Follow Me to Africa is Penny Haw's third historically biographical fiction novel about about a real, trailblazing woman. As someone who minored in anthropology, it's probably the most appealing to me in that it's about Mary Leakey, one of the most well-known female anthropologists in the field. And Haw's research is impeccable, it felt like an easier read of information I'd learned about Leakey in my college textbooks years earlier. I really like that Haw takes the approach of following an unconventional woman as the focus of each of her books, and that the woman she chooses to focus on isn't someone necessarily associated with a well-known historical event, like say World War I or II. The readers of this story won't only get exposed to a unique career path, but a place that's rarely written about in historical fiction -Africa in the 1930s. As a novel that is more biographical in nature, the focus of this book isn't a major conflict Leakey has to overcome, or a romance story. She does fall in love with Louis Leakey, a very well-respected and well-known anthropologist in his own right. And this does cause conflict, because he's married and expecting a baby with his wife, leading the pair to be ostracized within their professional community. But it also leads them to Africa, where Mary really falls in love. Not with Louis, but with the land and her career path. This means her storyline is interesting, but rarely is it page-turning exciting. In this third book Haw also utilizes a dual time line that she hasn't in her previous books, incorporating a fictional Grace and her anthropologist father that join Mary Leakey on a dig in 1983, late in her professional career. In Grace's storyline her mother has died and she's at odds with a father she hasn't seen in years, resentful that he's pulled her out of England to the middle of nowhere. But a cheetah in need of help and a cantankerous old anthropologist might just give her some clarity in her life. Haw incorporated this storyline because Leakey has published works, including a memoir and she wanted to envision how Leakey would interact with a younger version of herself in Grace while relatively late in life. I understand her decision to do this, but still tend to prefer a single storyline that focuses on a real life person without a fictional person in a more recent timeline incorporated. It was still incredibly exciting to see a book centered around a real female anthropologist though! A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My sort of book. I love HF that takes a little known character and brings them to life. It's particularly good when women who should be better known are the protagonist. Mary Leakey springs to life from the page, both as a young and much older woman and learning about her career in male dominated archaeology was fascinating. Well written and clever. I enjoyed the sub pot of the bereaved young girl but for me it was mary's story that shone out.

Just finished this amazing adventure of Mary Leakey.
This is one of those stories that will make you keep thinking about the characters long afterwards.
However; in this case I was left thinking about the Serengheti and it's animals. Such a wild and fascinating place. I didn't want to leave!
I learned quite a lot from Mary Leakey. She's a fascinating person and her determination to be what she really wanted to do. I had to look her up as I've never heard of her.
Lisa the cheetah was easy to fall in love with. I love the big cats. I love how she fends for herself in one scene. Cheetahs are the fastest cat in Africa.
I didn't want to leave Africa. It was so beautiful!
There's even a bit of romance in this story which blended well.
I'm a dual time line fan so I was kind of ok with it. In my opinion, it would have read straight through better with a brief explanation of why and how she became a palentologist/archeologist.
5 stars from me for the beautiful description and for keeping my interest all the way through.
I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Follow me to Africa by Penny Haw

This solid four star book follows the career path of Dr. Mary Leakey, wife of famed archeologist Louis Leakey. Mary had an equally stunning career, though not formally educated. In love with Africa from the start, she stood her ground as a respected paleoanthropologist and companion of Louis.

This story added fictional Grace, a teenager who comes with her estranged father to Mary’s dig in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Her father George hopes to restore his relationship with an angry Grace. Mary Leakey sees many commonalities with Grace and helps to steer her in the right direction.

It’s a story of love, relationships, archeological digs, animals, career paths, dedication, and, of course, Africa. I recommend this story for all historical fiction lovers, but especially those with an interest in the Leakeys and Africa.

Follow Me to Africa is a historical novel based on the life of Mary Leakey, one of the 20th century's leading paleoanthropologists. The book is set up as a dual timeline; Mary's story from 1930-1983 alternates with the story of Grace, a young woman who follows her father to Leakey's camp in 1983. Grace is completely fictional, and it seems as though the device of creating a young, troubled girl for Mary to mentor is written to allow Mary to expound on the lessons she has learned and to wrap up her life and work.

