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Simbayo: Jenseits der Sonne
"A grand historical romance . . . Filled with passions, heartbreak and death." Chicago Sun-Times.
Liliane. Carolyn. Courtney. For half a century, they would devote themselves to the people of Simbayo, women healers bringing faith and hope to a beleaguered land . . . and to each other.
Liliane. Carolyn. Courtney. For half a century, they would devote themselves to the people of Simbayo, women healers bringing faith and hope to a beleaguered land . . . and to each other.
639 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
17 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Bickmore
29 books36 followersBARBARA BICKMORE wrote her first short story at seven and has been writing ever since. Her dream to become a published writer came true when EAST OF THE SUN was published in 1988. As her heroines grow they become women who make a difference and don't settle for living life the way society dictates. Readers will experience sorrow, pain, happiness, romance, love and will enjoy growing with the heroines as they rise to life's challenges.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 4, 2024
Damn depressing book. Three generations of women nurse and doctor their way through their African homeland. Their stories read at times like straight, serious historical fiction and at other times, like a bodice-rippery purple prose-fest.
Warning to all readers who have triggers, stay far away.
As to those who want to read a conventional romance FORGET IT!
I appreciate this author's rich writing but I don't think I will venture on to her other works soon because it takes too much of an emotional toll and I read mainly for escapism.
Warning to all readers who have triggers, stay far away.
As to those who want to read a conventional romance FORGET IT!
I appreciate this author's rich writing but I don't think I will venture on to her other works soon because it takes too much of an emotional toll and I read mainly for escapism.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2016
To classify this epic novel as simply "historical romance" is doing it a great disservice. Is there romance? Oh, yes. And it is bittersweet and devastating. But, at its heart, it's so much more. It's a medical drama, an epic portrait of the African continent and the struggles of its people, a feminist manifesto about three generations of women who lived extraordinary lives as they helped the sick and dying. It's also easy to think this book is just another "well meaning white people go to Africa to bring God and modern medicine." And it's not, at all. It might spend the first pages letting you think that, but it is not.
Lyrical and beautiful, this book flows seamlessly, sweeping you away into the jungles of Africa. I fell in love with Liliane from the first page. Her ambition, perseverance, and strength drove this book until the very end, despite tragedy and despair. The secondary characters were no different. You will fall in love first with Baxter, then with Marsh, and share in Liliane's heartache. You will be devastated and heartbroken. You will feel everything. The heat and humidity of Africa will envelope you as if you were actually there.
Getting sucked into this beautiful book was a privilege and a pleasure.
Lyrical and beautiful, this book flows seamlessly, sweeping you away into the jungles of Africa. I fell in love with Liliane from the first page. Her ambition, perseverance, and strength drove this book until the very end, despite tragedy and despair. The secondary characters were no different. You will fall in love first with Baxter, then with Marsh, and share in Liliane's heartache. You will be devastated and heartbroken. You will feel everything. The heat and humidity of Africa will envelope you as if you were actually there.
Getting sucked into this beautiful book was a privilege and a pleasure.
August 2, 2021
Dit is het levensverhaal van Liliane, die als jonge vrouw in de jaren '20 in de Congolese jungle arriveert en daar in een simpel ziekenhuisje gaat werken. Mooie en interessante beschrijvingen van de omgeving; de bevolking; de mensen die arriveren en weer weg gaan; en de problematiek in en rond het ziekenhuis. De laatste 50 pagina's, die voornamelijk over kleindochter Courtney gaan, hadden van mij niet gehoeven.
February 22, 2017
This is the only book I have read by this author. I see it is her first novel and she has written many more since. I picked it up at a library sale, liked the topic and noticed the high ratings on Goodreads.
With all that said, I must say this is among the best novels I have ever read. I personally think is it up there with "Gone With the Wind" and should be considered a 20 th Century classic. It is excellent in every way and deserves the highest rating possible, in my point of view and I read a lot.
Don't pass this one by. It is a keeper and you will want to read it more than once. I am looking forward to reading other novels by this author. When I read a story like this, I honestly feel that people that don't read are living in tunnel vision. Enjoy!
