‘West with the Night’ by Beryl Markham

Beryl Markham was one of the first female bush pilots in Africa and the first person to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic from east to west. “West with the Night” is her memoir, where she blends adventure, reflection, and poetic storytelling to recount her extraordinary life. 

First published in 1942, the book’s style is episodic, with each chapter focusing on a specific experience rather than following her life chronologically. It is a series of interconnected stories drawn from Markham’s background growing up and working in British East Africa, now Kenya.

Her early life plays a major role in shaping her identity. Raised by her father, Markham grew up largely outside traditional European society on his horse racing farm in Njoro, near the Great Rift Valley. She spent much of her childhood among native African communities, learning survival skills, languages, and an intrinsic respect for the land while her father trained racehorses. This unconventional upbringing gave her a strong sense of independence and confidence that later defined her career. Markham’s father moved to Peru when she was still a teenager, so she provided for herself with work that was physically demanding and often dangerous as a horse trainer and later as a pilot.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is Markham’s work as a bush pilot. She transported mail, supplies, and people across vast, largely unmapped regions of Africa. These flights were fraught with danger, including unpredictable weather, mechanical failures, and the constant threat of crashing in remote wilderness. Through these stories, Markham conveys both the thrill of flying and the isolation that comes with it.

A recurring theme in the book is the relationship between humans and nature. Markham portrays the African landscape as both beautiful and unforgiving. She writes about encounters with lions, elephants, and other animals, emphasizing their power and unpredictability. These moments are not romanticized but highlight the delicate balance required to survive in such an environment. Her respect for nature is evident, and she often suggests that humans are merely temporary visitors in a much larger, untamed world. 

Markham’s prose style is one of the book’s most distinctive features. Her writing is lyrical and richly descriptive, often resembling poetry more than traditional memoir. She uses brilliant imagery to bring the African landscape to life, describing the colors, the movement of animals, and the vastness of the terrain. This style can be challenging at times, as it requires careful reading to fully appreciate, but it also elevates the memoir beyond a simple recounting of events. Her language reflects a deep emotional connection to her experiences and surroundings. Beryl Markham’s storytelling is so vivid that I could smell the lion threatening to charge her and the hot dust surrounding them both. Reading her words, it is impossible not to picture the rippling muscles and bright eyes of the horses she trained.

Another important theme is solitude. Flying alone for long distances gave Markham time for deep reflection, and her writing often takes on a philosophical tone. She ponders fear, courage, and the meaning of her life, particularly in situations where survival is uncertain, but she does it in a way entirely free of melodrama. Her understated tone allows readers to appreciate the magnitude of her experiences without feeling overwhelmed by bravado.

Markham’s famous transatlantic flight serves as a powerful symbol of this solitude, not just a technical achievement but also a personal test of endurance and determination. She took off from Abingdon, England, Sept. 4, 1936. Flying against the prevailing winds made the journey especially difficult, and she describes the experience as both physically exhausting and mentally intense. After a 20-hour flight, her Percival Vega Gull, named “The Messenger,” suffered fuel starvation due to icing of the fuel tank vents, and she crash-landed on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. 

This book also subtly addresses identity and belonging. Markham exists between worlds — neither fully part of British colonial society nor entirely integrated into the African cultures she grew up alongside. This straddling of worlds shapes her perspective and contributes to her sense of independence. She does not conform to societal expectations, particularly those placed on women, and instead forges her own path. 

She lived in the United States, off and on, for the next 15 years, but returned to Kenya permanently in 1952, when she was 49 years old. She resumed her horse racing career and became the country’s most successful trainer, winning the East African Derby six times. She died in 1986, at the age of 84.

I first read “West with the Night” many years ago and remembered that I loved it. I did not fully remember why. It is a powerful and beautifully written book that captures the complexity of a life lived outside conventional boundaries in the 1920s and ’30s. Through her stories, Beryl Markham offers insight into the challenges and rewards of pursuing your own passions, as well as the importance of resilience and self-reliance. All these years after publication, this book remains a significant work in both aviation literature and memoir that can inspire readers, particularly young women, with its combination of courage, introspection, and poetic storytelling.