming the sandy plains. Their glamorous guests—including Katie’s best friend, Carmen Tedesco, and Terrance Dutton, the celebrated Black actor who stars alongside Katie in the highly controversial film “Tender Madness”—will spend their days taking photos, and their evenings drinking chilled gin and tonics back at camp, as the local Tanzanian guides warm water for their baths. The wealthy Americans expect civilized adventure: Fresh ice from the kerosene-powered ice maker, dinners of cooked gazelle meat, and plenty of stories to tell over lunch back on Rodeo Drive.
What Katie and her glittering entourage do not expect is this: A kidnapping gone wrong, their guides bleeding out in the dirt, and a team of Russian mercenaries herding them into Land Rovers, guns to their heads. As the powerful sun gives way to night, the gunmen shove them into abandoned huts and Katie Barstow, Hollywood royalty, prays for a simple thing: To see the sun rise one more time. A blistering story of fame, race, love, and death set in a world on the cusp of great change, The Safari is a vibrant masterpiece from one of our finest storytellers.
Tanzania, 1964. When Katie Barstow, A-list actress, and her new husband, David Hill, decide to bring their Hollywood friends to the Serengeti for their honeymoon, they envision giraffes gently eating leaves from the tall acacia trees, great swarms of wildebeests crossing the Mara River, and herds of zebra storming the sandy plains. Their glamorous guests—including Katie’s best friend, Carmen Tedesco, and Terrance Dutton, the celebrated Black actor who stars alongside Katie in the highly controversial film “Tender Madness”—will spend their days taking photos, and their evenings drinking chilled gin and tonics back at camp, as the local Tanzanian guides warm water for their baths. The wealthy Americans expect civilized adventure: Fresh ice from the kerosene-powered ice maker, dinners of cooked gazelle meat, and plenty of stories to tell over lunch back on Rodeo Drive.
What Katie and her glittering entourage do not expect is this: A kidnapping gone wrong, their guides bleeding out in the dirt, and a team of Russian mercenaries herding them into Land Rovers, guns to their heads. As the powerful sun gives way to night, the gunmen shove them into abandoned huts and Katie Barstow, Hollywood royalty, prays for a simple thing: To see the sun rise one more time. A blistering story of fame, race, love, and death set in a world on the cusp of great change, The Safari is a vibrant masterpiece from one of our finest storytellers.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 10, 2022
2487 people are currently reading
33500 people want to read
About the author
Chris Bohjalian
47 books13.1k followersChris Bohjalian is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 25 books. His 25th book, THE JACKAL’S MISTRESS, is now on sale. He writes literary fiction, historical fiction, thrillers, and (on occasion) ghost stories. His goal is never to write the same book twice. He has published somewhere in the neighborhood of 3.5 million words.
His work has been translated into 35 languages and become three movies (MIDWIVES, SECRETS OF EDEN, and PAST THE BLEACHERS) and an Emmy-winning TV series (THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT). He has two other novels in development for TV series as well.
He is also a playwright, including THE CLUB in 2024; MIDWIVES in 2020; and GROUNDED (now WINGSPAN) in 2018.
His books have been chosen as Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Hartford Courant, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Bookpage, and Salon.
His awards include the Walter Cerf Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts; the Sarah Josefa Hale Award; the ANCA Freedom Award for his work educating Americans about the Armenian Genocide; the ANCA Arts and Letters Award for THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS, as well as the Saint Mesrob Mashdots Medal; the New England Society Book Award for THE NIGHT STRANGERS; the New England Book Award; Russia’s Soglasie (Concord) Award for THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS; a Boston Public Library Literary Light; a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for TRANS-SISTER RADIO; a Best Lifestyle Column for “Idyll Banter” from the Vermont Press Association; and the Anahid Literary Award. His short story, SLOT MACHINE FEVER DREAMS was a finalist for Best Short Story from the International Thriller Writers Association and the audio production was an Audie Finalist. His novel, MIDWVES was a selection of Oprah’s Book Club, and his novel, HOUR OF THE WITCH, was a Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. He is a Fellow of the Vermont Academy of Arts and Sciences.
He has written for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Reader’s Digest, and The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. He was a weekly columnist in Vermont for The Burlington Free Press from 1992 through 2015.
Chris graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Amherst College. He has been awarded Honorary Degrees as well from Amherst, Champlain College, and Castleton University.
He lives in Vermont with his wife, the photographer Victoria Blewer.
His work has been translated into 35 languages and become three movies (MIDWIVES, SECRETS OF EDEN, and PAST THE BLEACHERS) and an Emmy-winning TV series (THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT). He has two other novels in development for TV series as well.
He is also a playwright, including THE CLUB in 2024; MIDWIVES in 2020; and GROUNDED (now WINGSPAN) in 2018.
His books have been chosen as Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Hartford Courant, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Bookpage, and Salon.
His awards include the Walter Cerf Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts; the Sarah Josefa Hale Award; the ANCA Freedom Award for his work educating Americans about the Armenian Genocide; the ANCA Arts and Letters Award for THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS, as well as the Saint Mesrob Mashdots Medal; the New England Society Book Award for THE NIGHT STRANGERS; the New England Book Award; Russia’s Soglasie (Concord) Award for THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS; a Boston Public Library Literary Light; a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for TRANS-SISTER RADIO; a Best Lifestyle Column for “Idyll Banter” from the Vermont Press Association; and the Anahid Literary Award. His short story, SLOT MACHINE FEVER DREAMS was a finalist for Best Short Story from the International Thriller Writers Association and the audio production was an Audie Finalist. His novel, MIDWVES was a selection of Oprah’s Book Club, and his novel, HOUR OF THE WITCH, was a Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. He is a Fellow of the Vermont Academy of Arts and Sciences.
He has written for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Reader’s Digest, and The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. He was a weekly columnist in Vermont for The Burlington Free Press from 1992 through 2015.
Chris graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Amherst College. He has been awarded Honorary Degrees as well from Amherst, Champlain College, and Castleton University.
He lives in Vermont with his wife, the photographer Victoria Blewer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,188 reviews
May 27, 2022
The Lioness was born in a movie theater. I emerged from a matinee in August 2019, squinting against the high summer sun, and thought to myself, "My God, I love movies. Why have I never written a Hollywood novel?” Movies are magic and the experience of a movie theater is transporting. I wanted my novel to capture the glamor of vintage Hollywood, and be a character-driven thriller. And so I set it in 1964 in Hollywood and East Africa, two worlds in transition. A safari would go horribly wrong. Imagine The Poisonwood Bible meets And Then There Were None — or, perhaps, Natalie Wood meets Agatha Christie. I was very lucky: I was able to research it on a safari in the Serengeti in December 2019, just before the world would shut down. I wrote it in the first year of the pandemic, and writing about Hollywood and the Serengeti 50 years ago helped keep me sane when I was alone in my library in Vermont. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. To 2022 — and what words and reading and books (and movies) can mean to the soul.
July 17, 2023
***NOW AVAILABLE***
From the VERY EXTENSIVE blurb you already know so much about the book!
The novel takes place in 1960’s Africa, the Serengeti. Katie Bastrow, a Hollywood star, decides to celebrate her wedding by taking an entourage of guests on an African safari. This will be a “photo” safari for most of them. They are settled into their home base and spend an enjoyable few days watching the wildlife and taking photos.
On the morning of the planned Safari, they are being settled into their Land Rovers by the guides when the following happens:
“A kidnapping gone wrong, their guides bleeding out in the dirt, and a team of Russian mercenaries herding them into Land Rovers, guns to their heads. As the powerful sun gives way to night, the gunmen shove them into abandoned huts and Katie Barstow, Hollywood royalty, prays for a simple thing: To see the sun rise one more” This is NOT A SPOILER, ALL OF THIS IS IN THE BLURB.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK:
The premise sounded interesting and exciting!
The location of Tanzania was described along with many animals including, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, exotic birds.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
The number of characters is just crazy!! There are 10 people in Katie’s entourage plus another 5 in the crew leading the safari!! Add to that the Russian mercenaries and I wasn’t able to connect to any of them!! CHARACTER OVERLOAD!!
The story could have been so good and exciting if not for the fact that as soon as something of interest or excitement occurs – WE STOP.
Yes we stop and a new chapter is begun along with articles from the newspaper about either the Hollywood stars or the trip. We then switch to another character. Any excitement that I felt was quickly flattened by the continuous stops in the story.
It seems as though Mr. Bohjalian tried to address too many topics here. The novel touches on fame, race, cultural differences and Russian and American politics, everything is thrown into this story.
For me this book was a chore to read. The exciting part came at 90% on my Kindle when we finally find out what this kidnapping is all about!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
From the VERY EXTENSIVE blurb you already know so much about the book!
The novel takes place in 1960’s Africa, the Serengeti. Katie Bastrow, a Hollywood star, decides to celebrate her wedding by taking an entourage of guests on an African safari. This will be a “photo” safari for most of them. They are settled into their home base and spend an enjoyable few days watching the wildlife and taking photos.
On the morning of the planned Safari, they are being settled into their Land Rovers by the guides when the following happens:
“A kidnapping gone wrong, their guides bleeding out in the dirt, and a team of Russian mercenaries herding them into Land Rovers, guns to their heads. As the powerful sun gives way to night, the gunmen shove them into abandoned huts and Katie Barstow, Hollywood royalty, prays for a simple thing: To see the sun rise one more” This is NOT A SPOILER, ALL OF THIS IS IN THE BLURB.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK:
The premise sounded interesting and exciting!
The location of Tanzania was described along with many animals including, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, exotic birds.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
The number of characters is just crazy!! There are 10 people in Katie’s entourage plus another 5 in the crew leading the safari!! Add to that the Russian mercenaries and I wasn’t able to connect to any of them!! CHARACTER OVERLOAD!!
The story could have been so good and exciting if not for the fact that as soon as something of interest or excitement occurs – WE STOP.
Yes we stop and a new chapter is begun along with articles from the newspaper about either the Hollywood stars or the trip. We then switch to another character. Any excitement that I felt was quickly flattened by the continuous stops in the story.
It seems as though Mr. Bohjalian tried to address too many topics here. The novel touches on fame, race, cultural differences and Russian and American politics, everything is thrown into this story.
For me this book was a chore to read. The exciting part came at 90% on my Kindle when we finally find out what this kidnapping is all about!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
March 22, 2022
The Lioness starts off on a suspenseful note and never lets up. Katie Barstow and her new husband David take off with 7 friends on an African photo safari in 1964. But within days, they are taken hostage by Russian mercenaries at gunpoint, several of their guides shot dead. The group is divided into three, with each playing out very differently.
Each chapter features a different character’s POV to provide backstory and move things forward. Initially, I had to pay close attention to keep them straight, even with the list of characters provided at the beginning of the book. But each character was unique enough, as well as fully fleshed out, to soon easily keep straight. The story is different in that we hear from characters as they die. This isn’t a happy story where everyone survives. In fact, it’s almost the opposite and I began to wonder if anyone would survive. The violent creatures here are both two and four legged.
