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The Ghosts of Happy Valley: Searching For The Lost World Of Africa's Infamous Aristocrats
Happy Valley was the name given to the Wanjohi Valley in the Kenya Highlands, where a small community of affluent, hedonistic white expatriates settled between the wars. While Kenya's early colonial days have been immortalised by farming pioneers like Lord Delamere and Karen Blixen, and the pioneering aviator Beryl Markham, Happy Valley became infamous under the influence of troubled socialite, Lady Idina Sackville, whose life was told in Frances Osborne's bestselling The Bolter. The era culminated with the notorious murder of the Earl of Erroll in 1941, the investigation of which laid bare the Happy Valley set's decadence and irresponsibility, chronicled in another bestseller, James Fox's White Mischief. But what is left now? In a remarkable and indefatigable archaeological quest Juliet Barnes, who has lived in Kenya all her life and whose grandparents knew some of the Happy Valley characters, has set out to explore Happy Valley to find the former homes and haunts of this extraordinary and transient set of people. With the help of a remarkable African guide and further assisted by the memories of elderly former settlers, she finds the remains of grand residences tucked away beneath the mountains and speaks to local elders who share first - hand memories of these bygone times. Nowadays these old homes, she discovers, have become tumbledown dwellings for many African families, school buildings, or their ruins have almost disappeared without trace - a revelation of the state of modern Africa that makes the gilded era of the Happy Valley set even more fantastic. A book to set alongside such singular evocations of Africa's strange colonial history as The Africa House, The Ghosts of Happy Valley is a mesmerising blend of travel narrative, social history and personal quest.
520 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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660 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 25, 2017
This is the third book I have read (still have more to read) on the adventurers of Happy Valley. Juliet Barnes lives in Kenya and is the descendant of grandparents who settled in Kenya, but not in Happy Valley; they went there to work, not to carouse.
I have read the beginning of Errol Trzebinski's book, The Life and Death of Lord Erroll: The Truth Behind the Happy Valley Murder, and she apparently presents the theory that the murder was organized by MI6. It is not really clear whether Barnes agrees with this theory. She presents it toward the end of the book.
I enjoyed her talking to all the old hands she could find, through her relations and friends, etc.. Seeing how Happy Valley has changed since Lady Idina (The Bolter: Edwardian Heartbreak and High Society Scandal in Kenya by Frances Osborne) had been active at Slains and Cloud.
I have read the beginning of Errol Trzebinski's book, The Life and Death of Lord Erroll: The Truth Behind the Happy Valley Murder, and she apparently presents the theory that the murder was organized by MI6. It is not really clear whether Barnes agrees with this theory. She presents it toward the end of the book.
I enjoyed her talking to all the old hands she could find, through her relations and friends, etc.. Seeing how Happy Valley has changed since Lady Idina (The Bolter: Edwardian Heartbreak and High Society Scandal in Kenya by Frances Osborne) had been active at Slains and Cloud.
February 18, 2017
If you read this book after you've read others about the 'Happy Valley' set or the murder of the Earl of Erroll it's a good book with a different approach that is well worth a read but if you want to know more about the people and the murder mystery it is probably better to try other books first.
I'm really interested in the legacy of Britain's colonial past and this book does a good job of exploring that. The author goes in search of the houses once lived in by the now infamous characters of Kenya's 'Happy Valley' from the 1920s and 30s. She finds some of the houses still standing, some put to new uses as schools and some only ruins. She talks to many elders within both the white and the Kikuyu community who knew the people that had lived there and were pleased to share their memories. She covers right the way up to the time of Mau Mau and independence and beyond. She weaves in some of the spirituality of the people and the traditions of the area and the idea of good and bad spirits working in certain places. Her guide Solomon, a keen conservationist, offers a really good view of how the area has changed in the almost 100 years that have now passed and the effects of deforestation and land clearances on the ecosystem and wildlife of the area.
The snippets of information you get about the farmers and aristocrats who once lived there are fascinating and sometimes terrifying but they are just snippets and overall I felt that the book didn't really hold together very well. It seemed to have been almost a diary of the research that the author had undertaken recounting 10 or more years worth of visits to the region and the different houses seen on each visit in chronological order. This meant that stories about the houses and the people were fragmented and I felt that it might have been better to group chapters around each of the houses in turn and spend a good chunk of time talking about what had been learnt about that house and its inhabitants.
