"The Paris Wife" Author Launch Event for New Novel in Darien

Barrett Bookstore will host author of “The Paris Wife” Paula McLain for a launch event for her new novel “Circling the Sun.”

The event will be held July 28 at 7 p.m. at the Darien Community Association, 274 Middlesex Road.

“The Paris Wife” was a huge book for us, and the favorite selection of many local book clubs,” says Sheila Daley, owner of Barrett Bookstore. “We feel privileged to have Ms. McLain come to Darien on the publication date of her new book.”

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Set during the 1920’s and 30’s, “Circling the Sun” tells the story of Beryl Markham, a strong, intelligent and fearless girl growing up in the dramatic farmlands of Kenya. Beryl’s family moves to Africa from London because of her father’s dream to begin a horse farm, and while Beryl loves it, Beryl’s mother does not and leaves. Beryl is raised both by her father and the native Kipsigis tribe who share his estate, but primarily she learns how to take care of herself. Fiercely independent, she sets her own path, learning to become a horse trainer, as her own father was, in a time when no woman had ever done so. Her rambunctious style attracts the eye of the Happy Valley set, a bohemian community of European expats who also live and love by their own set of rules. It is within this crowd that she meets the charismatic Denys Finch Hatton, a safari hunter, and Karen Blixen, author of the classic memoir “Out of Africa” and becomes involved in a passionate love triangle. The affair also introduces her to her other great passion, aviation. McLain’s powerful tale reveals the extraordinary adventures of a woman before her time, the exhilaration of freedom and its cost, and the tenacity of the human spirit.

Tickets are $28.00 and may be purchased at Barrett Bookstore (203-655-2712) or online at www.barrettbookstore.com. A signed copy of the book, wine and refreshments are included in the ticket price.