The story dwells on strength, courage and the things we’re willing to do to survive. Those of you that consistently read my reviews know I have a definitive definition of what makes a book historical fiction, as opposed to a story that takes place in a different time. This is historical fiction at its best. It tackles the involvement of the US and Russia in Africa in a meaningful way.
A trigger warning - if violence upsets you, steer clear of this book. It’s good, but it’s extremely graphic.
My thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for an advance copy of this book.
Each chapter features a different character’s POV to provide backstory and move things forward. Initially, I had to pay close attention to keep them straight, even with the list of characters provided at the beginning of the book. But each character was unique enough, as well as fully fleshed out, to soon easily keep straight. The story is different in that we hear from characters as they die. This isn’t a happy story where everyone survives. In fact, it’s almost the opposite and I began to wonder if anyone would survive. The violent creatures here are both two and four legged.
The story dwells on strength, courage and the things we’re willing to do to survive. Those of you that consistently read my reviews know I have a definitive definition of what makes a book historical fiction, as opposed to a story that takes place in a different time. This is historical fiction at its best. It tackles the involvement of the US and Russia in Africa in a meaningful way.
A trigger warning - if violence upsets you, steer clear of this book. It’s good, but it’s extremely graphic.
My thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for an advance copy of this book.
September 20, 2024
A walloping good yarn.
To date, Chris Bohjalian has nearly two dozen published novels to his credit. All those many years at his keyboard have paid off - The Lioness is a masterfully constructed tale, one that will keep any reader eagerly turning the pages to see what happens next and next.
The American author frames his tale thusly: it's 1964 and Hollywood movie star Katie Barstow organizes something special for her honeymoon: an all expenses paid African safari for not only her and her new husband David Hill but also seven other women and men from Tinseltown. Once in the Serengeti in Northern Tanzania, after some days traveling to observe and photo wildlife, armed Russians surround their camp, murder three African guides, order Katie and her group into a pair of Land Rovers and drive them all away - dream vacation turned kidnapping nightmare.
In the spirit of a Hollywood movie trailer, here's a number of Lioness highlights -
FORESHADOWING IN SPADES
We're given a taste of what's to come in the novel's Prologue delivered by one of the American participants. “Oh, I can't speak for the dead. And I won't speak for the missing. I can only tell you what I think happened....The mantra for most of us? Just stay alive. See if, somehow, we might see the sun rising one more time."
MEDIA FLASH
The thirty-one chapters begin with a clip from the likes of The Hollywood Reporter, Movie Star Confidential, The LA Times providing a snip from the glamorous lives of these LA luminaries. The media gossip and chitchat serve as stark contrast to the suffering, pain and tragedy under the African sun.
THE PLAYERS PLUS ONE
Each chapter focuses on one of the nine Americans and an African porter. Chris Bohjalian folds in the backstory of each person and in this way we get to know and care about everyone undergoing the ordeal, their personality, their feelings and emotions, their pains and fears. And then, supremely effective, as the drama unfolds, the author cycles back and gives each character (if they're still alive, that is) a second chapter and then a third.
SUPPORTING CAST
Katie hires Charles Patton, owner of Charles Patton Safari Adventures, and his staff of more than a dozen Africans (all Black) to guide and support them on their trek across the Serengeti. Patton (no relation to the famous military leader as he's quick to point out) is an old school Brit type and seasoned hunter who knew Hemingway. The inclusion of Charles Patton adds much color and deepens the drama.
WILDLIFE
The African setting counts for so much. Mr. Bohjalian participated in his own safari and his firsthand experience shows. His writing about the flora and fauna is vivid and detailed. Not only did I come to know Katie and the others but I actually had the real sense I was right there, sharing the same land and sky with the lions, leopards, elephants, wildebeest, zebras, rhinos, hippos, baboons, gazelles, giraffes, hyenas, jackals, antelopes, vultures and snakes.
KATIE BARSTOW
Raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan by parents who were themselves stars on Broadway, Katie escaped to Hollywood to be at least three time zones away from her despicable parents, especially loathsome mom, a half-crazy, overly possessive dipstick with a strong sadistic streak. But sweet, charming, charismatic Katie became a 1960s film star, a good actress “in part because of the scars and wounds from her childhood.” Perhaps not surprising, Katie never could get seriously romantic with another actor; rather, she married an owner of a small, not-so-successful LA art gallery.
DAVID HILL
Katie's husband David also grew up on the Upper West Side and knew Katie ever since she was a little girl, back before she changed her name from Katie Stepanov. David struggles financially with his art gallery and knows he can't borrow money from the bank and “his parents certainly weren't going to lend him the money: whatever the hell his father had done with the OSS and did now with the CIA – personnel, really? - it wasn't lucrative.” Hey, David, what exactly does your father do with the CIA? David was never told and remains clueless.
BILLY STEPANOV
Katie's brother Billy was mom's prime victim, frequently locking little Billy in a pitch dark closet of their Manhattan apartment as punishment for disobeying her orders. Is it any surprise Billy grew up to be a successful LA therapist, a man forever capable of identifying with his patient's psychic traumas. Billy brings along pregnant wife Margie on Katie's safari although Billy hates flying. “When he self-diagnosed his own demons, he attributed his fear of flying to that closet. It wasn't really about being five miles off the ground, it wasn't the idea of traveling 550 miles an hour; it was about being trapped in a metal tube from which there was not escape. It was about claustrophobia.”
CARMEN TEDESCO
Katie's good friend, Carmen is also a Hollywood star actress, not quite the celebrity of Katie but she's up there. Carmen is small in stature but her survival instinct and character are rock solid. When the Russians start shooting and give the command that their captives lie face down in the dirt, Carmen is appalled at her screenwriter husband's behavior. “Carmen had no desire to shoot Felix, but she couldn't believe that her husband was crying. She was shocked that he had thrown up in the dirt beside him. Beside her.” Carmen gives thanks she didn't take Felix's name and vows to divorce him when they return to California.
TERRANCE DUTTON
Katie's friend, a big, muscular Black Hollywood actor, Terrance surprises one of the porters by insisting he call him not bwana or Mr. Dutton but Terrance. And to think Terrance survived all the many racial humiliations growing up in Tennessee and death threats as an actor only to be held at gunpoint by whites in Africa. Irony, anyone? Read the chapters with Terrance Dutton with care for the many insights on American race, class and society.
KICKER
There's more, much more - love and death, Eros and Thanatos in full bloom. And I didn't even mention Katie's publicist Reggie Stout or her agent Peter Merrick or a number of other men playing their part in this African high drama. The Lioness is a thriller you'll surely want to read this summer. Moving, unforgettable.
American author Chris Bohjanlian, born 1962
May 15, 2022
Whew!!!!! …. Wow!!! FANTASTIC….
gotta bring my heart rate down - get some sleep -
Review soon 😴
REVIEW:
I already expressed my immediate response: FANTASTIC….
so ….now I’ll attempt to write a review…..
NOTE….
with Chris Bohjalian books — I tend to avoid other reviews until I’ve read his books myself.
And…
I learned long ago — not to ask for an early-advance copy — his publisher has never once - ever- granted me an advance copy of any book they published. Fair enough…so I’ve stopped asking.
I’ve met Chris three times - at book readings—and not only is he one of the nicest guys on the planet — no other author is a more gifted speaker: funny, stimulating, personable, equally as he is an accomplished author.
I’ve read at least 20 of his 23 books:
….One I didn’t care for - a couple were fair- but most….were thoroughly enjoyable.
“The Lioness” goes to the top of my ‘all-time’ page turning -exciting - Bohjalian-BEST.
I felt the excitement from the moment I opened the first page — of dedications. My juices were flowing while getting introduced to the large cast of characters. Something Stephen King pulls off well. Add Chris Bohjalian to that list too.
Personally….next to “The Double Bind”….a psychological memorable literary thriller, Chris Bohjalian wrote years ago ….this is my favorite thriller he’s written. I like his straight Historical Fiction….and admire books close to Chris’s heart and family heritage….but in my opinion, it’s his literary thrillers that sparkle and shine with brilliance.
Never to experience a ‘cookie-cutter’ thriller from Bohjalian.
Chris, Amherst educated, is simply an above-average literary thriller-contender- to hold up against our most talented American authors living authors today.
“The Lioness” has everything…literary thriller, historical fiction, political history, contemporary experience, racial issues, adventure, murder, suspense, and Chris’s exceptional intelligent prose….
…..creating picturesque beautification in landscape- narrative - inner musing trimmings from the Hollywood entourage —making for a grand overall combo-encounter between the American’s from their privileged California lifestyles to the reality fears they face in Serengeti, Africa….in the year of 1964.
Dedication inspirations:
“When I was hanging on by my fingernails, you gave me your hand. You are my safari”
“Everything I learned, I learned from the movies”.
…..Audrey Hepburn
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, and where are you stop your story”.
…..Orion Wells
Prologue:
“Oh, I can’t speak for the dead. And I won’t speak for the missing. I can only tell you what I think happened. Others—the dead and the missing—would probably have their own versions. Blame, I can tell you firsthand, is every bit as subjective as truth”.
A little useful history: (which ‘might’ be valuable to ‘some’ readers before taking on this mega-adventure)…
…..The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region of Africa, spanning northern Tanzania.
It’s also renowned for its large lion population (over 3,000), and is one of the best places to observe prides in their natural environment.
The name Serengeti is often said to be derived from the word seringit in the Maasai language.
The Serengeti has some of East Africa’s finest game areas.
…..Africa was changing and everyone knew it was.
Many of the people who went there in 1964 died.
In 1964, Nelson Mandela said….”I am prepared to die”.
…..March 21, 1960, police officers in a black township in South Africa opened fire on a group of people peacefully protesting oppressive pass laws, killing 69.
…..The anniversary of The Shapeville Massacre is remembered the world over every March 21 on International Day for the Elimination of Radical discrimination.
Back to our historical-literary-thriller-travel-adventure novel:
Be clear…..
“The story was never about Western, privileged tourists or local Maasai or Tanzanians. It was never about rich or poor, Americans or Africans. We were all just people, and most of us had no idea what was happening”.
“The mantra for most of us? Just stay alive. See if, we might see the sun rise one more time”.
Katie Barstow had just gotten married in Los Angeles to David Hill. They were bringing along an entourage of guests, (nine Americans in all, plus the tour guides), with them to Africa on a safari. The year was 1964.
Personal share ….
…..when I read ‘any’ book (Stephen King is a great example)…that offers up a cast list at the start…
I spend extra time studying their names and relationships—
It’s only after I have a solid memory and a basic tidbit experience of who the players are — do I start to play ball.
Readers can never catch up to who everyone is — unless they ground themselves first with the equipment/characters they are handed.