One thing that the author does well towards the end of the book is to almost summarise other books written about the death of the Earl of Erroll and the various theories about who could have been responsible for the murder. In those summaries the author alights on a brand new character like Beryl Markham or murder theories such as MI6 perhaps being involved and it's such a small but tantalising entry that is not fully explored and that leaves you wanting much more...so I'm off to find some of the books she's mentioned so that I can read on!
I'm really interested in the legacy of Britain's colonial past and this book does a good job of exploring that. The author goes in search of the houses once lived in by the now infamous characters of Kenya's 'Happy Valley' from the 1920s and 30s. She finds some of the houses still standing, some put to new uses as schools and some only ruins. She talks to many elders within both the white and the Kikuyu community who knew the people that had lived there and were pleased to share their memories. She covers right the way up to the time of Mau Mau and independence and beyond. She weaves in some of the spirituality of the people and the traditions of the area and the idea of good and bad spirits working in certain places. Her guide Solomon, a keen conservationist, offers a really good view of how the area has changed in the almost 100 years that have now passed and the effects of deforestation and land clearances on the ecosystem and wildlife of the area.
The snippets of information you get about the farmers and aristocrats who once lived there are fascinating and sometimes terrifying but they are just snippets and overall I felt that the book didn't really hold together very well. It seemed to have been almost a diary of the research that the author had undertaken recounting 10 or more years worth of visits to the region and the different houses seen on each visit in chronological order. This meant that stories about the houses and the people were fragmented and I felt that it might have been better to group chapters around each of the houses in turn and spend a good chunk of time talking about what had been learnt about that house and its inhabitants.
One thing that the author does well towards the end of the book is to almost summarise other books written about the death of the Earl of Erroll and the various theories about who could have been responsible for the murder. In those summaries the author alights on a brand new character like Beryl Markham or murder theories such as MI6 perhaps being involved and it's such a small but tantalising entry that is not fully explored and that leaves you wanting much more...so I'm off to find some of the books she's mentioned so that I can read on!
August 19, 2015
The Ghosts of Happy Valley did have its good points. I particularly appreciated the focus on the current problems of the Happy Valley area as well as it's controversial past, and Barnes' final observations that we should perhaps be more focused on these (especially rapid and increasing environment destruction) then the legacy of the so-called 'Happy Valley set'.
But, on the whole the book suffered from being extremely convoluted. Barnes jumps back and forth constantly, from past to present, and from past to other points in the past, with no consistency whatsoever. It makes The Ghosts of Happy Valley a difficult read, as you struggle to keep track of what point in time Barnes is addressing (not to mention who is who, and who was married to who). Just a little bit more structure really would have made a difference.
This is muddled further by the fact that the author is obviously well-connected with the descendants of those she is writing about, and personally knew others (in the later generations of white settlement in the area). However she avoids giving any specific details about her position, which I find intolerable from an "acknowledgement of personal bias" point of view, but also her vague references to how much visiting some areas or speaking with some people meant to her couldn't be fully understood by the reader.
That in itself probably would have only dragged it down to a three for me, but Barnes' personal bias has, in places, an even more damaging effect which I found unforgivable and means some statements in the book come across as at best misinformed, and at worst, racist. Two examples:
- on multiple occasions Barnes writes off the reports of black primary sources (who were young household staff in the heyday of Happy Valley) who don't support her arguments in favour of white secondary sources (who she otherwise consistently argues throughout the book often make major errors, due to a lack of fact checking or even visiting Kenya when writing) because "natives in the area often just say what they think you want to hear" (approx. quote). This is given no further justification. In other words, we should take white secondary sources at their word, even though they are proven to be inaccurate elsewhere, because apparently black natives lie?????!!!! Really???!!!
- when visiting a black native household (obviously living in a state of poverty), the author is confronted by many giggling children. Later, when she visits the outdoor latrine, she is met by another child of the household with water so she can wash her hands. This child is deferential (or shy) and does not giggle. The relating of this story is immediately followed by an explanation that in this area it is common for unwanted children to be sent to relatives as servants and are then often abused (Barnes specifically mentions sexually). It is heavily implied that this shy child is one such instance. There is no other context given. REALLY!!! A child not giggling at the sight of a stranger and being sent to serve you = serious (probably sexual) abuse??? The author is either making heavy and dangerous assumptions, in which skin colour and/or social status appear to be a large factor, or just not giving the reader enough information to form an informed picture of what is happening in this scenario. Either way, it's just straight out wrong and shouldn't have a place in this text.
As it is, these last factors means The Ghosts of Happy Valley can only have a one star (and would have less if I could give it). The examination of current Happy Valley concerns was interesting, but not enough to make me want to recommend this book to ANYONE, EVER.
But, on the whole the book suffered from being extremely convoluted. Barnes jumps back and forth constantly, from past to present, and from past to other points in the past, with no consistency whatsoever. It makes The Ghosts of Happy Valley a difficult read, as you struggle to keep track of what point in time Barnes is addressing (not to mention who is who, and who was married to who). Just a little bit more structure really would have made a difference.
This is muddled further by the fact that the author is obviously well-connected with the descendants of those she is writing about, and personally knew others (in the later generations of white settlement in the area). However she avoids giving any specific details about her position, which I find intolerable from an "acknowledgement of personal bias" point of view, but also her vague references to how much visiting some areas or speaking with some people meant to her couldn't be fully understood by the reader.
That in itself probably would have only dragged it down to a three for me, but Barnes' personal bias has, in places, an even more damaging effect which I found unforgivable and means some statements in the book come across as at best misinformed, and at worst, racist. Two examples:
- on multiple occasions Barnes writes off the reports of black primary sources (who were young household staff in the heyday of Happy Valley) who don't support her arguments in favour of white secondary sources (who she otherwise consistently argues throughout the book often make major errors, due to a lack of fact checking or even visiting Kenya when writing) because "natives in the area often just say what they think you want to hear" (approx. quote). This is given no further justification. In other words, we should take white secondary sources at their word, even though they are proven to be inaccurate elsewhere, because apparently black natives lie?????!!!! Really???!!!
- when visiting a black native household (obviously living in a state of poverty), the author is confronted by many giggling children. Later, when she visits the outdoor latrine, she is met by another child of the household with water so she can wash her hands. This child is deferential (or shy) and does not giggle. The relating of this story is immediately followed by an explanation that in this area it is common for unwanted children to be sent to relatives as servants and are then often abused (Barnes specifically mentions sexually). It is heavily implied that this shy child is one such instance. There is no other context given. REALLY!!! A child not giggling at the sight of a stranger and being sent to serve you = serious (probably sexual) abuse??? The author is either making heavy and dangerous assumptions, in which skin colour and/or social status appear to be a large factor, or just not giving the reader enough information to form an informed picture of what is happening in this scenario. Either way, it's just straight out wrong and shouldn't have a place in this text.
As it is, these last factors means The Ghosts of Happy Valley can only have a one star (and would have less if I could give it). The examination of current Happy Valley concerns was interesting, but not enough to make me want to recommend this book to ANYONE, EVER.
September 1, 2014
The author, a white Kenyan and granddaughter of settlers in Kenya, with her friend and guide Solomon, a Kikuyu conservationist, set out in search of what remained of the homes of the infamous "Happy Valley Set." Happy Valley is a region on the west side of the Aberdare Mountains, so named by the first white settler because the high elevation (7-8,000 ft.) moderated temperatures and provided sufficient rainfall to allow European style farming. The name Happy Valley gained notoriety in the 1920's and '30's from the lifestyle of some of the settlers. Kenya at that time was a place that, besides ordinary, hard-working farmers, attracted certain members of the upper class who were unhappy in England or whose families preferred they get out of England and the limelight and stop besmirching the family name. The 5th Lord Delamere (who was the author's landlord and descendent of the 3rd Lord Delamere who was central to settling Kenya) described the Happy Valley Set as "a dozen bored people" who drank too much alcohol and did too much cocaine.
Kenya at the time was a place where they could acquire large tracts of farmland, hire cheap native labor and maintain a staff of servants to maintain a lifestyle they could never afford in the UK. With hired managers for their farms they had the leisure time to indulge themselves in wild parties that featured booze, drugs and swapping sexual partners, to the disgust of the majority of white farmers who felt they brought disrepute on the entire colony. The end began with the notorious murder (still unsolved) of Joss Hay, the 22nd Earl of Errol and one of the most notorious womanizers in the colony, in 1941, featured in the book and movie "White Mischief." With independence the British government bought up many of the farms for distribution to the native Kikuyu tribespeople, largely ending the era of white farming in Happy Valley. As the author discovered, a white face in Happy Valley is so unusual that many Kikuyu children had never seen a white person before.
Over the course of ten years the author set out to see what remained of the houses of the Happy Valley Set and other settlers, some of which have become schools, homes for extended African families, or fallen into ruins. In the process she paints a picture not only of a unique era in British colonial Africa but also the transition to modern Kenya, a country struggling with poverty, environmental destruction, and corruption, but also a resilient people getting on with their lives and trying to do the best with what they have. A good read for those interested in the history of East Africa. A good companion volume to this would be "The Bolter" by Francis Osbourne, about her great-grandmother, Idina, one of the key members of the Happy Valley Set.
Kenya at the time was a place where they could acquire large tracts of farmland, hire cheap native labor and maintain a staff of servants to maintain a lifestyle they could never afford in the UK. With hired managers for their farms they had the leisure time to indulge themselves in wild parties that featured booze, drugs and swapping sexual partners, to the disgust of the majority of white farmers who felt they brought disrepute on the entire colony. The end began with the notorious murder (still unsolved) of Joss Hay, the 22nd Earl of Errol and one of the most notorious womanizers in the colony, in 1941, featured in the book and movie "White Mischief." With independence the British government bought up many of the farms for distribution to the native Kikuyu tribespeople, largely ending the era of white farming in Happy Valley. As the author discovered, a white face in Happy Valley is so unusual that many Kikuyu children had never seen a white person before.
Over the course of ten years the author set out to see what remained of the houses of the Happy Valley Set and other settlers, some of which have become schools, homes for extended African families, or fallen into ruins. In the process she paints a picture not only of a unique era in British colonial Africa but also the transition to modern Kenya, a country struggling with poverty, environmental destruction, and corruption, but also a resilient people getting on with their lives and trying to do the best with what they have. A good read for those interested in the history of East Africa. A good companion volume to this would be "The Bolter" by Francis Osbourne, about her great-grandmother, Idina, one of the key members of the Happy Valley Set.
March 4, 2014
What happened to the Colonial Dream after the likes of Karen Blixen left and the deaths of Lord Erroll, Idina Sackville, Alice de Janze and Diana Delamere?
I grew up largely in old early 20th century ex-colonial homes (one farmhouse in particular resonates) in Kenya and can still remember the scent of the cedarwood and dust after the rains over 20 years after leaving East Africa.
Sadly my favourite childhood home (an old cedarwood bungalow built on stilts- c1915- on the edge of Karen Blixen's (Out of Africa) farm) is long gone in the face of modern developments but I always felt it's dark wood panelled walls murmured quietly to itself of its grand history.
If there was a time in history that I could travel back to- this would be it. Not- for the social and racial segregation...
(there was good and bad then as there is today- Elspeth Huxley couldn't have put it better when she wrote "little has changed for the average indigenous African since Independence but for the colour of the skin of their oppressor")
....I admire the true pioneer spirit that led people to invest their last pennies in untried territory and ventures- many of whom died destitute or returned to Europe/ South Africa broken by an amazing land. And for those that succeeded (black and white) to forge new paths and lives and who continue to do so today.
I grew up largely in old early 20th century ex-colonial homes (one farmhouse in particular resonates) in Kenya and can still remember the scent of the cedarwood and dust after the rains over 20 years after leaving East Africa.
Sadly my favourite childhood home (an old cedarwood bungalow built on stilts- c1915- on the edge of Karen Blixen's (Out of Africa) farm) is long gone in the face of modern developments but I always felt it's dark wood panelled walls murmured quietly to itself of its grand history.
If there was a time in history that I could travel back to- this would be it. Not- for the social and racial segregation...
(there was good and bad then as there is today- Elspeth Huxley couldn't have put it better when she wrote "little has changed for the average indigenous African since Independence but for the colour of the skin of their oppressor")
....I admire the true pioneer spirit that led people to invest their last pennies in untried territory and ventures- many of whom died destitute or returned to Europe/ South Africa broken by an amazing land. And for those that succeeded (black and white) to forge new paths and lives and who continue to do so today.
February 22, 2019
This is a book that looks into the lives of the British aristocrats who rebeled against convention in the early 20th Century, escaping to an enclave in Kenya, where they lived a life of privilege and decadence until it all fell apart. It ended, of course, in ruined lives, drugs, alcoholism, suicide and even a famous murder.
The author spent several years traveling the area of Africa where these stories took place, searching for the remains of the once grand houses, talking to the people who remembered stories of them.
She tells this all tastefully, with respect for the land, the living and those who have passed into history.
The author spent several years traveling the area of Africa where these stories took place, searching for the remains of the once grand houses, talking to the people who remembered stories of them.
She tells this all tastefully, with respect for the land, the living and those who have passed into history.
March 19, 2020
trigger warning
Part biography, part travellogue, this book tells about the traces British colonialism has left in Kenya, especially in the area called Happy Valley and the clique of white aristocrats who liked to party. A lot.
Juliet Barnes travelled with local activist Solomon Gitau, who tries to raise awareness for the vulnerability of the exploited nature.
In the first half of the book, I found the topics switched quite randomly depending on where she travelled, and what she learned there, but the latter half felt more ordered and not as jumpy.
I learned a lot. Both about this random clique who dissipated after a still unsolved murder, and Kenya as such - past and present.
Of course, it would be better to read an ownvoices book if you wanna learn, but I read this because it sounded fun, it has a murder mystery and allegedly haunted buildings. Those are always a way to get me intrigued.
Part biography, part travellogue, this book tells about the traces British colonialism has left in Kenya, especially in the area called Happy Valley and the clique of white aristocrats who liked to party. A lot.
Juliet Barnes travelled with local activist Solomon Gitau, who tries to raise awareness for the vulnerability of the exploited nature.
In the first half of the book, I found the topics switched quite randomly depending on where she travelled, and what she learned there, but the latter half felt more ordered and not as jumpy.
I learned a lot. Both about this random clique who dissipated after a still unsolved murder, and Kenya as such - past and present.
Of course, it would be better to read an ownvoices book if you wanna learn, but I read this because it sounded fun, it has a murder mystery and allegedly haunted buildings. Those are always a way to get me intrigued.
January 13, 2019
Entertaining in spite of an infodump of genealogical details that made my brain hurt. Still, I am fascinated by Happy Valley and the disreputable band of ex-pats that partied hard there between the wars.
September 13, 2013
I found the period of history from after the first world war when the British started to colonise Kenya, right up to the fifties and the Mau Mau uprising fascinating the most interesting period was in the 1930’s when a group of dissolute English aristocracy made Kenya their homes and led lives of debauchery this culminated in the murder of the Earl of Errol which has never been satisfactorily explained. James Fox based his book (later made into a film) White Mischief on these events and over the years there has been several theories to who the killer may have been. After reading his book I often wondered what happened to all these wonderful houses that were built and if anyone had ever bothered to look for them. This book by Juliet Barnes answered all my questions. The book was obviously researched over many years and many of the houses were found unfortunately many of them now just ruins. Juliet managed to find many elderly people who had first-hand experience of meeting many of the characters in the “White Mischief “. This book also has another parallel story running through it, the present, she meets up with an unusual character, Solomon, who has spent his life caring about the animals which are being killed off (especially the plight of the Colobus monkeys) the landscape is being destroyed as people try to eke out a living in any way they can, to be honest it made depressing reading, to think of the glories of Kenya in the 30’s when animals and vegetation were abundant, to the picture that is painted now. Corruption in the country is rife and any foreigner trying to stand up to it is run out of the country, for any Kenyan it can even lead to death. One funny thing I did notice was there was no input from Jaunita Carberry ( who died a few months ago ) she was always cited as a witness in the Errol case , I think even if approached she probably refused, as over the years so many journalists would have beaten a track to her door, Barnes dismisses her as an hysterical school girl (15 at the time of the murder )an attention seeker and sniffily dismisses her autobiography “ child of happy valley “ as boring even though it has got excellent reviews from readers !
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in this period in the history of Kenya and the British.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in this period in the history of Kenya and the British.
May 12, 2016
A great book,did not want to finish reading it.Having read the other books on the Happy Valley set, this is a favorite as it gives more details on the background of the early settlers in the Happy Valley region of Kenya.I like that the writer gives her story a lot of depth as she gives a lot of historical context to the characters in this period of Kenya's history.
Will definitely be reading it again.
Will definitely be reading it again.
August 23, 2020
Kurzer Auszug a.d. viel längeren Rezension m. Links u. Hintergründen i. m. Blog:
Juliet Barnes berichtet über das skandalumwitterte kenianische Happy Valley in den 1920er bis 1940er Jahren – bis zum Mord an Josslyn Hay (Earl of Erroll) 1941. Zugleich erzählt sie ausführlich von ihren Recherchen, Begegnungen und Autofahrten im Happy Valley zwischen etwa 2000 und 2010. Sie lebt offenbar selbst dauerhaft in Kenia und bringt viele Reportage-Eindrücke, besucht unter anderem mehrfach das Anwesen der berühmten Partymeisterin Idina Sackville und begleitet Frances Osborne bei Recherchen zu deren Buch The Bolter über Osborne-Urgroßmutter Idina Sackville.
Doch ich konnte Barnes' Ghosts of Happy Valley nur etwa bis zur Seite 50 lesen und hängte dann noch ein bisschen Kapitel-Hopping an. Denn Ghosts of Happy Valley hat zu viele Schwächen:
- Juliet Barnes denkt manchmal schneller, als sie schreibt, die Themenwechsel und Sprünge sind nicht nachvollziehbar; eine Zeitlang bleibt auch unklar, wie sie selbst mit Kenia verbunden ist
- sie flicht zu viele persönliche Ephemera ein, die keinen interessieren: "(I) wondered if I had a pen and notebook… I hadn't even taken a camera. This spontanous Happy Valley Tour was just supposed to be an interesting day out. So it was to prove. I hauled my Land Rover…" (S. 13 in meinem 2014er-TB von Aurum Press); warum schreibt sie das? Warum nimmt sie Stift und Kamera nicht mit?); "Houses have always fascinated me. To me they are… I especially love old houses" (S. 33); "I was about to get inside Clouds! ((historische Villa))... What would Idina have said?" (S. 22)
- viele sehr spezielle Happy-Valley-Details, die nicht persönlich betroffene Leser kaum interessieren
- viel zu ausführlich über ihren afrikanischen Begleiter Solomon, ein Tierschützer und Hobbyhistoriker. Sie zitiert sogar Solomons Träume (u.a. S. 210) und Polizeimisshandlungen und widmet ihm das Buch.
Juliet Barnes berichtet über das skandalumwitterte kenianische Happy Valley in den 1920er bis 1940er Jahren – bis zum Mord an Josslyn Hay (Earl of Erroll) 1941. Zugleich erzählt sie ausführlich von ihren Recherchen, Begegnungen und Autofahrten im Happy Valley zwischen etwa 2000 und 2010. Sie lebt offenbar selbst dauerhaft in Kenia und bringt viele Reportage-Eindrücke, besucht unter anderem mehrfach das Anwesen der berühmten Partymeisterin Idina Sackville und begleitet Frances Osborne bei Recherchen zu deren Buch The Bolter über Osborne-Urgroßmutter Idina Sackville.
Doch ich konnte Barnes' Ghosts of Happy Valley nur etwa bis zur Seite 50 lesen und hängte dann noch ein bisschen Kapitel-Hopping an. Denn Ghosts of Happy Valley hat zu viele Schwächen:
- Juliet Barnes denkt manchmal schneller, als sie schreibt, die Themenwechsel und Sprünge sind nicht nachvollziehbar; eine Zeitlang bleibt auch unklar, wie sie selbst mit Kenia verbunden ist
- sie flicht zu viele persönliche Ephemera ein, die keinen interessieren: "(I) wondered if I had a pen and notebook… I hadn't even taken a camera. This spontanous Happy Valley Tour was just supposed to be an interesting day out. So it was to prove. I hauled my Land Rover…" (S. 13 in meinem 2014er-TB von Aurum Press); warum schreibt sie das? Warum nimmt sie Stift und Kamera nicht mit?); "Houses have always fascinated me. To me they are… I especially love old houses" (S. 33); "I was about to get inside Clouds! ((historische Villa))... What would Idina have said?" (S. 22)
- viele sehr spezielle Happy-Valley-Details, die nicht persönlich betroffene Leser kaum interessieren
- viel zu ausführlich über ihren afrikanischen Begleiter Solomon, ein Tierschützer und Hobbyhistoriker. Sie zitiert sogar Solomons Träume (u.a. S. 210) und Polizeimisshandlungen und widmet ihm das Buch.
June 14, 2024
This book is the story of what started out as the author's curiosity about a famous unsolved murder in Kenya (about which many books have been written), but which turned to a mission to find all of the old houses of the Wanjohi Valley (land appropriated by British colonial authorities).
Barnes' fixer in this mission is Solomon Gitau, a passionate conservationist who is literally risking his life to save colobus monkey populations in the area (and beyond). Barnes grew up in Kenya and her grandparents lived near that Valley, so is well-positioned to be sleuthing around muddy, rutted back roads with Gitau to find these houses. Both Gitau and Barnes are clearly meticulous researchers, as they manage to uncover long-lost relatives, previous staff members, and other folks with connections to the houses - and get to visit the different sites. The long stretch of time covered by the book means Barnes gets into early colonial history, the actual Happy Valley scene, as well as the Mau Mau uprising, and land redistribution in the area after independence.
I really enjoyed this book - the mix of people, place, history, conservation, and family stories - though I do have a familiarity bias having lived in Kenya. FYI, Barnes is now working with other folks on preserving Kenyan architectural heritage - some good footage and more info is in this Youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItwrX...
Barnes' fixer in this mission is Solomon Gitau, a passionate conservationist who is literally risking his life to save colobus monkey populations in the area (and beyond). Barnes grew up in Kenya and her grandparents lived near that Valley, so is well-positioned to be sleuthing around muddy, rutted back roads with Gitau to find these houses. Both Gitau and Barnes are clearly meticulous researchers, as they manage to uncover long-lost relatives, previous staff members, and other folks with connections to the houses - and get to visit the different sites. The long stretch of time covered by the book means Barnes gets into early colonial history, the actual Happy Valley scene, as well as the Mau Mau uprising, and land redistribution in the area after independence.
I really enjoyed this book - the mix of people, place, history, conservation, and family stories - though I do have a familiarity bias having lived in Kenya. FYI, Barnes is now working with other folks on preserving Kenyan architectural heritage - some good footage and more info is in this Youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItwrX...
October 19, 2017
Happy Valley was a community in Kenya, between the wars, that was known for the British upper class who liked drinking, drugging, and climbing into bed with each others wives and husbands. There was an infamous murder of one of their members which has never been solved. The author who lives in Kenya started searching for answers to the murder as well as visiting the remains of the Happy Valley big houses, as well as interviewing everyone she could find that remembers the Happy Valley set.
The book has little about the supposed wild goings on. You have to go elsewhere for that. However, her visits to what is left of the grand houses and her interviews of the people who either still live in the area or at least remember some of the Happy Valley participants are quite interesting. Many of the houses are in very bad shape or gone but their flower gardens, turned wild, are still there.
She didn't solve the murder but she had several ideas of what may have happened. I have my idea too but I will leave that for you to decide.
The book has little about the supposed wild goings on. You have to go elsewhere for that. However, her visits to what is left of the grand houses and her interviews of the people who either still live in the area or at least remember some of the Happy Valley participants are quite interesting. Many of the houses are in very bad shape or gone but their flower gardens, turned wild, are still there.
She didn't solve the murder but she had several ideas of what may have happened. I have my idea too but I will leave that for you to decide.
February 27, 2025
I set out to read this book with absolutely no knowledge of the "Happy Valley Set", except that they were a bunch of partiers. The beginning of the book was fascinating as the author told about what life was like when Lady Idina Sackville ran the "Set" and started the parties that made Happy Valley so infamous.
However, as I continued to read, I found this was much more than just the author's looking for the story of what really happened. Along the way we get swept up in the decaying residences of the former inhabitants and also into a conservation battle having to do with colobus monkeys. There was also a lot of timeline jumping, which made things confusing. I wish the author would have stuck to Idina, Joss, Alice, Jock, and Diana, the main characters of the Happy Valley Set. Through the course of her interviews, the author was made aware of so many more characters and stories, and these are all relayed here, with confusing results.