With all that said, I must say this is among the best novels I have ever read. I personally think is it up there with "Gone With the Wind" and should be considered a 20 th Century classic. It is excellent in every way and deserves the highest rating possible, in my point of view and I read a lot.
Don't pass this one by. It is a keeper and you will want to read it more than once. I am looking forward to reading other novels by this author. When I read a story like this, I honestly feel that people that don't read are living in tunnel vision. Enjoy!
August 12, 2017
EAST OF THE SUN, Barbara Bickmore, AFRICA, Belgian Congo, Rhodesia, South Africa, 1926-1981.
This prequel to West of the Moon which I read last year, had me fully engaged...a story of love, of loss, of monumental changes as the African countries achieved their independence, of turmoil and brutality...and how the Europeans brought modern medicine to the stone age tribes of the Congo.
This prequel to West of the Moon which I read last year, had me fully engaged...a story of love, of loss, of monumental changes as the African countries achieved their independence, of turmoil and brutality...and how the Europeans brought modern medicine to the stone age tribes of the Congo.
May 21, 2020
This is a saga of three generations of women who devoted their lives to medical treatment of the native tribes of Africa. It is an interesting, well-written book, full of imagery that makes the reader feel part of the action. My only complaint, and it's a major one, is that the book is too long. The story would have made a perfect trilogy, but it was exhausting read in its present form.
March 13, 2025
Back in the fall I acquired a bunch of used books. This was one of them and it’s been standing out every time I look on the shelves because I knew it was about Africa. I fell in love with the continent from afar when the Lion King came out and studied its geography for fun. After college my best friend taught English there for two years and I visited South Africa and Botswana one January and fell in love in person. My sister moved to Mozambique the next year where she met her husband while working with a ministry. So Africa is part of my family’s story. More recently I’ve lived vicariously through my roommate and other friends visiting. Maybe someday I’ll have money again and my anxiety flying will go away again.
Anyhow I knew I’d love this novel. It’s pure fiction but it’s based on a bunch of mission hospitals in the Congo, it follows the tragedy of beginning in 1926 and continues into the next generation taking you to Cape Town (swoon I absolutely loved it there) and then Rhodesia (at the time, now Zimbabwe) back to South Africa, and all around. It messes with your emotions-I mean someone actually gets eaten by a freakin snake. Doesn’t get more primitive than that! But the ins and outs of being in the medical field during that time are interesting. The jungle. The romance of it. What drives Liliane. What love is. What marriage is. There are many themes throughout. What keeps us going. What’s important in life. Makes me feel like I’m missing out!
It covers the horrible political situation that overtook the Congo as it became Zaire, it touches on the mystery illness eventually recognized now as AIDS though not yet in the novel, and there’s romance and tension on every page. It ends in 1981 and was published in 1988 so the style is dated, the language is American-I’m guessing no one bothered to research that South Africans wouldn’t say trousers and would take baths not showers. But otherwise it feels well researched. It’s graphic and gruesome and spicy so it would be rated R if it was a movie but it will stick with me the way the Poisonwood Bible did or the way Irma Jouberts books or dare I say Cry the Beloved Country-ok I won’t go that far. But for an old dated book it was quite the epic. Now I’m curious to see what other old ones I’ll discover I ended up with. Or if you’re looking for a modern South African story check out my author friend @jenniferarrington_author book The Counting Tree.
Overall I’d say definitely worth a read. If it were 1988 I’d give it 4.5 stars. There’s just some dated language and the inaccuracies about the language and probably some unnecessary spice make me give it 4 stars.
Anyhow I knew I’d love this novel. It’s pure fiction but it’s based on a bunch of mission hospitals in the Congo, it follows the tragedy of beginning in 1926 and continues into the next generation taking you to Cape Town (swoon I absolutely loved it there) and then Rhodesia (at the time, now Zimbabwe) back to South Africa, and all around. It messes with your emotions-I mean someone actually gets eaten by a freakin snake. Doesn’t get more primitive than that! But the ins and outs of being in the medical field during that time are interesting. The jungle. The romance of it. What drives Liliane. What love is. What marriage is. There are many themes throughout. What keeps us going. What’s important in life. Makes me feel like I’m missing out!