The author does a wonderful job at presenting the beauty and mystery of the African landscape and the creatures that live there. More than once I had to leave the book to look up information or images because the material was so fascinating. That said, the one thing that bothered me about the book was the lack of detail about Leakey's work or paleoanthropology in general. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that Mary basically walked around until she saw something interesting, then dug a bit and pulled it out of the ground like a potato. In reality, I know that the field is enormously complex and difficult, and involves many specialized techniques to ensure the safety of the artifact being excavated. Instead, the author chooses to spend more time on Mary and Louis's courtship and marriage and Grace's involvement with trying to save an endangered cheetah. A good story, but I wanted more detail on the digs themselves, the artifacts (which remain some of the most important finds in the field) and Mary's innovative sorting system. Still, the story as presented is interesting, readable, and engaging.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks/Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I think fans of historical dramas will enjoy FOLLOW ME TO AFRICA. Mary Leakey is well-known in some circles but others are not familiar with her. Readers in both groups should find much to admire.

There are two timelines, and Mary appears in both, both as a young girl and as a seventy-year-old. I'm not sure this construct was necessary, but I know some readers are fans of dual timelines.

While I enjoyed the novel very much, I'll confess that Grace's narrative seemed a bit forced. She seemed younger than 17, and I felt she was present merely as a device. She did not necessarily comes across like a real multi-dimensional person.

I enjoyed how Mary and Grace join together to save Lisa. Grace also matures as the story progresses, especially as Mary shares her wisdom.

The reveal of the big secret adds a layer of intrigue.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

This is a beautifully crafted and fascinating historical fiction story based on the life of Mary Leakey, one of the world’s most renowned paleoanthropologist. She led an unusual life and had very little formal education, yet was granted a number of honorary doctorates for her impressive field work. She had a sharp mind and eye for detail and had a gift of drawing the items she saw. She was employed to do some illustrations for archaeologist Louis Leakey for his book. But a romance developed between them. This was a problem as he was married with a child and pregnant wife. The scenes of encounter between these three were quite harrowing, as one would expect, but Penny Haw handles it all with skill and understanding. Eventually Mary joins Louis on his next adventures to the beautiful Tanzania in East Africa where her second love blossoms. Olduvai Gorge captures her heart, lock stock and barrel.

Mary’s love of archaeology was inspired by her father’s interest in it. On top of this, she had a keen curiosity and this drove her to learn all she could about the past. When questioned by seventeen year old Grace, about its importance, she says that she believes it is impossible to know everything but it doesn’t mean she does not want to try. And then says this is why the career she has chosen is perfect for her as her curiosity will never be satisfied. There is quite a profound nugget of truth in this revelation. For it means she will never get bored with her profession. It will never lose its sparkle as there will always be potential endless discoveries. Thus, she will be part of a never ending story.

Although this novel is inspired by Mary Leakey’s life, there is more. The author created two timelines with Mary in both. One with her younger self in the 1930s and the other in 1983 when she is seventy. In the 1983 thread, fictional character Grace (along with her parents) is cleverly added to the narrative to help tell Mary’s story. There are a few parallels between Grace and a younger Mary. Grace is a teenager who has lost her mother and is now on a dig with her once estranged father in Tanzania working under Mary. It is here Grace’s common interests with the older woman, shared losses and vibrant passion for animals becomes visible. A hand raised female cheetah turned out into the wild becomes injured. Hungry and thirsty, she finds her way to their site. Together Grace and Mary work to save Lisa (the cat). (The cat’s name has an interesting background but I will leave that for readers to discover.) During this time, Grace learns a lot about herself, her abilities and the direction she wants to take in her life. Mary is often lending valuable advice to her when asked. Much of her input had me nodding in agreement because it is wisdom that only experience and years can bring. There is a secret too that unfolds at the end and reconnection comes with its revelation—particularly for Grace and her father. There is a lot of character development, healing and realising of dreams. And despite the challenges, there is a positive outcome.

This is a powerful and moving story that inspired and warmed my heart. I love that it is based on a woman of significance who made quite a number of contributions to the science world, against the odds. The setting is critical in this novel and one that inspires awe. Penny Haw has described Tanzania’s great landscape beauty, its wild but alluring dangers and its captivating animals. I learned a great deal reading the novel and felt as though I had visited this place and met these people. Follow Me to Africa is a true charmer— an unputdownable read. I did not want to disembark this fascinating journey that held me captive from the first page to the last. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for a review copy.

I thought this was a good read. I've always had an interest in archaeology, so I liked learning a bit more about it. Mary Leakey was a trailblazer, one of few women in the field ( literally!) in the early days. Grace was a confused young girl, trying to understand her parents and find a path of her own. Her connection with Mary added to the story. Though this IS fiction, it was loosely based on Mary's life. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read the ARC. I definitely recommend!

