Another engrossing biographical historical fiction book from this author! This book is a dual timeline story with one part in 1983 and the other from the 1930's to 1983. The latter is based on the life of Mary Leakey, and astonishing woman with no formal education, who became a world renowned paleoanthropologist. Her life had me enthralled. What courage she had to flout the conventions of her time. The 1983 story did not interest me as much as it is based on a few fictional characters who interact with Mary. I very much appreciated the author notes at the end of the book that talked about who was real and who wasn't. I highly recommend this book for those who are interested in African anthropology and archeology.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and Netgalley for an early copy of this book. All thoughts and comments in this review are entirely my own.

A teenage girl follows her estranged father to Africa on an archeological dig. She doesn't want to be there but begins to discover the beauty around her. Her connections with the dig's leader and a cheetah will have her looking deep within herself and reconciling the past. 
This is not a story you can speed through. The perspectives bounce from the young teenage girl in the 80s to the leader as a young woman in the 40s. That got confusing in the beginning as I tried to get familiar with the characters. Eventually, I moved in time quite easily. 
Overall, I didn't see this story as a plot driven one. It is character driven. Grace is a teenager with a big attitude due to the fact that her father abandoned her before her mother died. She's in Africa where she doesn't want to be. The reader sees her internal struggles as she attempts to come to grips with her perspective of the past and the truth. During that time, she finds a connection with Mary who leads the dig. But Mary has her own past she has had to overcome and helps her connect with Grace. 
The chapters that visit Mary's past helps the reader see how much her own life is similar with Grace's in the desire to be her own person yet still not sure of her heart's desire. Africa calls to each of them for different paths but journeys that cross each other's. 
A very thought-provoking book that will have the reader discovering they have a vested interest in the characters' decisions. It is not what happens next that pulls the reader in. It is what the characters decide and learn.

Follow Me to Africa imagines real story of Mary Leakey who became one of the world’s most distinguished paleoanthropologists despite not having formal education. Her passion, determination, curiosity and hard work earned her numerous prestigious awards and four honorary doctorate degrees.

Her story runs alongside a fictional character which purpose was to question “What would you tell your younger self?”

The story begins in 1983 when Grace arrives in Tanzania at Olduvai George where she feels unwelcomed by Dr. Mary Leakey. When Grace arrives at the archeological dig’s camp with her father from England, she is still in a state of sorrow after losing her mother.

When Mary lost her father at a young age, she found her strength in following her passion for archeology. Thus, Mary, knowing that Grace lost her mother, recognizes the need for mentorship for Grace who is lost in her sorrow and doesn’t have any goals in her life. When a cheetah in a dire state approaches the camp, she creates a bond between Mary and Grace as they care for the animal.

With dual timeline, the story goes back to 1930s London and reveals how Mary’s father had a big influence on her; and how she set her heart on archeology; how her passion led her toward the right people assisting her in her growth; and further leading her to meeting her husband, and their common interest on finding evidence of early hominids in East Africa.

The narrative is thoughtfully imagined with backstories beautifully building the dimensions to the characters. Mary’s archeological accomplishments make this biographical fiction very rich in historical background. The personal growth is caringly woven into this story, touching upon themes of parental influence, mentorship of others, setting goals, being passionate about one’s pursuits, challenging one’s believes, and influence of experiencing certain place.

Follow Me to Africa, a story of two strong female characters, is set against the wild African nature and bringing out the dimensions of the setting through vital ecosystem and animal conservation. Further showing how thoughtfully the story is imagined. The dimensions of this story are superb.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Grace Clark has lost her mother and barely knows her father. Mary Leakey has had a storied career in illustrations and archaeology, but her work with her husband and on her own in Africa made her a household name. What few knew though, was the loss and loneliness Mary felt behind the scenes throughout her life. So when a teenaged Grace Clark moves into Mary’s dig camp with her father, Mary sees herself at that age – a girl needing a chance to grieve her loss and find purpose to help move forward. What happens next surprises them all.

South African author Penny Haw is back with her latest historical fiction release Follow Me to Africa. Following real-life archaeologist Mary Leakey from her budding career as an illustrator to her later years directing excavations in the Olduvai Gorge, the author delivers a biographical novel mixed with a little fiction that will pull readers in. Examining the dangers and the thrills of life in the Sahara, this novel is the perfect read for history and archaeology lovers alike.