It covers the horrible political situation that overtook the Congo as it became Zaire, it touches on the mystery illness eventually recognized now as AIDS though not yet in the novel, and there’s romance and tension on every page. It ends in 1981 and was published in 1988 so the style is dated, the language is American-I’m guessing no one bothered to research that South Africans wouldn’t say trousers and would take baths not showers. But otherwise it feels well researched. It’s graphic and gruesome and spicy so it would be rated R if it was a movie but it will stick with me the way the Poisonwood Bible did or the way Irma Jouberts books or dare I say Cry the Beloved Country-ok I won’t go that far. But for an old dated book it was quite the epic. Now I’m curious to see what other old ones I’ll discover I ended up with. Or if you’re looking for a modern South African story check out my author friend @jenniferarrington_author book The Counting Tree.
Overall I’d say definitely worth a read. If it were 1988 I’d give it 4.5 stars. There’s just some dated language and the inaccuracies about the language and probably some unnecessary spice make me give it 4 stars.
September 11, 2017
I can't wait to read more by this author. She lived in Anacortes which is a short distance from my town.
I loved the strong female characters. It follows a woman, her daughter and then her grand daughter in Africa. (from the Congo to Zimbabewe. ) It follows and talks about people who are not conventional. It's about wanting to make things better. It is about people who have money who use to help others mostly in the medical way.
Thank you , sister-in-law Tracy for giving it to me for my birthday.
I loved the strong female characters. It follows a woman, her daughter and then her grand daughter in Africa. (from the Congo to Zimbabewe. ) It follows and talks about people who are not conventional. It's about wanting to make things better. It is about people who have money who use to help others mostly in the medical way.
Thank you , sister-in-law Tracy for giving it to me for my birthday.
February 25, 2019
Ég las þessar bækur á tíunda áratugnum og fannst þær í flokki þeirra bestu sem ég hafði lesið. Í desember 2018 rakst ég á þær á markaði fyrir góðgerðarmál og freistaðist til að lesa þær aftur. Það má kannski segja að aldurinn sé farinn að segja til sín eða smekkurinn breytingum háður. Mér fannst þær ekki eins magnaðar og þegar ég las þær fyrst en þær fylla enn flokk þeirra bóka sem ég tel góðar, bæði fyrir hjarta og samvisku.
April 30, 2019
What I liked:
- It was cheesy, but sometimes cheesy is good.
- I totally wanna go to Africa now!
What I didn't like:
- Carolyn was not a very interesting caracter. Both Liliane and Courtney have depth, but Carolyn is just boring.
- This is a readable romance novel, but what makes it readable isn't the romance. All of these women are just to naive.
- It was cheesy, but sometimes cheesy is good.
- I totally wanna go to Africa now!
What I didn't like:
- Carolyn was not a very interesting caracter. Both Liliane and Courtney have depth, but Carolyn is just boring.
- This is a readable romance novel, but what makes it readable isn't the romance. All of these women are just to naive.
September 26, 2024
This was the book that I read with my sister when we were way too young for romance novels! It got us dreaming about Africa. While she got there first, I am excited to join her in Tanzania for my 50th birthday. Four stars for sheer entertainment and for opening my young eyes to the possibilities, as a book should!
May 27, 2020
I first read this book in 2012 & again in 2016 , so In light of this pandemic I found
Comfort in rereading this wonderful story
Over the years I’ve read all of Barbara Bickmore’s historical novels of Africa & Australia. I own collection now
Comfort in rereading this wonderful story
Over the years I’ve read all of Barbara Bickmore’s historical novels of Africa & Australia. I own collection now
November 16, 2019
I quit reading this book about half-way. While I appreciated the African history, it was tiresome to have so many racy passages. I tried to skip reading these pages, but it became too cumbersome.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2020
Wow! What a ride!