Once the reader prepares themselves — never having to once again ask themselves….”now who was that character again?”….they can move forward - read with confidence and so much more joy….immersed themselves with the captivating storytelling….contemplate the characters individual backgrounds…and dive in deeply.
It’s ‘always’ to the readers benefits to get a grasp on who the characters are …..especially with a large cast SO THAT ….reading is effortless….
So….my suggestion to those who have not read this book - but are considering doing so…..STUDY the cast - become very familiar with each name. (Shouldn’t take more than 30-40 minutes)….it will save time and frustration down the line. Instead …the book becomes a joyride.
And….Google-your-bones away with Tanzania, 1964 before you begin — if need to brush up on some basic history. I promise it will ultimately increase page turning reading enjoyment.
So….I’ve include the cast list….(perhaps it’s helpful for some readers):
The Safari
The Registered Guest List:
MARRIED COUPLES
…David Hill: gallerist - married to Katie Barstow
…Katie Barstow: A-list actress
…Billy Stepanov: psychiatrist and Katie Barstow’s older brother.
…Margie Stepanov: homemaker.
…Felix Demeter: screenwriter
… Carmen Tedesco: a successful supporting actress
SINGLE GUESTS:
…Terrance Dutton: The only Black actor in the group: and a gifted visual artist.
…Reggie Stout: Katie Barstow’s publisher.
…Peter Merriam: Katie Barstow’s agent.
TEAM LEADERS:
…Charlie Patton: owner of Charles Patton Safari Adventures.
…Juma Sykes: head African guide.
…Muema Kambona: second guide.
…Benjamin Kilwete: porter guest liaison.
The group, driving in a Land Rover, would be pausing often for the Serengeti’s great menagerie of animals.
Zebras, giraffes, lions….they never knew how much they would see. Ha!!! THEY REALLY NEVER KNEW WHAT THEY WOULD SEE UNTIL…..it was too late…
Juma, the African tour guide was in his 70s. He seemed like a school teacher with the Americans.
“He didn’t merely want them to see the Serengeti: he wanted them to understand it. It was a world that he loved and a world he loved sharing”.
Some sample excerpts….( just for tidbit flavoring)…
……just a simple happening:
“Benjamin noticed a dung beetle trying to roll a piece of elephant shit it had meticulously shaped into a marble up and out of the rut, but the rut was like a canal to the insect. Twice the beetle had almost pushed the excrement over the side and onto the flat dirt beyond, and each time the weight of the dung had been too much and it rolled back over the creature to the bottom of the track”.
“Sometimes a marriage lasts a lifetime. Sometimes it lasts five years. What is that great Oscar Wilde quote? The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death”
“God they’d christened themselves the lions of Hollywood at the wedding, and raised champagne to the idea. The seven of them, minus Katie and David, who were already in Paris, had greeted each other that way, half kidding but also a little smug, when they’d rendezvoused at the airport in L.A. a week later. The movie mags even called them that when they wrote about the safari: the lions of Hollywood.
Well, he’d taken a life, but he was no lion. He was just. . .”
“He couldn’t say. He did not feel remorse, but neither did he feel pride. He was focused only on survival”.
“As many as three hundred Americans and Belgians are still held hostage at the Victoria Hotel in Stanleyville. The Simba leaders insist they are being treated well, but no one here has forgotten the cruelties inflicted on the nuns who were taken hostage only last month. Meanwhile, whites continue to flee the Eastern Congo, sometimes passing a gauntlet of Russian and even Cuban soldiers, who are aiding the rebels”
—Los Angeles Times, November 20, 1964
“The Lioness” has everything:
… political strife, gripping tension suspense, a kidnapping nightmare by the Russian mercenaries, a down-to-earth-relatable cast (we know them enough without being bombarded with too much personal drama) > they were perfect size group to ‘scary-ass-safari’ with! (Kudos to Chris Bohjalian’s skills)
The entire ethereal descriptions scanning horrors of squeamish visuals were unrestrained and outlandish….with a satisfying ending.
Absolutely—this is one of Chris’s best books …
an ambitious intelligent panoramic savvy historical-political-personable-literary thriller that screams, FILM ME!!
🫦👁
gotta bring my heart rate down - get some sleep -
Review soon 😴
REVIEW:
I already expressed my immediate response: FANTASTIC….
so ….now I’ll attempt to write a review…..
NOTE….
with Chris Bohjalian books — I tend to avoid other reviews until I’ve read his books myself.
And…
I learned long ago — not to ask for an early-advance copy — his publisher has never once - ever- granted me an advance copy of any book they published. Fair enough…so I’ve stopped asking.
I’ve met Chris three times - at book readings—and not only is he one of the nicest guys on the planet — no other author is a more gifted speaker: funny, stimulating, personable, equally as he is an accomplished author.
I’ve read at least 20 of his 23 books:
….One I didn’t care for - a couple were fair- but most….were thoroughly enjoyable.
“The Lioness” goes to the top of my ‘all-time’ page turning -exciting - Bohjalian-BEST.
I felt the excitement from the moment I opened the first page — of dedications. My juices were flowing while getting introduced to the large cast of characters. Something Stephen King pulls off well. Add Chris Bohjalian to that list too.
Personally….next to “The Double Bind”….a psychological memorable literary thriller, Chris Bohjalian wrote years ago ….this is my favorite thriller he’s written. I like his straight Historical Fiction….and admire books close to Chris’s heart and family heritage….but in my opinion, it’s his literary thrillers that sparkle and shine with brilliance.
Never to experience a ‘cookie-cutter’ thriller from Bohjalian.
Chris, Amherst educated, is simply an above-average literary thriller-contender- to hold up against our most talented American authors living authors today.
“The Lioness” has everything…literary thriller, historical fiction, political history, contemporary experience, racial issues, adventure, murder, suspense, and Chris’s exceptional intelligent prose….
…..creating picturesque beautification in landscape- narrative - inner musing trimmings from the Hollywood entourage —making for a grand overall combo-encounter between the American’s from their privileged California lifestyles to the reality fears they face in Serengeti, Africa….in the year of 1964.
Dedication inspirations:
“When I was hanging on by my fingernails, you gave me your hand. You are my safari”
“Everything I learned, I learned from the movies”.
…..Audrey Hepburn
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, and where are you stop your story”.
…..Orion Wells
Prologue:
“Oh, I can’t speak for the dead. And I won’t speak for the missing. I can only tell you what I think happened. Others—the dead and the missing—would probably have their own versions. Blame, I can tell you firsthand, is every bit as subjective as truth”.
A little useful history: (which ‘might’ be valuable to ‘some’ readers before taking on this mega-adventure)…
…..The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region of Africa, spanning northern Tanzania.
It’s also renowned for its large lion population (over 3,000), and is one of the best places to observe prides in their natural environment.
The name Serengeti is often said to be derived from the word seringit in the Maasai language.
The Serengeti has some of East Africa’s finest game areas.
…..Africa was changing and everyone knew it was.
Many of the people who went there in 1964 died.
In 1964, Nelson Mandela said….”I am prepared to die”.
…..March 21, 1960, police officers in a black township in South Africa opened fire on a group of people peacefully protesting oppressive pass laws, killing 69.
…..The anniversary of The Shapeville Massacre is remembered the world over every March 21 on International Day for the Elimination of Radical discrimination.
Back to our historical-literary-thriller-travel-adventure novel:
Be clear…..
“The story was never about Western, privileged tourists or local Maasai or Tanzanians. It was never about rich or poor, Americans or Africans. We were all just people, and most of us had no idea what was happening”.
“The mantra for most of us? Just stay alive. See if, we might see the sun rise one more time”.
Katie Barstow had just gotten married in Los Angeles to David Hill. They were bringing along an entourage of guests, (nine Americans in all, plus the tour guides), with them to Africa on a safari. The year was 1964.
Personal share ….
…..when I read ‘any’ book (Stephen King is a great example)…that offers up a cast list at the start…
I spend extra time studying their names and relationships—
It’s only after I have a solid memory and a basic tidbit experience of who the players are — do I start to play ball.
Readers can never catch up to who everyone is — unless they ground themselves first with the equipment/characters they are handed.
Once the reader prepares themselves — never having to once again ask themselves….”now who was that character again?”….they can move forward - read with confidence and so much more joy….immersed themselves with the captivating storytelling….contemplate the characters individual backgrounds…and dive in deeply.
It’s ‘always’ to the readers benefits to get a grasp on who the characters are …..especially with a large cast SO THAT ….reading is effortless….
So….my suggestion to those who have not read this book - but are considering doing so…..STUDY the cast - become very familiar with each name. (Shouldn’t take more than 30-40 minutes)….it will save time and frustration down the line. Instead …the book becomes a joyride.
And….Google-your-bones away with Tanzania, 1964 before you begin — if need to brush up on some basic history. I promise it will ultimately increase page turning reading enjoyment.
So….I’ve include the cast list….(perhaps it’s helpful for some readers):
The Safari
The Registered Guest List:
MARRIED COUPLES
…David Hill: gallerist - married to Katie Barstow
…Katie Barstow: A-list actress
…Billy Stepanov: psychiatrist and Katie Barstow’s older brother.
…Margie Stepanov: homemaker.
…Felix Demeter: screenwriter
… Carmen Tedesco: a successful supporting actress
SINGLE GUESTS:
…Terrance Dutton: The only Black actor in the group: and a gifted visual artist.
…Reggie Stout: Katie Barstow’s publisher.
…Peter Merriam: Katie Barstow’s agent.
TEAM LEADERS:
…Charlie Patton: owner of Charles Patton Safari Adventures.
…Juma Sykes: head African guide.
…Muema Kambona: second guide.
…Benjamin Kilwete: porter guest liaison.
The group, driving in a Land Rover, would be pausing often for the Serengeti’s great menagerie of animals.
Zebras, giraffes, lions….they never knew how much they would see. Ha!!! THEY REALLY NEVER KNEW WHAT THEY WOULD SEE UNTIL…..it was too late…
Juma, the African tour guide was in his 70s. He seemed like a school teacher with the Americans.
“He didn’t merely want them to see the Serengeti: he wanted them to understand it. It was a world that he loved and a world he loved sharing”.
Some sample excerpts….( just for tidbit flavoring)…
……just a simple happening:
“Benjamin noticed a dung beetle trying to roll a piece of elephant shit it had meticulously shaped into a marble up and out of the rut, but the rut was like a canal to the insect. Twice the beetle had almost pushed the excrement over the side and onto the flat dirt beyond, and each time the weight of the dung had been too much and it rolled back over the creature to the bottom of the track”.
“Sometimes a marriage lasts a lifetime. Sometimes it lasts five years. What is that great Oscar Wilde quote? The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death”
“God they’d christened themselves the lions of Hollywood at the wedding, and raised champagne to the idea. The seven of them, minus Katie and David, who were already in Paris, had greeted each other that way, half kidding but also a little smug, when they’d rendezvoused at the airport in L.A. a week later. The movie mags even called them that when they wrote about the safari: the lions of Hollywood.
Well, he’d taken a life, but he was no lion. He was just. . .”
“He couldn’t say. He did not feel remorse, but neither did he feel pride. He was focused only on survival”.
“As many as three hundred Americans and Belgians are still held hostage at the Victoria Hotel in Stanleyville. The Simba leaders insist they are being treated well, but no one here has forgotten the cruelties inflicted on the nuns who were taken hostage only last month. Meanwhile, whites continue to flee the Eastern Congo, sometimes passing a gauntlet of Russian and even Cuban soldiers, who are aiding the rebels”
—Los Angeles Times, November 20, 1964
“The Lioness” has everything:
… political strife, gripping tension suspense, a kidnapping nightmare by the Russian mercenaries, a down-to-earth-relatable cast (we know them enough without being bombarded with too much personal drama) > they were perfect size group to ‘scary-ass-safari’ with! (Kudos to Chris Bohjalian’s skills)
The entire ethereal descriptions scanning horrors of squeamish visuals were unrestrained and outlandish….with a satisfying ending.
Absolutely—this is one of Chris’s best books …
an ambitious intelligent panoramic savvy historical-political-personable-literary thriller that screams, FILM ME!!
🫦👁
June 21, 2022
When I was a kid, my grandmother referred to me as an “old soul” because I lived for the selections offered up on Turner Classic Movies. When I heard The Lioness was about a film starlet and her entourage of sorts going on safari, my brain automatically went to old Hollywood glamour and films the likes of . . . .
I was totally prepared to redeem myself for my one and only lackluster experience with Chris Bohjalian (The Flight Attendant) with this one, but sadly . . . .
What promised to be a kidnapping gone wrong story ended up being pretty much a convoluted mess with so many narrators and backstories there was little to no cohesion in the story. And the kidnapping premise? That was hardly even a plotline at all when taking into consideration the total page count. I think it’s safe to say at this point this author simply isn’t for me.
I was totally prepared to redeem myself for my one and only lackluster experience with Chris Bohjalian (The Flight Attendant) with this one, but sadly . . . .
What promised to be a kidnapping gone wrong story ended up being pretty much a convoluted mess with so many narrators and backstories there was little to no cohesion in the story. And the kidnapping premise? That was hardly even a plotline at all when taking into consideration the total page count. I think it’s safe to say at this point this author simply isn’t for me.
April 22, 2022
Everything bites on the grasslands of the Serengeti.......but not as fiercely as the piercing of human canines.
Chris Bohjalian has spread his storyline broadly from the expanses of the Hollywood movie sets to the plains of Africa in the 1960's. We will meet a group of people who have earned their fame and also those who cling to the hem of the elite and the successful.
Katie Barstow is a young starlette who has made a name for herself in Hollywood. But that Barstow name was never hers. Katie was born Katie Stepanov to the Broadway duo of plays and musicals, Roman and Glenda Stepanov. Katie and her brother, Billy, grew up in the strangest household where Billy took the brunt of the abuse. He's now a psychologist and recently married to Margie. But it was Katie who was always destined to be a star.
Katie has just married David Hill, an owner of an art gallery. She informs her friends that they will be accompanying the newlyweds on their honeymoon on a safari in Africa......all expenses paid. Prepare yourself for this group: 9 Americans made up of 6 men and 3 women. The storyline will pick up the pace as we learn the backstories on each. Believe me, each will either sink or swim because of their experiential backgrounds. Like the spider to the flies on an African web of giant proportions. Even Ernest Hemingway from Mombasa to Nairobi to Kenya would never have been equipped to face what this group of travelers will face within these days.
The Lioness is pulled tautly across these pages with nerve endings jangling in the process. Bohjalian has done an immense amount of research for this time period in the 1960's and the interlopers who make their way onto the African continent. I was totally immersed in this storyline with this strange bevy of characters. And at the core we will have non-stop actions and reactions aplenty. Be aware that the telling is detailed for a reason. And it is intense for a reason. I highly recommend this one if you are one to step forward for a taste of adventure. All others may take to the dance floor instead. Congrats to Bohjalian. Well done.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Doubleday Books and to the talented Chris Bohjalian for the opportunity.
Chris Bohjalian has spread his storyline broadly from the expanses of the Hollywood movie sets to the plains of Africa in the 1960's. We will meet a group of people who have earned their fame and also those who cling to the hem of the elite and the successful.
Katie Barstow is a young starlette who has made a name for herself in Hollywood. But that Barstow name was never hers. Katie was born Katie Stepanov to the Broadway duo of plays and musicals, Roman and Glenda Stepanov. Katie and her brother, Billy, grew up in the strangest household where Billy took the brunt of the abuse. He's now a psychologist and recently married to Margie. But it was Katie who was always destined to be a star.
Katie has just married David Hill, an owner of an art gallery. She informs her friends that they will be accompanying the newlyweds on their honeymoon on a safari in Africa......all expenses paid. Prepare yourself for this group: 9 Americans made up of 6 men and 3 women. The storyline will pick up the pace as we learn the backstories on each. Believe me, each will either sink or swim because of their experiential backgrounds. Like the spider to the flies on an African web of giant proportions. Even Ernest Hemingway from Mombasa to Nairobi to Kenya would never have been equipped to face what this group of travelers will face within these days.
The Lioness is pulled tautly across these pages with nerve endings jangling in the process. Bohjalian has done an immense amount of research for this time period in the 1960's and the interlopers who make their way onto the African continent. I was totally immersed in this storyline with this strange bevy of characters. And at the core we will have non-stop actions and reactions aplenty. Be aware that the telling is detailed for a reason. And it is intense for a reason. I highly recommend this one if you are one to step forward for a taste of adventure. All others may take to the dance floor instead. Congrats to Bohjalian. Well done.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Doubleday Books and to the talented Chris Bohjalian for the opportunity.
June 27, 2022
Every time I read a new Chris Bohjalian book, I love it more than the last. The Lioness published in May.
It’s set in 1960s Tanzania when an actress and her new husband honeymoon there, also bringing some of their friends along for the “adventure.” The suspense starts at the very beginning and never lets go.
No spoilers, but the synopsis mentions a kidnapping and other attacks. Needless to say, this exciting trip becomes more exciting than the vacationers had in mind.
The Lioness is full of plot, and the characters are well-developed, too, even though it’s a larger cast. There are twists and turns I found unexpected throughout.
This book is a graphic, haunting, dark, and chilling adventure. I loved the Old Hollywood glamour and time period because it added so much richness to the storytelling. I just read this one has been optioned for television, and I cannot wait to see it on screen!
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
It’s set in 1960s Tanzania when an actress and her new husband honeymoon there, also bringing some of their friends along for the “adventure.” The suspense starts at the very beginning and never lets go.
No spoilers, but the synopsis mentions a kidnapping and other attacks. Needless to say, this exciting trip becomes more exciting than the vacationers had in mind.
The Lioness is full of plot, and the characters are well-developed, too, even though it’s a larger cast. There are twists and turns I found unexpected throughout.
This book is a graphic, haunting, dark, and chilling adventure. I loved the Old Hollywood glamour and time period because it added so much richness to the storytelling. I just read this one has been optioned for television, and I cannot wait to see it on screen!
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
February 22, 2022
QUICK TAKE: Jurassic Park meets Evelyn Hugo when a glamorous Hollywood starlet's safari honeymoon becomes a deadly story of survival. I couldn't put this one down and it's easily my favorite Bohjalian novel.
July 25, 2023
Rating: 5🌟s
Mind blown 🤯. What a read! I can’t stop thinking about this story and it’s characters. Chris Bohjalian has written a captivating read with THE LIONESS.
Kate Barstow, 1964’s Hollywood superstar, is getting married to David Hill—an LA gallerist. The two will honeymoon in Paris, but from there they and 7 of those closest to them will continue the honeymoon in Tanganyika/the Serengeti on safari. It’s a dream come true for both the newlyweds and their guests…definitely a trip to remember.
Each chapter reflects a character’s voice and shares a memory from the past. This device definitely moves the story forward and unwraps the “gift” of each twist and turn. The African location is dangerously seductive while seemingly juxtaposing the “intruding” humans vs. nature’s surroundings and its inhabitants.
One must always be aware and remember what your told.
Mind blown 🤯. What a read! I can’t stop thinking about this story and it’s characters. Chris Bohjalian has written a captivating read with THE LIONESS.
Kate Barstow, 1964’s Hollywood superstar, is getting married to David Hill—an LA gallerist. The two will honeymoon in Paris, but from there they and 7 of those closest to them will continue the honeymoon in Tanganyika/the Serengeti on safari. It’s a dream come true for both the newlyweds and their guests…definitely a trip to remember.
Each chapter reflects a character’s voice and shares a memory from the past. This device definitely moves the story forward and unwraps the “gift” of each twist and turn. The African location is dangerously seductive while seemingly juxtaposing the “intruding” humans vs. nature’s surroundings and its inhabitants.
One must always be aware and remember what your told.
June 4, 2022
Well that was disappointing. There were too many characters and too many storylines to keep track of. By the end, I didn't really care about any of them. A lot of times when something interesting was just about to happen the chapter ended and we moved onto someone else's story. A political aspect was also thrown in the mix of the numerous themes that were explored.
May 21, 2022
Honeymoon Safari goes terribly wrong. Actress Katie Barstow and husband David invite seven close friends and family to an African Safari to celebrate their marriage. This won’t be your average Hollywood photo shot. People die. It is 1964 the world is changing.
We are introduced to seven different complex characters along with Katie and David each with a different back story. I found it a little confusing to keep up with so many characters.
Within days of this adventure, their guide is shot and killed and they are all taken as hostages by Russian soldiers. The group is separated each not knowing what happened to the other. This kidnapping does not end well.
This book is beautifully written and researched with the sights and sounds of Tanzania. Wild animals are everywhere. It is a thrilling story of survival with hints of Hollywood glamour, political unrest and violence.
Who will survive?
Chris Bohjalian does it again with his masterful storytelling.
Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for this wonderful advanced readers copy which I won on Goodreads.
We are introduced to seven different complex characters along with Katie and David each with a different back story. I found it a little confusing to keep up with so many characters.
Within days of this adventure, their guide is shot and killed and they are all taken as hostages by Russian soldiers. The group is separated each not knowing what happened to the other. This kidnapping does not end well.
This book is beautifully written and researched with the sights and sounds of Tanzania. Wild animals are everywhere. It is a thrilling story of survival with hints of Hollywood glamour, political unrest and violence.
Who will survive?
Chris Bohjalian does it again with his masterful storytelling.
Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for this wonderful advanced readers copy which I won on Goodreads.
May 17, 2022
Is my review gone? Hm?
I’ll copy and paste it again …
I already expressed my immediate response: FANTASTIC….
so ….now I’ll attempt to write a review…..
NOTE….
with Chris Bohjalian books — I tend to avoid other reviews until I’ve read his books myself.
And…
I learned long ago — not to ask for an early-advance copy — his publisher has never once - ever- granted me an advance copy of any book they published. Fair enough…so I’ve stopped asking.
I’ve met Chris three times - at book readings—and not only is he one of the nicest guys on the planet — no other author is a more gifted speaker: funny, stimulating, personable, equally as he is an accomplished author.
I’ve read at least 20 of his 23 books:
….One I didn’t care for - a couple were fair- but most….were thoroughly enjoyable.
“The Lioness” goes to the top of my ‘ all-time’ page turning -exciting - Bohjalian-BEST.
I felt the excitement from the moment I opened the first page — of dedications. My juices were flowing while getting introduced to the large cast of characters. Something Stephen King pulls off well. Add Chris Bohjalian to that list too.
Personally….next to “The Double Bind”….a psychological memorable literary thriller, Chris Bohjalian wrote years ago ….this is my favorite thriller he’s written. I like his straight Historical Fiction….and admire books close to Chris’s heart and family heritage….but in my opinion, it’s his literary thrillers that sparkle and shine with brilliance.
Never to experience a ‘cookie-cutter’ thriller from Bohjalian.
Chris, Amherst educated, is simply an above-average literary thriller-contender- to hold up against our most talented American authors living authors today.
“The Lioness” has everything…literary thriller, historical fiction, political history, contemporary experience, racial issues, adventure, murder, suspense, and Chris’s exceptional intelligent prose….
…..creating picturesque beautification in landscape- narrative - inner musing trimmings from the Hollywood entourage —making for a grand overall combo-encounter between the American’s from their privileged California lifestyles to the reality fears they face in Serengeti, Africa….in the year of 1964.
Dedication inspirations:
“When I was hanging on by my fingernails, you gave me your hand. You are my safari”
“Everything I learned, I learned from the movies”.
…..Audrey Hepburn
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, and where are you stop your story”.
…..Orion Wells
Prologue:
“Oh, I can’t speak for the dead. And I won’t speak for the missing. I can only tell you what I think happened. Others—the dead and the missing—would probably have their own versions. Blame, I can tell you firsthand, is every bit as subjective as truth”.
A little useful history: (which ‘might’ be valuable to ‘some’ readers before taking on this mega-adventure)…
…..The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region of Africa, spanning northern Tanzania.
It’s also renowned for its large lion population (over 3,000), and is one of the best places to observe prides in their natural environment.
The name Serengeti is often said to be derived from the word seringit in the Maasai language.
The Serengeti has some of East Africa’s finest game areas.
…..Africa was changing and everyone knew it was.
Many of the people who went there in 1964 died.
In 1964, Nelson Mandela said….”I am prepared to die”.
…..March 21, 1960, police officers in a black township in South Africa opened fire on a group of people peacefully protesting oppressive pass laws, killing 69.
…..The anniversary of The Shapeville Massacre is remembered the world over every March 21 on International Day for the Elimination of Radical discrimination.
Back to our historical-literary-thriller-travel-adventure novel:
Be clear…..
“The story was never about Western, privileged tourists or local Maasai or Tanzanians. It was never about rich or poor, Americans or Africans. We were all just people, and most of us had no idea what was happening”.
“The mantra for most of us? Just stay alive. See if, we might see the sun rise one more time”.
Katie Barstow had just gotten married in Los Angeles to David Hill. They were bringing along an entourage of guests, (nine Americans in all, plus the tour guides), with them to Africa on a safari. The year was 1964.
Personal share ….
…..when I read ‘any’ book (Stephen King is a great example)…that offers up a cast list at the start…
I spend extra time studying their names and relationships—
It’s only after I have a solid memory and a basic tidbit experience of who the players are — do I start to play ball.
Readers can never catch up to who everyone is — unless they ground themselves first with the equipment/characters they are handed.
Once the reader prepares themselves — never having to once again ask themselves….”now who was that character again?”….they can move forward - read with confidence and so much more joy….immersed themselves with the captivating storytelling….contemplate the characters individual backgrounds…and dive in deeply.
It’s ‘always’ to the readers benefits to get a grasp on who the characters are …..especially with a large cast SO THAT ….reading is effortless….
So….my suggestion to those who have not read this book - but are considering doing so…..STUDY the cast - become very familiar with each name. (Shouldn’t take more than 30-40 minutes)….it will save time and frustration down the line. Instead …the book becomes a joyride.
And….Google-your-bones away with Tanzania, 1964 before you begin — if need to brush up on some basic history. I promise it will ultimately increase page turning reading enjoyment.
So….I’ve include the cast list….(perhaps it’s helpful for some readers):
The Safari
The Registered Guest List:
MARRIED COUPLES
…David Hill: gallerist - married to Katie Barstow
…Katie Barstow: A-list actress
…Billy Stepanov: psychiatrist and Katie Barstow’s older brother.
…Margie Stepanov: homemaker.
…Felix Demeter: screenwriter
… Carmen Tedesco: a successful supporting actress
SINGLE GUESTS:
…Terrance Dutton: The only Black actor in the group: and a gifted visual artist.
…Reggie Stout: Katie Barstow’s publisher.
…Peter Merriam: Katie Barstow’s agent.
TEAM LEADERS:
…Charlie Patton: owner of Charles Patton Safari Adventures.
…Juma Sykes: head African guide.
…Muema Kambona: second guide.
…Benjamin Kilwete: porter guest liaison.
The group, driving in a Land Rover, would be pausing often for the Serengeti’s great menagerie of animals.
Zebras, giraffes, lions….they never knew how much they would see. Ha!!! THEY REALLY NEVER KNEW WHAT THEY WOULD SEE UNTIL…..it was too late…
Juma, the African tour guide was in his 70s. He seemed like a school teacher with the Americans.
“He didn’t merely want them to see the Serengeti: he wanted them to understand it. It was a world that he loved and a world he loved sharing”.
Some sample excerpts….( just for tidbit flavoring)…
……just a simple happening:
“Benjamin noticed a dung beetle trying to roll a piece of elephant shit it had meticulously shaped into a marble up and out of the rut, but the rut was like a canal to the insect. Twice the beetle had almost pushed the excrement over the side and onto the flat dirt beyond, and each time the weight of the dung had been too much and it rolled back over the creature to the bottom of the track”.
“Sometimes a marriage lasts a lifetime. Sometimes it lasts five years. What is that great Oscar Wilde quote? The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death”
“God they’d christened themselves the lions of Hollywood at the wedding, and raised champagne to the idea. The seven of them, minus Katie and David, who were already in Paris, had greeted each other that way, half kidding but also a little smug, when they’d rendezvoused at the airport in L.A. a week later. The movie mags even called them that when they wrote about the safari: the lions of Hollywood.
Well, he’d taken a life, but he was no lion. He was just. . .”
“He couldn’t say. He did not feel remorse, but neither did he feel pride. He was focused only on survival”.
“As many as three hundred Americans and Belgians are still held hostage at the Victoria Hotel in Stanleyville. The Simba leaders insist they are being treated well, but no one here has forgotten the cruelties inflicted on the nuns who were taken hostage only last month. Meanwhile, whites continue to flee the Eastern Congo, sometimes passing a gauntlet of Russian and even Cuban soldiers, who are aiding the rebels”
—Los Angeles Times, November 20, 1964
“The Lioness” has everything:
… political strife, gripping tension suspense, a kidnapping nightmare by the Russian mercenaries, a down-to-earth-relatable cast (we know them enough without being bombarded with too much personal drama) > they were perfect size group to ‘scary-ass-safari’ with! (Kudos to Chris Bohjalian’s skills)
The entire ethereal descriptions scanning horrors of squeamish visuals were unrestrained and outlandish….with a satisfying ending.
Absolutely—this is one of Chris’s best books …
an ambitious intelligent panoramic savvy historical-political-personable-literary thriller that screams, FILM ME!!
🫦👁
I’ll copy and paste it again …
I already expressed my immediate response: FANTASTIC….
so ….now I’ll attempt to write a review…..
NOTE….
with Chris Bohjalian books — I tend to avoid other reviews until I’ve read his books myself.
And…
I learned long ago — not to ask for an early-advance copy — his publisher has never once - ever- granted me an advance copy of any book they published. Fair enough…so I’ve stopped asking.
I’ve met Chris three times - at book readings—and not only is he one of the nicest guys on the planet — no other author is a more gifted speaker: funny, stimulating, personable, equally as he is an accomplished author.
I’ve read at least 20 of his 23 books:
….One I didn’t care for - a couple were fair- but most….were thoroughly enjoyable.
“The Lioness” goes to the top of my ‘ all-time’ page turning -exciting - Bohjalian-BEST.
I felt the excitement from the moment I opened the first page — of dedications. My juices were flowing while getting introduced to the large cast of characters. Something Stephen King pulls off well. Add Chris Bohjalian to that list too.
Personally….next to “The Double Bind”….a psychological memorable literary thriller, Chris Bohjalian wrote years ago ….this is my favorite thriller he’s written. I like his straight Historical Fiction….and admire books close to Chris’s heart and family heritage….but in my opinion, it’s his literary thrillers that sparkle and shine with brilliance.
Never to experience a ‘cookie-cutter’ thriller from Bohjalian.
Chris, Amherst educated, is simply an above-average literary thriller-contender- to hold up against our most talented American authors living authors today.
“The Lioness” has everything…literary thriller, historical fiction, political history, contemporary experience, racial issues, adventure, murder, suspense, and Chris’s exceptional intelligent prose….
…..creating picturesque beautification in landscape- narrative - inner musing trimmings from the Hollywood entourage —making for a grand overall combo-encounter between the American’s from their privileged California lifestyles to the reality fears they face in Serengeti, Africa….in the year of 1964.
Dedication inspirations:
“When I was hanging on by my fingernails, you gave me your hand. You are my safari”
“Everything I learned, I learned from the movies”.
…..Audrey Hepburn
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, and where are you stop your story”.
…..Orion Wells
Prologue:
“Oh, I can’t speak for the dead. And I won’t speak for the missing. I can only tell you what I think happened. Others—the dead and the missing—would probably have their own versions. Blame, I can tell you firsthand, is every bit as subjective as truth”.
A little useful history: (which ‘might’ be valuable to ‘some’ readers before taking on this mega-adventure)…
…..The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region of Africa, spanning northern Tanzania.
It’s also renowned for its large lion population (over 3,000), and is one of the best places to observe prides in their natural environment.
The name Serengeti is often said to be derived from the word seringit in the Maasai language.
The Serengeti has some of East Africa’s finest game areas.
…..Africa was changing and everyone knew it was.
Many of the people who went there in 1964 died.
In 1964, Nelson Mandela said….”I am prepared to die”.
…..March 21, 1960, police officers in a black township in South Africa opened fire on a group of people peacefully protesting oppressive pass laws, killing 69.
…..The anniversary of The Shapeville Massacre is remembered the world over every March 21 on International Day for the Elimination of Radical discrimination.
Back to our historical-literary-thriller-travel-adventure novel:
Be clear…..
“The story was never about Western, privileged tourists or local Maasai or Tanzanians. It was never about rich or poor, Americans or Africans. We were all just people, and most of us had no idea what was happening”.
“The mantra for most of us? Just stay alive. See if, we might see the sun rise one more time”.
Katie Barstow had just gotten married in Los Angeles to David Hill. They were bringing along an entourage of guests, (nine Americans in all, plus the tour guides), with them to Africa on a safari. The year was 1964.
Personal share ….
…..when I read ‘any’ book (Stephen King is a great example)…that offers up a cast list at the start…
I spend extra time studying their names and relationships—
It’s only after I have a solid memory and a basic tidbit experience of who the players are — do I start to play ball.
Readers can never catch up to who everyone is — unless they ground themselves first with the equipment/characters they are handed.
Once the reader prepares themselves — never having to once again ask themselves….”now who was that character again?”….they can move forward - read with confidence and so much more joy….immersed themselves with the captivating storytelling….contemplate the characters individual backgrounds…and dive in deeply.
It’s ‘always’ to the readers benefits to get a grasp on who the characters are …..especially with a large cast SO THAT ….reading is effortless….
So….my suggestion to those who have not read this book - but are considering doing so…..STUDY the cast - become very familiar with each name. (Shouldn’t take more than 30-40 minutes)….it will save time and frustration down the line. Instead …the book becomes a joyride.
And….Google-your-bones away with Tanzania, 1964 before you begin — if need to brush up on some basic history. I promise it will ultimately increase page turning reading enjoyment.
So….I’ve include the cast list….(perhaps it’s helpful for some readers):
The Safari
The Registered Guest List:
MARRIED COUPLES
…David Hill: gallerist - married to Katie Barstow
…Katie Barstow: A-list actress
…Billy Stepanov: psychiatrist and Katie Barstow’s older brother.
…Margie Stepanov: homemaker.
…Felix Demeter: screenwriter
… Carmen Tedesco: a successful supporting actress
SINGLE GUESTS:
…Terrance Dutton: The only Black actor in the group: and a gifted visual artist.
…Reggie Stout: Katie Barstow’s publisher.
…Peter Merriam: Katie Barstow’s agent.
TEAM LEADERS:
…Charlie Patton: owner of Charles Patton Safari Adventures.
…Juma Sykes: head African guide.
…Muema Kambona: second guide.
…Benjamin Kilwete: porter guest liaison.
The group, driving in a Land Rover, would be pausing often for the Serengeti’s great menagerie of animals.
Zebras, giraffes, lions….they never knew how much they would see. Ha!!! THEY REALLY NEVER KNEW WHAT THEY WOULD SEE UNTIL…..it was too late…
Juma, the African tour guide was in his 70s. He seemed like a school teacher with the Americans.
“He didn’t merely want them to see the Serengeti: he wanted them to understand it. It was a world that he loved and a world he loved sharing”.
Some sample excerpts….( just for tidbit flavoring)…
……just a simple happening:
“Benjamin noticed a dung beetle trying to roll a piece of elephant shit it had meticulously shaped into a marble up and out of the rut, but the rut was like a canal to the insect. Twice the beetle had almost pushed the excrement over the side and onto the flat dirt beyond, and each time the weight of the dung had been too much and it rolled back over the creature to the bottom of the track”.
“Sometimes a marriage lasts a lifetime. Sometimes it lasts five years. What is that great Oscar Wilde quote? The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death”
“God they’d christened themselves the lions of Hollywood at the wedding, and raised champagne to the idea. The seven of them, minus Katie and David, who were already in Paris, had greeted each other that way, half kidding but also a little smug, when they’d rendezvoused at the airport in L.A. a week later. The movie mags even called them that when they wrote about the safari: the lions of Hollywood.
Well, he’d taken a life, but he was no lion. He was just. . .”
“He couldn’t say. He did not feel remorse, but neither did he feel pride. He was focused only on survival”.
“As many as three hundred Americans and Belgians are still held hostage at the Victoria Hotel in Stanleyville. The Simba leaders insist they are being treated well, but no one here has forgotten the cruelties inflicted on the nuns who were taken hostage only last month. Meanwhile, whites continue to flee the Eastern Congo, sometimes passing a gauntlet of Russian and even Cuban soldiers, who are aiding the rebels”
—Los Angeles Times, November 20, 1964
“The Lioness” has everything:
… political strife, gripping tension suspense, a kidnapping nightmare by the Russian mercenaries, a down-to-earth-relatable cast (we know them enough without being bombarded with too much personal drama) > they were perfect size group to ‘scary-ass-safari’ with! (Kudos to Chris Bohjalian’s skills)
The entire ethereal descriptions scanning horrors of squeamish visuals were unrestrained and outlandish….with a satisfying ending.
Absolutely—this is one of Chris’s best books …
an ambitious intelligent panoramic savvy historical-political-personable-literary thriller that screams, FILM ME!!
🫦👁
May 2, 2022
. . .I have visions of the purple sky that night and when I am most fatigued they come to me, unbidden but not as unwelcome as you might suppose. I know there was all that talk about how we christened ourselves the lions of Hollywood, but I really do see myself in my mind as a lioness on that branch.
It is 1964 in the Serengeti. Nine people are on a photograph safari. Hollywood's sweetheart, Katie Barstow, is bankrolling the trip as a part of her honeymoon. Just days into their adventure, there are gun shots and confusion. The group is split between two jeeps. People are dying. How many will live to see another day? The answer might surprise you. A multitude of narrators give you multiple angles on the goings on in Africa as well as some back story. In addition to the question of survival, is the need to discover why this is happening and who is behind it. This is my favorite from Chris Bohjalian so far (it is my third time reading one of his books). The time and place come alive in memorable ways.
Thank you to Doubleday and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
It is 1964 in the Serengeti. Nine people are on a photograph safari. Hollywood's sweetheart, Katie Barstow, is bankrolling the trip as a part of her honeymoon. Just days into their adventure, there are gun shots and confusion. The group is split between two jeeps. People are dying. How many will live to see another day? The answer might surprise you. A multitude of narrators give you multiple angles on the goings on in Africa as well as some back story. In addition to the question of survival, is the need to discover why this is happening and who is behind it. This is my favorite from Chris Bohjalian so far (it is my third time reading one of his books). The time and place come alive in memorable ways.
Thank you to Doubleday and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2022
4.5
This book is the definition of a plot-driven novel that is both entertaining and bittersweet.
And if you’re looking for action, Mr Bohjalian has packed it into every chapter… and I mean that literally!!
Set against the backdrop of the beautiful and brutal Serengeti— the multiple characters and timelines are handled as masterfully as two hyenas or a silent leopard hunting their prey.
From the first page, the reader knows death will follow but honestly each loss is handled individually, and in most cases, reverently.
Rather than continuing to skirt the plot spoiler line, I’ll just encourage you to read this book. It was a great read!!
This book is the definition of a plot-driven novel that is both entertaining and bittersweet.
And if you’re looking for action, Mr Bohjalian has packed it into every chapter… and I mean that literally!!
Set against the backdrop of the beautiful and brutal Serengeti— the multiple characters and timelines are handled as masterfully as two hyenas or a silent leopard hunting their prey.
From the first page, the reader knows death will follow but honestly each loss is handled individually, and in most cases, reverently.
Rather than continuing to skirt the plot spoiler line, I’ll just encourage you to read this book. It was a great read!!
May 10, 2022
4 safari stars - now available!
A swank safari for nine Americans, including several Hollywood stars started out as planned. The group headed to Tanzania in 1964 and planned to see all the big animals while celebrating big star Katie Barstow’s marriage to David Hill.
Things start to go terribly wrong when Russian soldiers storm their camp and take them hostage. The Serengeti holds unknown terrors from predators – both human and wild animal. The political scene in Africa is full of intrigue and uprisings.
The Americans are separated into a few groups and the terror unfolds a bit differently for each of them. Katie is separated from her best friend Carmen, but her recent co-star Terrance is with her group. Katie is also with her husband David and her brother and his wife. They eventually are driven to isolated huts, but they are not safe at all.
The book alternates the terror of Africa with snippets of their lives in Hollywood. As the kidnapping goes wrong on several levels, it becomes unclear if anyone will survive the safari.
I have long been a fan of Chris Bohjalian, and this is the eleventh book of his that I’ve read. I’ve grown to love his twists and this one had that trademark twist!
Thank you to Doubleday/Penguin Random House for the complimentary copy to read and review.
A swank safari for nine Americans, including several Hollywood stars started out as planned. The group headed to Tanzania in 1964 and planned to see all the big animals while celebrating big star Katie Barstow’s marriage to David Hill.
Things start to go terribly wrong when Russian soldiers storm their camp and take them hostage. The Serengeti holds unknown terrors from predators – both human and wild animal. The political scene in Africa is full of intrigue and uprisings.
The Americans are separated into a few groups and the terror unfolds a bit differently for each of them. Katie is separated from her best friend Carmen, but her recent co-star Terrance is with her group. Katie is also with her husband David and her brother and his wife. They eventually are driven to isolated huts, but they are not safe at all.
The book alternates the terror of Africa with snippets of their lives in Hollywood. As the kidnapping goes wrong on several levels, it becomes unclear if anyone will survive the safari.
I have long been a fan of Chris Bohjalian, and this is the eleventh book of his that I’ve read. I’ve grown to love his twists and this one had that trademark twist!
Thank you to Doubleday/Penguin Random House for the complimentary copy to read and review.
October 28, 2023
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”
Whew! Talk about a page-turner.
Chris Bohjalian's The Lioness is a fast-paced and riveting odyssey through the open savannas of East Africa. In the words of Bohjalian himself, the novel is set in a time of transition, both for East Africa and Hollywood, the Golden Age of which was in the process of closing its previous chapter and opening the doors for a more daring, more adventurous culture of film-making in American cinema.
The Lioness focuses on an eclectic cast of characters surrounding a Hollywood starlet, superstar actress Katie Barstow who is currently at the top of her career and one of the ruling people of Hollywood, who invites her close friends on a safari through the Serengeti... only for things to go horribly wrong in the process.
