Out of Darkness, Shining Light

Oh my goodness, this book. It is such a beautiful depiction of personal sacrifice, love and loyalty. When Dr. David Livingston died in Africa, his cook, Halima and Jacob Wainwright a freed slave decide to carry his body across the entire continent so he can be buried back in England and his ministry continued. 

It's an amazing story and one I will remember for a long time. I never thought I would enjoy a book about two people carrying a dead body across a country, but it was seriously so, so good!

Witty ~ Literary ~ Imaginative

tl;dr: Even the great explorers had a great deal of help.

Zimbabwe author Petina Gappah writes about the people who helped David Livingstone on his journey through sub-Saharan Africa. The book has short chapters, framed like memoir/ diary, and tell the story of the travels from the view of his African staff. I loved the way the author alluded to Livingstone through the staff's reflections. Each of the characters are so well-rounded. Livingstone's great "successes" are placed in context, and diminished in import, accordingly. This book is would be a wonderful read in a course about Colonialism and colonial ways of thinking, as well as a good read for any person who enjoys historical fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this. I don't have much else to say so I'm going to repeat myself. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. I loved this.

An interesting story of historical fiction. Well-researched and very well-written; an incredible 1000 mi journey. The characters were well-formed and the dialog solid. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

REVIEW
This is a meditative read of imaginative fiction. It's a story of a journey, based in fact, built for the reader into fiction. Petina Gappah's work Out of Darkness, Shining Light is exquisitely researched and dives into the story of David Livingstone. It explores deep themes of love, loyalty, and the legacy of slavery. I found it to be a fascinating story.

PRAISE
“Engrossing, beautiful, and deeply imaginative, Out of Darkness, Shining Light, is a novel that lends voice to those who appeared only as footnotes in history, yet whose final, brave act of loyalty and respect changed the course of it. An incredible and important book by a masterful writer.”
—Yaa Gyasi, author of Homegoing

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Scribner for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Sometimes I worry that I am too stingy with 5 star reviews. I'll read something and think it's great, but not quite 5 stars for me.

Then I read a book like this. The books I save my 5 stars for, so that my 5 stars really mean something. This book is fantastic. I learned about Livingtone and his expeditions, something I didn't really know about previously. The Poisonwood Bible is one of my favorite books, and similarly, this book took us into the intricacies of Africa in the face of colonization. I also appreciated the insight into the slave trade in Africa, during a period of time when it was being outlawed in the UK, and the dynamics of how the slave trade worked. This book touches on a ton of important history in a way that is deft, nuanced, and sympathetic. I felt like it truly captured some of the moral ambiguities of religion, colonization and the slave trade.

The author is also excellent at writing from two points of view and capturing very different and essential characters. It honestly felt like I was hearing from two real people who had vastly different life experiences. I liked Halima more than Jacob, but found them both to be sympathetic in their ways. Writing from both of their points of view really allowed the reader to see things from two perspectives without feeling pushed or forced into one viewpoint over the other. The characters feel rich and fully developed, the story complete and compelling.

Mostly, this book felt important. It covers a lot of important aspects of history and spends a lot of time in the moral gray area, allowing the reader to experience a slice of history from many perspectives without having any lessons crammed down our throats. Instead, it felt easy to see how the difficulties of life and life experiences can sway people to make decisions that don't feel purely right or wrong, when those decisions look more black and white from a more detached perspective. Would highly recommend.

Scottish explorer and medical missionary, David Livingstone, relentlessly searched for the source of the Nile, the world's longest river. In the final two years of his life, he still had "Nile madness". In the opinion of Livingstone's acerbic cook Halima, the Nile had been there since time began. The river would continue to flow whether the source was found or not. Halima's advice, "...go home to your children, find a wife 'to warm your bed'." Livingstone refused to return to England despite becoming ill and frail. He died in 1873 in what is present day Zambia. How is Livingstone to be interred?

"He will not rest easy...those who are buried away from home walk abroad...they know no rest...". "He must be buried in the way of his faith...He must...be buried on ground that is consecrated...we cannot bury him here." Halima's suggestion: "We will smoke him...dry him in the sun...He would be light enough to carry then...we bury his heart here and carry his bones to his own land." In the handwritten diaries of Jacob Wainwright, a former slave, Wainwright documents the burial of Livingstone's heart and innards at the base of a Myula tree. Sixty-nine men, women and children decide that Livingstone's body, encased in a cylinder of bark, covered in sailcloth and weather-proofed with tar, must be carried on poles by a rotation of two men, along with his writings and maps. They embark, on foot, taking a perilous journey of over 1,000 miles, from Zambia to Zanzibar, to ultimately repatriate his remains.

The journey of Livingstone's body to its final resting place is told by two principals, Halima, his cook and Jacob Wainwright, as his documentarian. "Out of Darkness, Shining Light" by Petina Gappah brings to light many issues existing in 19th Century Africa. Halima says,"I know but little about the world...but there is nothing you can tell me about how slaves are passed on and how they are freed." Jacob Wainwright, a freed slave, wants to became an ordained priest and "convert the masses" to Christianity. What will be the ripple effect of Livingstone's discoveries if his writings and maps reach England? Author Gappah has thoroughly researched and presented a historical fiction masterpiece I highly recommend.

Thank you Scribner and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Out of Darkness, Shining Light".

3.75

This book journals the aftermath of Dr. David Livingtone’s death; English physician, missionary and humanitarian. It is delivered from two POVs; his female cook, Halimi and from Jacob Wainwright, a Christian missionary. Dr. Livingstone has bestowed himself a man of great significance among their people. He is deified because of his contributions to their village. (He is referred to as Bwana (‘Master’) Daudi, and Halimi, is ‘his favorite slave to a white muzungu.’)

I thoroughly enjoyed the spirited narration coming from Halimi’s POV. Her prose is funny, witty and sharp. She is a refreshing character to read in such a dark and unusual situation. Her deep inquisitiveness and assertiveness sets the story for minor conflict. (I found myself rooting for her as she professes her deep yearning for freedom from slave and patriarchal norms in 1870s Zambia, Africa.)

Wainwright’s POV was beautifully written, but much slower paced. It reads more technically to their journey, rather than a traditional story arc.

Her story telling is vivid with great sensory details. I like how she also chose deeply contrasting characters; both in a truly extraordinary situation. ("Whoever heard," she said, 'of a group of people marching from place to place with a dead body.")

I received this ARC from Scribner (for Simon and Schuster) via NetGalley.com for an honest review.

A moving book of historical fiction.An amazing journey a story of love and loyalty past a persons final days on earth.Take this journey its such a wonderful read.#netgalley #scribners

Out of Darkness, Shining Light describes the story of David Livingston and the themes of strength, determination, love, loyalty and courage. The characters were well developed and it had a very interesting plot. A fascinating story, well written and I appreciated the research that went into this book. I would be interested in reading more of this author. My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.