An amazing story based on fact and made even more interesting by the authors fictional characters. I can’t wait to start the sequel
An amazing story based on fact and made even more interesting by the authors fictional characters. I can’t wait to start the sequel
February 13, 2020
SO much happens in this book! It almost felt as if it could have been three separate novels as it spans an entire lifetime. There is definitely a lot of death and heartbreak but the overarching theme of living out one’s passion is truly remarkable considering the circumstances that these doctors and nurses devote their lives to.
January 4, 2025
Things I thought this book would be:
Hopeful, uplifting, romantic, beautiful, insightful
Things the book actually was:
Traumatizing, depressing, disquiet, frustrating
First of all, this should have been a trilogy. There was clearly so much the author wanted to write about, and a lot of it wasn’t actually written because there wasn’t room for it in a single book. You get so much insight into one character that every character after gets less and less, until they become almost obsolete unless in reference to a more detailed and important character. The character building absolutely needs work, and I honestly feel like that so obvious I don’t even have to explain it. The time jumping at times is really off-putting and took me out of the story, and just left me confused and wanting. When there were things I wanted more of, more detail, more time spent on them… BAM! Time jump. No explanations or details on the things that interested me, just a broad explanation of what happened in literal years. Sometimes I couldn’t even keep up with the passing of time because it was so random.
I love that this book is set in Africa. I love the history of Africa thrown into the book, and how real it is. I love that the author was attempting to make this place more realistic and alive for those of us that have never been, and don’t know much about Africa.
There, I said something nice.
That being said…
I had a hard time reading about the natives. I often felt confused as to whether or not the characters whose perspective I was reading from were racist or not. Or maybe if it was the author herself. Some descriptions made me very uncomfortable, and didn’t seem appropriate. I’m aware the book was written in the 80’s, and a lot of the things written wouldn’t have caused anyone to think twice about whether the descriptions were ok to use. Frankly, it doesn’t matter though. It served to make me uncomfortable, and I didn’t like it. It was really giving “I have a black friend so I can’t be racist.”
This book should come with warning labels. It should come with trigger warnings. It SHOULD NOT be classified as a romance! Yes, there was some romance. It was NOT the main plot of the story. It was at most, a side quest and a distraction. This book was extremely traumatizing and upsetting. Yes, I have cptsd and that colors my perception. But even so, I’m not typically a person who needs trigger warnings or has trouble digesting difficult content. This book was just different. It was like, “Hey, you see this? This moment she really needs this person and she’s hopeful because she finally has them (or she will soon). *Metaphorical gunshot* Well they’re dead now.” Not just once either. Over and over again. There is a high number of deaths in this book, and they’re mostly unrelated to the medical elements of the storyline. Reading this book left me feeling tight in the chest, sobbing, depressed, and traumatized, while repeating to myself over and over “I hate this book. I hate it so much.” I finished it out of pure curiosity to see if it got better or had a happy ending at least. For no other reason. I haven’t had this hard a time reading a book since I tried reading Torture Mom and that at the very least is a fictional depiction of a true (and horrific) story, which came with trigger warnings.
I’m left wondering:
Did Barbara hate her characters?
Did Barbara have an implicit bias against the natives of Africa?
Are her other books more put together?
Are her other books this traumatic?
How on earth can anyone read this book and only say they love it without any criticisms?!
Anyways. I’m gonna go read something that doesn’t break my heart over and over again and trigger my cptsd multiple times. Something with actual romance, and only death when it’s necessary. If you’re considering reading this book, I for one say, read at your own risk.
Hopeful, uplifting, romantic, beautiful, insightful
Things the book actually was:
Traumatizing, depressing, disquiet, frustrating
First of all, this should have been a trilogy. There was clearly so much the author wanted to write about, and a lot of it wasn’t actually written because there wasn’t room for it in a single book. You get so much insight into one character that every character after gets less and less, until they become almost obsolete unless in reference to a more detailed and important character. The character building absolutely needs work, and I honestly feel like that so obvious I don’t even have to explain it. The time jumping at times is really off-putting and took me out of the story, and just left me confused and wanting. When there were things I wanted more of, more detail, more time spent on them… BAM! Time jump. No explanations or details on the things that interested me, just a broad explanation of what happened in literal years. Sometimes I couldn’t even keep up with the passing of time because it was so random.