At a swift length of a bit over three hundred pages, it might be difficult to imagine that a cast of a dozen characters could be developed well enough to hold our attention. But Bohjalian proves us the opposite. Each characters gets their own viewpoint chapters, and while each chapter remains short and brisk, it all adds to the multi-dimensional character development that guides each character's arc. The main story on the safari adventure in 1964 is frequently interrupted by various bits and pieces from the characters' past interactions, deepening our understanding of their relationships, their lives and their individual stories. Usually, such an approach would make me roll my eyes to the back of my head; after all, most of the time, if non-linear storytelling approaches are chosen, it turns out that one of the stories is more interesting than the other, which weakens the impact that pretty much half of the book has on you. Not here, though. Bohjalian knows that the safari tour gone wrong would not be half as interesting without some understanding of the characters involved, and he also knows that a mere investigation of the impact of the Cold War on Tanzania would not be half as thrilling as a standalone plot vehicle. His solution to this problem was to interconnect two vastly different worlds: the open savannas where wild animals are lurking in every shadow, waiting for one mistake of yours to strike and kill you, and the glorious world of Hollywood where humans are lurking in every shadow, waiting for one mistake of yours to strike and kill you. One of the kills is literal, the other is figurative, but aren't they still the same? The parallels are a defining feature of the linearity in The Lioness; you get the deeper insight into the celebrity culture of the early 1960s and the way Hollywood treated both its most and its less prominent stars, and you get an unhinged adventure during a safari in the open wilderness.
Back in 1964, the 'good old-fashioned Hollywood picture' was on the verge of dying out, overshadowed by the soon-to-arise innovations of the American New Wave; grittier, colder, darker works that would replace the hopeful, dreamlike bliss promised by Hollywood's Golden Age that loved to feign its façade of virtue and role model function, when reality looked vastly different behind cinema curtains. At that time, safari pictures such as King Solomon's Mines, The African Queen, Hatari or Mogambo were not yet affected by post-colonial reevaluations that would later highlight them in a less courteous light. The Lioness is a story set exactly during that era of transition, a point of time where, it seems, the paranoia of the Cold War and the impending horrors of the Vietnam War would shape the people for years to come, but they were still holding onto the bliss and splendor of happier times.
An image from the 1962 movie "Hatari" (dir. Howard Hawks)
The Lioness was my first exposure to Bohjalian's writing, but certainly not my last. The writing is on-point here, with no unnecessary filler moments to drag out the plot, and the character work is phenomenal (advice: take a few notes on each character to avoid confusing their names all the times, like I did). A really solid novel that I don't really have any actual complaints about!
On that note, does anyone have any recommendations for which of Bohjalian's novels I might check out next?
Whew! Talk about a page-turner.
Chris Bohjalian's The Lioness is a fast-paced and riveting odyssey through the open savannas of East Africa. In the words of Bohjalian himself, the novel is set in a time of transition, both for East Africa and Hollywood, the Golden Age of which was in the process of closing its previous chapter and opening the doors for a more daring, more adventurous culture of film-making in American cinema.
The Lioness focuses on an eclectic cast of characters surrounding a Hollywood starlet, superstar actress Katie Barstow who is currently at the top of her career and one of the ruling people of Hollywood, who invites her close friends on a safari through the Serengeti... only for things to go horribly wrong in the process.
“Too often you couldn't mine the recollections that might keep you sane, but instead held close the memories that someday would kill you.”
At a swift length of a bit over three hundred pages, it might be difficult to imagine that a cast of a dozen characters could be developed well enough to hold our attention. But Bohjalian proves us the opposite. Each characters gets their own viewpoint chapters, and while each chapter remains short and brisk, it all adds to the multi-dimensional character development that guides each character's arc. The main story on the safari adventure in 1964 is frequently interrupted by various bits and pieces from the characters' past interactions, deepening our understanding of their relationships, their lives and their individual stories. Usually, such an approach would make me roll my eyes to the back of my head; after all, most of the time, if non-linear storytelling approaches are chosen, it turns out that one of the stories is more interesting than the other, which weakens the impact that pretty much half of the book has on you. Not here, though. Bohjalian knows that the safari tour gone wrong would not be half as interesting without some understanding of the characters involved, and he also knows that a mere investigation of the impact of the Cold War on Tanzania would not be half as thrilling as a standalone plot vehicle. His solution to this problem was to interconnect two vastly different worlds: the open savannas where wild animals are lurking in every shadow, waiting for one mistake of yours to strike and kill you, and the glorious world of Hollywood where humans are lurking in every shadow, waiting for one mistake of yours to strike and kill you. One of the kills is literal, the other is figurative, but aren't they still the same? The parallels are a defining feature of the linearity in The Lioness; you get the deeper insight into the celebrity culture of the early 1960s and the way Hollywood treated both its most and its less prominent stars, and you get an unhinged adventure during a safari in the open wilderness.
Back in 1964, the 'good old-fashioned Hollywood picture' was on the verge of dying out, overshadowed by the soon-to-arise innovations of the American New Wave; grittier, colder, darker works that would replace the hopeful, dreamlike bliss promised by Hollywood's Golden Age that loved to feign its façade of virtue and role model function, when reality looked vastly different behind cinema curtains. At that time, safari pictures such as King Solomon's Mines, The African Queen, Hatari or Mogambo were not yet affected by post-colonial reevaluations that would later highlight them in a less courteous light. The Lioness is a story set exactly during that era of transition, a point of time where, it seems, the paranoia of the Cold War and the impending horrors of the Vietnam War would shape the people for years to come, but they were still holding onto the bliss and splendor of happier times.
An image from the 1962 movie "Hatari" (dir. Howard Hawks)The Lioness was my first exposure to Bohjalian's writing, but certainly not my last. The writing is on-point here, with no unnecessary filler moments to drag out the plot, and the character work is phenomenal (advice: take a few notes on each character to avoid confusing their names all the times, like I did). A really solid novel that I don't really have any actual complaints about!
On that note, does anyone have any recommendations for which of Bohjalian's novels I might check out next?
April 25, 2022
Katie Barstow is hosting a safari vacation for her closest friends and family on the Serengeti when things go terribly wrong. Kidnapped by violent criminals and broken up into groups, they must struggle to survive the night.
The premise of this book is so exciting – old Hollywood glamor meeting the bleakness of Ernest Hemingway. I’ve not read this author before (though I have his Hour of the Witch) on my TBR, but seeing all the great reviews of this one got me pretty excited.
Unfortunately I feel a little let down. I mean, I did enjoy a lot of things in the story – the vivid and complex characters, the depiction of the beautiful but pitiless savannah. I felt as though I was present there with the glare of the sunlight and the buzzing flies. Despite the plethora of characters, no one sounded alike and I was invested in everyone’s fates.
However, the story was slow despite it being supposed to be a thriller, and things aren’t helped by the copious flashbacks that pepper the story. The flashbacks may reveal things about the characters and the era they lived in – but for the most part I kept wanting to return to the dangerous present. I also found the revelations about why the group had been kidnapped to be underwhelming, and the end rather rushed up on us.
All in all, I have mixed feelings about this book, but I thought it was well-written and will give more books by this author a try.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
The premise of this book is so exciting – old Hollywood glamor meeting the bleakness of Ernest Hemingway. I’ve not read this author before (though I have his Hour of the Witch) on my TBR, but seeing all the great reviews of this one got me pretty excited.
Unfortunately I feel a little let down. I mean, I did enjoy a lot of things in the story – the vivid and complex characters, the depiction of the beautiful but pitiless savannah. I felt as though I was present there with the glare of the sunlight and the buzzing flies. Despite the plethora of characters, no one sounded alike and I was invested in everyone’s fates.
However, the story was slow despite it being supposed to be a thriller, and things aren’t helped by the copious flashbacks that pepper the story. The flashbacks may reveal things about the characters and the era they lived in – but for the most part I kept wanting to return to the dangerous present. I also found the revelations about why the group had been kidnapped to be underwhelming, and the end rather rushed up on us.
All in all, I have mixed feelings about this book, but I thought it was well-written and will give more books by this author a try.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
March 21, 2022
I'm a beginner Chris Bohjalian reader, but I have continued to enjoy his work that I've read. I've read Red Lotus and enjoyed Hour of the Witch, and loved the HBO show The Flight Attendant, so it was only natural for me to pick up Bohjalian's upcoming
The Lioness
. Taking place in various timelines, but mainly in Tanzania in 1964; A-list actress Katie Barstow and her new husband David Hill decided to take their friends and Katie's brother on a vacation to Serengeti for their honeymoon. However, their lovely excursion turns sinister after a kidnapping takes place on their adventure.
The story wildly blows up the action right from the beginning, but with Bohjalian's storytelling, we are also given backstories to each of the characters. These various timelines begin to evolve and develop until we are all aligned with everyone and everything that happens. I thought this way of telling the story and providing the action was really ingenious. It's not your average thriller, that's for sure! After reading The Lioness , I was shocked to see how different Bohjalian can craft his stories and will now continue along on this journey as a reader of his books.
The story wildly blows up the action right from the beginning, but with Bohjalian's storytelling, we are also given backstories to each of the characters. These various timelines begin to evolve and develop until we are all aligned with everyone and everything that happens. I thought this way of telling the story and providing the action was really ingenious. It's not your average thriller, that's for sure! After reading The Lioness , I was shocked to see how different Bohjalian can craft his stories and will now continue along on this journey as a reader of his books.
January 18, 2026
THE LIONESS is a historical thriller set in 1964 that follows a Hollywood actress who invites her closest friends on a luxury African safari for her honeymoon… which, unsurprisingly, goes very, very wrong. What starts as glamour, gossip, and wildlife viewing quickly turns into a tense survival story involving kidnapping, betrayal, and human cruelty.
Chris Bohjalian is a strong writer, and the safari setting is incredibly vivid — I could practically feel the heat and dust. The structure is clever, with short chapters and rotating perspectives, but I struggled to fully connect emotionally. I found the book more interesting than gripping, and while the tension is high, it never quite shocked me or left me speechless.
Still, it’s well-written, brutal at times, and definitely memorable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chris Bohjalian is a strong writer, and the safari setting is incredibly vivid — I could practically feel the heat and dust. The structure is clever, with short chapters and rotating perspectives, but I struggled to fully connect emotionally. I found the book more interesting than gripping, and while the tension is high, it never quite shocked me or left me speechless.
Still, it’s well-written, brutal at times, and definitely memorable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 22, 2022
In 1964, a movie star arranges a safari in Tanzania as part of her honeymoon. She invites a group of relatives, friends and colleagues to come along. There are so many people on this safari, including the guides and porters, that the author had to provide a character list at the beginning of the book. The pov changes in each chapter and the narrative skips around between the past and present. In the present, the safari party is attacked and taken hostage by a group of armed Russians. In the past, we learn the backstory of each of the characters. We do not find out why this group was attacked until the end of the book.
“We went there and (most of us, anyway) died there in 1964.” That sentence is in the prologue of this book, so we know from the start that there will be a high body count. There is quite a bit of violence and people are killed by both animals and humans. Many (possibly too many) issues are raised including racism, colonialism, wild animal preservation, child abuse, the Cold War and discrimination in the movie business. I liked the author’s writing style, but it took me a while to connect to the characters because of the constant jumping among characters and time periods. By the time I became attached to a character, they usually ended up dead. Overall, I did enjoy the book. 3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
“We went there and (most of us, anyway) died there in 1964.” That sentence is in the prologue of this book, so we know from the start that there will be a high body count. There is quite a bit of violence and people are killed by both animals and humans. Many (possibly too many) issues are raised including racism, colonialism, wild animal preservation, child abuse, the Cold War and discrimination in the movie business. I liked the author’s writing style, but it took me a while to connect to the characters because of the constant jumping among characters and time periods. By the time I became attached to a character, they usually ended up dead. Overall, I did enjoy the book. 3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
March 14, 2022
I loved this novel so much that I blew off all my responsibilities, turned off my phone, and got lost in this mesmerizing world created by Chris Bohjalian. A masterful tapestry of heart-pounding suspense and deeply moving drama, The Lioness explores what it takes to survive the siren songs of old Hollywood glitter and the Serengeti’s majestic expanse. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
The above is my official blurb, but I have to add that this may be my favorite Bohjalian novel ever. So cinematic and suspenseful. The hostage situation reminded me of BEL CANTO, one of my favorite novels of all time (except set in the Serengeti instead of a living room in Peru).
The above is my official blurb, but I have to add that this may be my favorite Bohjalian novel ever. So cinematic and suspenseful. The hostage situation reminded me of BEL CANTO, one of my favorite novels of all time (except set in the Serengeti instead of a living room in Peru).
July 8, 2022
Couple notes for authors:
1. If you want me to believe that someone is a glamorous Hollywood superstar who had to change her name to be more approachable, her new last name shouldn't be taken from the Meth capital of Southern California.
2. When you name the chapters after characters it makes it easy to figure out who lives.
General Review:
This book was ok. It had a very slow beginning. The transitions between timelines was clunky but perhaps that was just in the audiobook. Some of the death scenes seemed to stretch what was realistically possible and it seemed odd that such a high profile party would travel without any personal security.
1. If you want me to believe that someone is a glamorous Hollywood superstar who had to change her name to be more approachable, her new last name shouldn't be taken from the Meth capital of Southern California.
2. When you name the chapters after characters it makes it easy to figure out who lives.
General Review:
This book was ok. It had a very slow beginning. The transitions between timelines was clunky but perhaps that was just in the audiobook. Some of the death scenes seemed to stretch what was realistically possible and it seemed odd that such a high profile party would travel without any personal security.
November 30, 2022
Trigger Warning: A lot of violence
The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian. What a good book. Takes you to a 1964 African safari that is becomes the place of horror. Within days of take off what was supposed to be a fun filled time of pictures of animals and enjoying the area they become hostages for Russian mercenaries. Guides are immediately killed and the 7 which included an actress are tortured and some killed. As they learn the reason, a son of a CIA agent was amongst them. The Russians wanted information.
Each chapter started with a person who was amongst this group. It was told via their point of view.
Wonderful book with history from the 1960s Russia, Africa and United States.
The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian. What a good book. Takes you to a 1964 African safari that is becomes the place of horror. Within days of take off what was supposed to be a fun filled time of pictures of animals and enjoying the area they become hostages for Russian mercenaries. Guides are immediately killed and the 7 which included an actress are tortured and some killed. As they learn the reason, a son of a CIA agent was amongst them. The Russians wanted information.
Each chapter started with a person who was amongst this group. It was told via their point of view.
Wonderful book with history from the 1960s Russia, Africa and United States.
January 31, 2022
Chris Bohjalian is that rare breed of author who can't be labeled or put in a box: We simply trust that he's here to deliver a damn good story, and we're lucky to be along for the ride. THE LIONESS is an irresistible combination of old-Hollywood glamour and ill-fated adventure. We know from the outset that a movie star's honeymoon safari will not end well for most of the characters involved, yet we follow breathlessly along as a kidnapping in the heart of the Serengeti goes spectacularly awry. A show-stopping, heart-in-your-throat read. (With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read ahead of publication: What a treat.)
May 13, 2022
Audiobook
What a ride!! This was my first book by Chris Bohjalian and it won’t be the last! One of the reasons why this was a 5 ⭐️ experience was the uniqueness of the story. 1960’s Hollywoodites and their entourage go to Africa. The characters all held my attention with alternating POV. There were flashbacks to help understand their relationships to each other and their personal struggles. The narration was perfectly done!
I will say, this was gory! So if that makes you uneasy, maybe skip. They are in Africa, after all!
What a ride!! This was my first book by Chris Bohjalian and it won’t be the last! One of the reasons why this was a 5 ⭐️ experience was the uniqueness of the story. 1960’s Hollywoodites and their entourage go to Africa. The characters all held my attention with alternating POV. There were flashbacks to help understand their relationships to each other and their personal struggles. The narration was perfectly done!
I will say, this was gory! So if that makes you uneasy, maybe skip. They are in Africa, after all!
February 12, 2022
Ever since I happened upon Midwives in my local library, Bohjalian has been one of my favorite writers. I have enjoyed all his books and have learned a lot about various subjects. I was looking forward to this historical novel set during an African Safari in 1964.
I loved the original premise and the setting of the safari. The number of characters, however, along with the backstory of each, was mind boggling. 10 Americans on the Safari plus 5 African principals leading the Safari plus assorted others causing mayhem.
The manner of telling the story was quite hurky jerky, making it difficult to maintain a mental flow. In each chapter, we start in the present time with a particular character and quickly jump into a backstory and/or come to some sort of excitement just in time to close the chapter and move onto someone else.
There was also the overload of themes including a hodge podge of past and current political issues.
I’m very appreciative to NetGalley and the publisher, DoubleDay Books, for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I loved the original premise and the setting of the safari. The number of characters, however, along with the backstory of each, was mind boggling. 10 Americans on the Safari plus 5 African principals leading the Safari plus assorted others causing mayhem.
The manner of telling the story was quite hurky jerky, making it difficult to maintain a mental flow. In each chapter, we start in the present time with a particular character and quickly jump into a backstory and/or come to some sort of excitement just in time to close the chapter and move onto someone else.
There was also the overload of themes including a hodge podge of past and current political issues.
I’m very appreciative to NetGalley and the publisher, DoubleDay Books, for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
July 4, 2022
Wow. Just...WOW. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time, and definitely the best of this year so far.
Set in 1964, movie superstar Katie Barstow generously decides to take her brother and his wife, two of her famous costars, and several other friends along with her and her husband on their fabulous honeymoon photo-safari in Africa. Then it all goes horribly, gruesomely wrong. We know from the prologue that most of them don't survive, but we're not sure who makes it.
This novel is edge-of-your-seat exciting from pretty much the first word. Each chapter is headed by a snippet from a Hollywood gossip magazine, illustrating something about a member of this famous group. Then the character's current predicament and/or death is described, along with flashbacks to what led them to this point. It was so intense that I often had to put the book down to catch my breath.
The African wildlife and terrain are portrayed as beautifully and vividly as the plethora of ways they can kill you. There was a political aspect to the kidnapping but it wasn't really the focus. I felt that like the heat and the animal predators, man's inhumanity to man is eternally a danger in Africa.
Set in 1964, movie superstar Katie Barstow generously decides to take her brother and his wife, two of her famous costars, and several other friends along with her and her husband on their fabulous honeymoon photo-safari in Africa. Then it all goes horribly, gruesomely wrong. We know from the prologue that most of them don't survive, but we're not sure who makes it.
This novel is edge-of-your-seat exciting from pretty much the first word. Each chapter is headed by a snippet from a Hollywood gossip magazine, illustrating something about a member of this famous group. Then the character's current predicament and/or death is described, along with flashbacks to what led them to this point. It was so intense that I often had to put the book down to catch my breath.
The African wildlife and terrain are portrayed as beautifully and vividly as the plethora of ways they can kill you. There was a political aspect to the kidnapping but it wasn't really the focus. I felt that like the heat and the animal predators, man's inhumanity to man is eternally a danger in Africa.
July 21, 2022
Never going on an African safari...
Historical thriller, quite predictable, and very violent with a large cast of characters.
Hollywood actress Katie Barstow, and her new husband, David Hill, decide to take some family and close friends to the Serengeti at the end of their honeymoon. What is meant to be an adventurous camp-out that involves watching animals and taking photographs turns deadly when the entourage is kidnapped by Russians.
I've read all of this author's books and, upon analysis, I see they have been hit and miss with me. I found this to be terribly bloody, lots of senseless killing, and a plot that really did not grip me with an ending, meant to be a twist, that was totally foreseen early in the story. Told in multiple voices, the narrators give their take on what is happening during their ordeal, and reveal a bit about themselves and their lives interspersed with blurbs from supposed tabloid reports from Hollywood. All of the jumping around made the novel less suspenseful as mostly I just wanted a fluid tale without all the background that foreshadowed how this would all end. I never felt that I identified with the many characters and thus did not regret any one death more than another though it all just seemed so pointless and sad. As usual, the author includes political and social commentary relevant to the place (Africa) and the time period (1960s) and, given the current global tendency to despise the mercenary Russians, they don't get any love either. I think my overwhelming response to this work is that I was disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for this e-book ARC to read and review.
Historical thriller, quite predictable, and very violent with a large cast of characters.
Hollywood actress Katie Barstow, and her new husband, David Hill, decide to take some family and close friends to the Serengeti at the end of their honeymoon. What is meant to be an adventurous camp-out that involves watching animals and taking photographs turns deadly when the entourage is kidnapped by Russians.
I've read all of this author's books and, upon analysis, I see they have been hit and miss with me. I found this to be terribly bloody, lots of senseless killing, and a plot that really did not grip me with an ending, meant to be a twist, that was totally foreseen early in the story. Told in multiple voices, the narrators give their take on what is happening during their ordeal, and reveal a bit about themselves and their lives interspersed with blurbs from supposed tabloid reports from Hollywood. All of the jumping around made the novel less suspenseful as mostly I just wanted a fluid tale without all the background that foreshadowed how this would all end. I never felt that I identified with the many characters and thus did not regret any one death more than another though it all just seemed so pointless and sad. As usual, the author includes political and social commentary relevant to the place (Africa) and the time period (1960s) and, given the current global tendency to despise the mercenary Russians, they don't get any love either. I think my overwhelming response to this work is that I was disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for this e-book ARC to read and review.
January 8, 2022
Does Chris Bohjalian ever write a book that doesn't capture me immediately and send me on an emotional journey? Nope! The Lioness is, truly, another masterpiece. The majestic Serengeti setting quickly turns into a horrifying nightmare, told through each character's eyes, while flashbacks expertly build layer upon layer of the plot, up to its conclusion. You get the Hollywood glamour, as well as the unrest and violence of the times in this thrilling, dramatic read. It's only January, but I know this will be one of my top reads of 2022!
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for access to this arc.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for access to this arc.
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