I give Follow Me to Africa 5 out of 5 stars. I grew up loving archaeology and initially wanted to chase the origins of civilization across the world by following fossils. I really enjoyed reading about Leakey’s life and her struggle to work through the influential early loss of her father. Haw builds beautiful imagery and makes the landscape leap off the page. With some scientific terminology and difficult vocabulary, some readers may find this a bit difficult to follow. In the afterword, the author acknowledges that the plot timeline has been adjusted and some events in Leakey’s life have been altered. Typical to historical fiction, the author also added in characters that were not present in Leakey’s life. The alteration of the timeline is the only reason this book didn’t receive a perfect 5.0 rating.

With some references to adultery and sex, this book would be best directed to more mature readers over 13. I would highly recommend this for anyone who, like me, grew up fascinated by fossils and tracking early civilization. This would also be a great book for a woman entering the field of archaeology – seeing the obstacles Leakey overcame to follow her passions is inspiring! I would also recommend this for any historical fiction book club with so many interesting encounters to unpack.

As I mentioned, I chose this book based on the description – Leakey is a bit of a hero for me. However, this novel has a beautiful cover and interesting title that both drew my attention. I’ve not yet had the pleasure of reading Haw’s other historical fiction, but will be circling back to read The Invincible Miss Cust and The Woman at the Wheel soon!

Follow Me to Africa will release February 25th but you can preorder your copy today in our Bookshop.org store!

Follow Me to Africa was the epitome of Women’s Fiction. I loved it! I do not think this book will be for everyone. I think it is perfect for anyone who loves literature and stories that don’t need to be overall dramatic to be interesting. The alternating timeline is also just perfect to keep you on your toes!

This fantastic book is historical fiction inspired by the story of Mary Leakey, who carved her own path to become one of the world's most distinguished paleoanthropologists. It is a dual timeline tale that explores the consequences of our choices, the wisdom that comes with time and reflection, and the relationships that make us who we are. The sense of place is outstanding; Haw transported me to the plains of Africa. For fans of well-crafted historical fiction based on fact and trailblazing women.

One of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read. A really detailed plot and beautiful imagery, the descriptions of Africa and the archaeological dig sites were so vivid.

I loved the dual timeline choice as it really fleshed out both main characters and provided lots of backstory for them both.

First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, publishers Sourcebooks Landmark and author, Penny Haw for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review. Publication date is currently set for February 25, 2025.

A mixture of both non-fiction and fiction, author Penny Haw has melded these two elements brilliantly.

Born in London, England on February 6, 1913; Mary Douglas Nicol (later to marry husband, Louis Leakey) was a girl with a talent for drawing and a keen interest in archaeology. Mary's father, Erskine Edward Nicol was a painter and for most of the year, the family travelled the Continent - to locations in the United States, Italy and Egypt where he painted watercolours and brought them back to London to sell during the English Summer. It was during this time, exposed to the wonders of Ancient Egypt that Mary first developed her enthusiasm for Egyptology.

The story has a dual-timeline, one set in the 1930s, and the other is set in 1983 when Mary is now seventy years young.

Aside from Mary's character, the author has written in another female lead – that of 17-year-old, Grace Clark. When Grace's mother passed away, she had little choice but to accompany her estranged father, George to Tanzania, where he was working on an archaeological dig at Olduvai Gorge on the Serengeti Plains with renown archaeologist and anthropologist, Mary Leakey. Her father had told her it was only for 10 days, but, as the reader will discover, a lot can unfold in ten days.

With alternating POVs the reader learns about both Mary and Grace's history and how Mary came to be who she is now.

This is another case of 'don't judge a book by its cover'; and by that I mean, when you first meet Mary Leakey your first impressions might not be altogether correct. As the story gains momentum, the reader learns more about Mary's character, more about Africa, and more about the sciences and palaeontology than one would have expected.

The author's descriptive imagery manages to evoke the smells, colours, sounds and shapes of the Serengeti and its inhabitants. The characters are fully fleshed out and at times, vulnerably raw; but are at all times - engaging.

The passion, love, dedication, drive and belief Mary Leakey had for her work is unparalleled.

Louis and Mary Leakey were monumental figures in the field of palaeoanthropology and their groundbreaking discoveries helped shape our understanding of human origins. Now, the Leakey family is synonymous with the study of human evolution, with three generations making important contributions to science.

Mary Leakey passed away in Nairobi, Kenya in 1996, aged 83.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Sourcebooks Landmark for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This book brought me back to my university days. The promise of a future that was both intriguing and a mystery, both wrapped up in anthropology with a focus in archaeology. I was transported back to the days of being a shovel bum, living out of hotels, waiting for anything promising to poke its way out of the ground or find its way into my screen. Begging for its story to be told. To be a piece of the puzzle or to completely blow-up what scholars believed. Archaeology is always moving and changing. The next big discovery could lead to history being rewritten. Who is the most famous female archaeologist, Mary Leakey of course. Penny Haw transported me to the Olduvai Gorge, where a plethora of sites were found over the years. Sites and bones that changed the thinking of archaeology forever.

Grace is being forced to visit her father's excavation site in Olduvai Gorge. She has been resisting the trip. Africa and its majestic pull have wrapped Grace into her arms. Her fascination with the continent growing with each passing day. Her father has been working closely with Mary Leakey. When they are introduced, Grace is intimidated by this older woman. Who is packing up her life's work and getting ready to move full-time to her home in Nairobi. Both women are full of mixed emotions. Grace struggling with the death of her mother and the reappearance of her father and Mary for having to say goodbye to her one true love. The vast savannah and all she has uncovered over the years.

Mary was a woman beyond her time. She would get down and dirty to look at an artifact, a piece of bone, debitage, or anything that would catch her eye on one of her site walkovers. It is a dual timeline. Told throughout Mary's life starting in the 1930s, ending in 1983 when Grace comes to visit. It was a short time that they spent together and yet they taught each other so much. I loved that Penny Haw brought methodical, mindful, note oriented Mary Leakey to life. Without her modern-day archaeology would be vastly different. She cared for the artifacts and what they could tell us. Thank you to Penny Haw and Sourcebook Landmark for my gifted copy of this trip back in time.

Glad I read this one while visiting East Africa, because if not, it would have had me longing for the region. I didn’t even realize it was biographical historical fiction until I accidentally read some of the author’s note when I was half way through. Could have used a bit more action and one or two more surprise animal encounters, but it’s a good comp for lovers of Circling the Sun.

Another amazing historical fiction by Penny Haw! This one follows 17 year old Grace when she heads to Africa with her estranged father after her mother's death. It follows her POV as well as the woman she meets while there, Dr. Mary Leakey.

Mary tells her story of becoming an archeologist against all odds. She goes on to become the most accomplished woman paleoanthropologist of her time after very little schooling growing up and no university or college degree. She reflects back on her life during her time with Grace, helping her through her grief of losing her mother.

As is Penny Haw's usual, this book was so well researched and written. I was drawn in so quickly to both Grace and Mary's characters. Even the supporting characters were interesting to learn about. Also included in the book is a historical note at the back explaining what was fact and what was fiction and the author's decisions on what to include. I really enjoy reading about the process of writing the book and how it came to be.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC of this book!

I liked the dual timeline narrative as it makes it more interesting to read. The book didn't work for me as much as I thought it would, but I can't really explain why. In a way I enjoyed the reading as it brought me back to my trip in Africa. You can feel the love for animals from Mary Leaky and from the author, which I also appreciated. Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m soon traveling to Tanzania and saved this book to read close to my trip. It did not disappoint. I was immediately transfixed by the stories of Mary and Grace. I fell in love with Lisa and the setting. Overall a great book. I just wish I could have followed Grace a bit more!

First of all, what a beautiful cover. Second, I was all over this book having recently visited Kenya and loving the land, the animals and the people.

Being historical fiction we are introduced to Mary Leakey in the 1930's who became a famous paleoanthropologist. I won't tell you all about her discoveries, I'll let you discover that for yourself as you read this book! What a woman! I can't imagine what she was up against, 100 years ago.

Our second POV and time period is in the 1980's as Mary is still working in Tanzania and a young 17 year old girl comes to visit with her father as he works in the Olduvai Gorge (a famous archeological spot). This girl has struggled with great loss and in time she connects with Mary in a great way.

This story is methodical, and interesting. I absolutely loved the animals involved and the love of nature, respect for the land and an understanding of people shared. This book kept my attention throughout and I may secretly wish for the olden days when discoveries were "easier" to find?

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the gifted e-ARC.

Penny Haw has created such a wonderfully reimagined historical fiction story in Follow Me to Africa. Reading this book with her real-life descriptions transports me immediately back to glorious Tanzania with the verdant Ngorongoro Crater plus the much starker, but historically vital, Olduvai Gorge. Her character development of Mary Leakey and Grace so quickly and thoroughly brings them to life in this amazing tale. Couldn’t put this one down!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this beautiful ARC.

This novel centres around the fascinating story of Mary Leakey, one of the world’s most distinguished paleoanthropologists. Married to the famously charismatic Louis Leakey, Mary was more or less in his shadow when they began their work in Africa. However, with no tertiary education but armed with fierce dedication, conscientiousness and a love for Africa, Mary soon became a giant in her field.
In Follow me to Africa, Grace Clark, having recently lost her mother, unwillingly accompanies her father to Olduvai gorge, the site of Mary’s work. Gradually, as she becomes drawn in to helping Mary, Grace succumbs to the magic of the area, finds a deep love for its wildlife and becomes Mary’s protégé.
As the fictional story unfolds, we learn more of Mary’s fascinating background, her marriage to Louis and her subsequent discoveries. While this is a fictional story, and Grace is part of that fiction, author Penny Haw is true to the historical facts about Mary. Once again the author writes about a strong, influential woman who left her mark on this world.
This is a fascinating read about a remarkable woman, set in a remote part of Africa with its stark beauty and wildlife. Well worth a read.

“Follow Me To Africa” is a historical fiction book by Penny Haw. This book is told in two timelines - one following young (starting in the 1930s) Mary Leakey (nee Nicol) as she begins her “work life” as an illustrator very interested in paleontology. The second timeline (1980s) follows Grace, a 17-year-old teen who has, reluctantly, accompanied her estranged father on a dig in Africa. I found Ms. Haw’s idea of taking a frequently asked question (“what advice would you give your younger self?”) and tying that to the currently storyline via flashbacks in Mary’s life rather well done. I think Mary Leakey is often overshadowed by her husband’s work, but she did a lot to advance our knowledge of “early man” too. I found Mary’s storyline more interesting than the one with Grace, but Mary had a pretty interesting life. This book doesn’t only cover digs - there’s falling in love (with a place, a person, an animal), along with some heavier topics (divorce, estrangement), making hard decisions, and learning about life. I did like how Lisa, the cheetah, brought Mary and Grace together - and I would’ve liked a follow-up but that’s just me. Do read Ms. Haw’s Author’s Notes at the end of the book - it’s pretty interesting. I can see others enjoying this book -especially book club discussion groups - as there are quite a number of topics covered. And a shout-out for the cover - it’s very attractive and eye-catching.

My rating:

Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

General Fiction

Review:

What I like most about the book is the fact that this book tells the real life story of Mary Leakey and interweaves it with fictional elements. The story is cleverly told over a dual time line. The one starting in the 1930’s tells the story of Mary’s younger self and the one set in 1983 when she is seventy and meets Grace a young girl who seems to have a lot in common ground with Mary when she was younger and they become friends through their common love for animals.

The writing is vivid with the great attention to detail. The scenery really comes to live. It feels like you are actually there. This made the book very captivating and interesting. The main characters were interesting strong women and their actions explained well, this gave them a realistic feel.

Overall this is a captivating story full of love, for Africa, the beautiful nature and caring for animals. The friendship that develops between Mary and Grace helps to heal them both in a way. Very interesting and well written. I liked it a lot.

Review copy provided through Netgalley at no cost to me.

I do love a good historical fiction, and this one is no exception! Following a dual-POV split between the 1930s and 1980s, this novel follows two young women who both go on journeys of self-discovery as they venture into the world of paleoanthropology in Africa. Of note was how one of the main characters was based on world-renowned British paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey, which I thought was an amazing way to explore such themes and topics. This is a fantastic read, especially if you’re interested in all things history, culture, and self-reflection.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read the eARC early! This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025.

I really did enjoy this book and I love when historical fictions take a real life person from history and tell their story with some fictional elements added in.

The main character of this story is mostly Grace, a 17 year old girl who was brought by her father to Africa to work with Mary Leakey, a real life paleoanthropologist and our other main character.

The book is told from two POVs, from Grace's while she is with Mary and the other is Mary's POV as we learn about her history and how she came to be who she was.

I'll be honest. The character I was most invested in was Lisa, a cheetah who was released after being hand reared and came to Leakey's camp because she was struggling with taking care of herself and missed humans. Grace's love for Lisa and her affinity for animals after being a sad, lonely, and abandoned young girl is something I really felt for and could relate to.

There were a couple things I didn't like as much. I previously read The Invincible Miss Cust and the characters/story of that book really made me feel a rollercoaster of emotions in every direction. This book didn't quite get there for me. There were emotional moments that didn't exactly feel as though they dove deep enough. I did almost tear up a little with how Grace was talking about Lisa in one scene, but that was about it.

There were also two things at the end that I didn't vibe with as much. The ending felt a little abrupt because I was expecting at least another chapter or two to wrap something up.