I love that this book is set in Africa. I love the history of Africa thrown into the book, and how real it is. I love that the author was attempting to make this place more realistic and alive for those of us that have never been, and don’t know much about Africa.
There, I said something nice.
That being said…
I had a hard time reading about the natives. I often felt confused as to whether or not the characters whose perspective I was reading from were racist or not. Or maybe if it was the author herself. Some descriptions made me very uncomfortable, and didn’t seem appropriate. I’m aware the book was written in the 80’s, and a lot of the things written wouldn’t have caused anyone to think twice about whether the descriptions were ok to use. Frankly, it doesn’t matter though. It served to make me uncomfortable, and I didn’t like it. It was really giving “I have a black friend so I can’t be racist.”
This book should come with warning labels. It should come with trigger warnings. It SHOULD NOT be classified as a romance! Yes, there was some romance. It was NOT the main plot of the story. It was at most, a side quest and a distraction. This book was extremely traumatizing and upsetting. Yes, I have cptsd and that colors my perception. But even so, I’m not typically a person who needs trigger warnings or has trouble digesting difficult content. This book was just different. It was like, “Hey, you see this? This moment she really needs this person and she’s hopeful because she finally has them (or she will soon). *Metaphorical gunshot* Well they’re dead now.” Not just once either. Over and over again. There is a high number of deaths in this book, and they’re mostly unrelated to the medical elements of the storyline. Reading this book left me feeling tight in the chest, sobbing, depressed, and traumatized, while repeating to myself over and over “I hate this book. I hate it so much.” I finished it out of pure curiosity to see if it got better or had a happy ending at least. For no other reason. I haven’t had this hard a time reading a book since I tried reading Torture Mom and that at the very least is a fictional depiction of a true (and horrific) story, which came with trigger warnings.
I’m left wondering:
Did Barbara hate her characters?
Did Barbara have an implicit bias against the natives of Africa?
Are her other books more put together?
Are her other books this traumatic?
How on earth can anyone read this book and only say they love it without any criticisms?!
Anyways. I’m gonna go read something that doesn’t break my heart over and over again and trigger my cptsd multiple times. Something with actual romance, and only death when it’s necessary. If you’re considering reading this book, I for one say, read at your own risk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2009
I loved reading this saga about Africa. I read this in middle school for the first time and thought it would be the neatest thing in the world to go over there and run a clinic. There was a scene where it told about the native women in that particular part of Africa and how they squatted all day that way for hours on end. I found that incredible and had to try it myself. It didn't work so well for me...
March 3, 2011
Una bella avventura, tra il centro e il sud africa, con protagoniste tre donne coraggiose e profondamente umane, nelle scelte e nelle passioni, che però deve fare i conti con un ritmo in alcuni tratti fin troppo prolisso e lento.
November 4, 2014
Barbara Bickmore's heroines and even her male characters have an inspiring drive to make a difference in other people's lives.
One also learns some history of the African continent in both this book and its sequel, West of the Moon.
An extremely enthralling, satisfying read!
One also learns some history of the African continent in both this book and its sequel, West of the Moon.
An extremely enthralling, satisfying read!
September 25, 2007
I first read this book when I was 13 or 14... read it again when I was 20. Quite enjoyed it both times. :)
October 18, 2008
I could not put this down!!! Its thick but it is so good you get through it quickly.
November 22, 2008
Historical fiction...very intersting story which spans several generations of women in Africa, from the Congo to South Africa. Slightly over dramatic at times, but a good read.
Read
August 12, 2011One of my favorite books!
April 7, 2012
It's been years since I read it but I remember it to be a very good read!
April 8, 2013
Loved this - cried buckets!
August 15, 2013
A very descriptive book , but too long spanning too many generations. I felt she could have stopped after her daughter.
July 26, 2011
Absolutly loved this book. Many thanks to a good friend for suggesting it to me.
April 9, 2012
I loved this book, it started my love affaire with Africa
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews