Rules of the Wild

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A mesmerizing novel of love and nostalgia unfolds in contemporary East Africa, offering a sharp-eyed portrait of expatriates in Kenya. Romantic and often ironically resonant, it immerses readers in a landscape of stunning beauty while exploring themes of race, class, and a longing for home. The narrative introduces a diverse cast, including "safari boys," well-meaning samaritans, and fame-seeking reporters, all interconnected through dinner parties, romantic entanglements, and political debates, navigating their existence in a land where they feel out of place. Central to the story is Esmé, a beautiful young woman marked by her own ironies and introspections, who shares her journey with a voice that is both passionate and self-deprecating. Amidst the paradox of physical freedom and civil unrest, Esmé grapples with her identity in Africa and her feelings for two men: Adam, a second-generation Kenyan who reveals the wonders of her adopted land, and Hunter, a British journalist disillusioned by its harsh realities. This debut novel evokes the literary worlds of Isak Dinesen, Beryl Markham, and Ernest Hemingway, exploring our infinite desire for love and a place to call home.