Penny Haw’s Take Me to Africa is a beautifully crafted historical fiction centered around the life of real-life trailblazer, Mary Leakey. Set against the dreamy backdrop of Africa, the novel perfectly captures the spirit of adventure and discovery. The character development is masterfully done, making Mary’s journey both personal and inspiring. As my first introduction to Haw’s work, this book exceeded expectations, earning a solid 4 stars. I’m definitely looking forward to exploring more from this author!

Having experienced the vastness of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater first hand, the author beautifully and with great accuracy captures Africa’s expansive landscapes and animals. Only a couple pages in and the tension builds quickly. It doesn’t give you too much too fast, which leaves you eager to learn more. I could barely put this book down. I sometimes have a hard time going back and forth between timelines, but this book made it seamless. I never felt lost or confused. The writing is exquisite. I felt like I was there, could see, feel and hear everything. This will be a must read when it comes out, I have no doubts.

This novel is a beautiful tribute to resilience, the pursuit of passion, and the bonds that unite us, making it a must-read for anyone who cherishes stories of strong women carving their own paths in history.

"She’d come to Africa because she was curious, ambitious, and adventurous."

Animals or Fossils?  This is the question Dr Mary Leakey, famed archeologist, asks Grace to consider as the 17 year old struggles with her future.

Like Grace, I chose 'Animals' when it comes to the alternating POVs of Grace (1983) and Mary (beginning in 1930 through 1983).

In 1983, Grace travels with her estranged father - who she calls George - to an archeological dig in Tanzania following her mother's death. Dr Mary (Nicol) Leakey, famed archeologist, forms an unexpected bond with Grace as they care for a hand reared cheetah, Lisa.

In 1930, Mary Nicol, interested in attending scientific lectures and expanding her knowledge outside the bounds of standard education, is mentored by two female scientists. Mary is independent, has a strong work ethic, and a passion for Africa.

I enjoyed this story, especially the alternating timelines.  The author never spending too long in either one, which left me looking forward to returning to each part of the story.  I returned again and again to the importance of strong, independent, and educated women mentoring women in the scientific community.

The setting was full of sensory imagery. I could see the changing colors of the savannah, touch the dirt, taste the dust, and feel/hear the cheetah's purr.

The stories I've enjoyed most this year are works of biographical fiction, introducing me to woman I had not known. Who will be next?

I highly recommend this book.

This is such an interesting book about anthropology and how humankind started. It was informative, made me think, and kept me intrigued. I was a fan of the dual timeline, it worked really well for this type of book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and especially the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review of the book!!

What an interesting novel about Mary Leakey a British paleoanthropologist and a troubled young teenaged girl who comes to Africa with her estranged father. after her mother dies Grace Clark comes to Africa with no expectations, she only came along because her father wanted her to. While there, however, Mary Leakey enlists Grace to sort and pack her fifty years of work and memories. It is while she is working with Ms. Leakey that Grace discovers her love for animals. When an injured cheetah arrives at the camp it is both Mary and Grace that work together to save it. However, Grace taking things too far, disappears with the animal on the morning she is to leave the camp. There is scarcity of time before the bush claims both Grace and the animal. I was so absorbed reading this story, as Africa is a place I've always wanted to explore. Unfortunately, that never happened, yet reading this book gave me the opportunity to at least see it in my mind. I love historical fiction, especially those that are biographical. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you have a fascination about the origins of humankind and the people who helped uncover many of those mysteries, then you’ll love this work of fiction based on the life of famed anthropologist, Mary Leakey

I was intrigued both by the description and the absolutely gorgeous cover, but I was a bit let down by the writing style. I didn’t feel like it flowed very well and it felt a bit “heavy” with telling instead of showing. Also the dialogue felt a bit awkward at times.

However, it was very interesting to read about Mary and her work since I was not very familiar with her prior to reading this book. As a fan of historical fiction I love it when the characters actually have excited in real life and you get to know them a bit more through a book, even if it’s fiction.

I love paleo-anthropology and was excited to read a fictional book about a real life person. It had that element that I was looking for and thought the feel really worked well together with what I wanted. I had enjoyed other works from Penny Haw and this had that writing style that I was expecting and thought the characters were wonderfully done. It uses the dual timeline perfect and thought the concept worked overall. It had that realism that I was looking for and glad I got to read this.