West with the Night

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Markham portrays Africa as wild and untamable throughout her memoir. What effect did her descriptions of the African landscape and cultures have on your understanding of the continent?

2. West With the Night differs significantly from many other colonial-era memoirs in its celebration of risk and adventure. In what ways does it compare to other narratives about Africa, such as Isak Dinesen’s Out of Africa, which depicts the same time period and some of the same people?

3. Which episode in Markham’s life resonated with you most powerfully?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Markham writes, “I was unable to discuss the boredom of being alive with any intelligence until I had gone to London and lived there for a year” (9). What activities or experiences in your life have relieved feelings of monotony similar to how adventure energized Markham?

2. Loyalty emerges as a central virtue in Markham’s life. Which relationship in the memoir exemplifies the kind of loyalty you most value?

3. What is the riskiest decision you’ve made that ultimately proved worthwhile? Did it involve challenging any expectations that were placed upon you or that you had of yourself?

4. The author forms deeper connections with animals and the natural world than with most people in her narrative. How has your relationship with nature shaped your understanding of yourself?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Markham portrays herself as uniquely integrated into African culture while still benefiting from colonial privilege. What does her perspective reveal about both progressive and problematic attitudes toward colonialism during her era?

2. What lessons about cultural resilience can contemporary societies draw from the examples of Indigenous Kenyans in the memoir?

3. Markham describes the technological evolution of early aviation and its impact on isolated communities. In what ways has the rapid advancement of technology in our own time similarly transformed our relationship with distance and isolation?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Why might Markham have chosen to open her memoir with her rescue missions rather than beginning chronologically with her childhood?

2. Markham’s descriptions of flying mirror those of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in Wind, Sand and Stars, yet with distinctly feminine perspectives. What similarities and differences do you notice in how these aviation pioneers portrayed the experience of flight?

3. How do the animal characters advance the memoir’s themes?

4. Select a passage that showcases Markham’s sensory descriptions of the African landscape and discuss its effectiveness in immersing readers in her world.

5. What might Markham’s omission of her mother, marriages, and son reveal about her values and self-presentation?

6. Markham’s transatlantic flight serves as the climax of the memoir, yet receives relatively brief treatment compared to earlier adventures. What statement does this narrative choice make about achievement versus experience?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were making a film adaptation of West With the Night, which three episodes would you consider essential to include? Who would you cast as Markham?

2. Imagine having a conversation with Markham about modern aviation or contemporary safaris in Kenya. What would most surprise her about how these pursuits have evolved since her time?

3. What wisdom would Markham include in a letter of advice to a young person seeking adventure today?

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