Different from what I was expecting, and not really in a positive way.
However, as I continued to read, I found this was much more than just the author's looking for the story of what really happened. Along the way we get swept up in the decaying residences of the former inhabitants and also into a conservation battle having to do with colobus monkeys. There was also a lot of timeline jumping, which made things confusing. I wish the author would have stuck to Idina, Joss, Alice, Jock, and Diana, the main characters of the Happy Valley Set. Through the course of her interviews, the author was made aware of so many more characters and stories, and these are all relayed here, with confusing results.
Different from what I was expecting, and not really in a positive way.
May 28, 2018
Finally I broke my book slump. Back in the 1920s and 30s rich English people moved to Happy Valley in Kenya. There were many stories of booze, drugs and especially partner swapping. it all pretty much came to an end in 1941 with the still unsolved murder of Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll.
This book isn't a rehash of that old story. Instead the author and her guide, Solomon, explore Happy Valley and rediscover to old homesteads of this hedonistic group. Along the way they spend time with old people who remember them as well as the young people now occupying the run down, sometimes almost ruined houses.
It was an interesting look at the passage of time and how memories can attach to a place even when all the inhabitants are dead and gone.
This book isn't a rehash of that old story. Instead the author and her guide, Solomon, explore Happy Valley and rediscover to old homesteads of this hedonistic group. Along the way they spend time with old people who remember them as well as the young people now occupying the run down, sometimes almost ruined houses.
It was an interesting look at the passage of time and how memories can attach to a place even when all the inhabitants are dead and gone.
November 25, 2018
Not all white Kenyans are obsessed by minor titles and raucous behavior, but a certain segment are, and thus we have this book which documents but does not enlighten. Barnes informs us of the lost world of a small area of central Kenya in the time period of 1920 to 1955. She searches diligently for the remnants of houses, now dilapidated, guided by Solomon Gitau who has a side interest in colobus monkeys. Odious people, talk of Michelangelo, crumbling houses, maybe enough for an article in Old Africa.
October 10, 2018
Interesting topic. I’ve read many books about Happy Valley but this one takes place in the now, what’s happened to all those infamous homes. It was a slow read, and had choppy organization, but I did like it.
October 24, 2021
Sensational: So much more that just a murder story
A fascinating account of Kenya..I learned so much about its past and current issues. Not least of which the chronic environmental issues. Have not enjoyed a book so much in months.
A fascinating account of Kenya..I learned so much about its past and current issues. Not least of which the chronic environmental issues. Have not enjoyed a book so much in months.
June 29, 2017
About six chapters too long. Vivid and enjoyable first half though.
August 12, 2018
Struggled to get through this book and truth be told, I didn't get to the end. The story lacked progression, was too long, repetitive, and had unnecessary character introductions you couldn't possibly keep up with who was who (aaargh the name-dropping was annoying).
December 24, 2019
Fascinating
January 2, 2021
This book has given me a bit to think about concerning the infamous group at Happy Valley.
May 13, 2021
Okay if you are a colonial history buff, but White Mischief was much better.
Read
November 2, 2021extremely boring and pointless
December 2, 2013
This is a non-fiction story of an area of Kenya named, Happy Valley. In the 1920s to the years after WWII, a group of white, affluent expatriates settled here. They were know for their wild parties of spouse swapping, excessive drinking and drugs and the still unexplained murder of Earl of Errol.
The author did a great job of research. I think over a decade of collecting stories from family members and staff still alive, visiting the old ruins of the homes of this decade and researching past biographies was done by the author, herself a resident of Africa.
Because no one ever confessed to the death of the earl and no witness came forward, the real story died along with all the residents of Happy Valley. The only disappointing part of the book was that the author was not able to really dig into exactly what went on at these parties, what led to the suicides of some of it well known partiers, and what these residents were really like. The author was fantastic in her research, but because all of these eccentric expatriates have died, we only get to scratch the surface of their lives.
Juliet Barnes focuses more on research of the homes and what could be gleaned from biographies and second hand info.
Pretty interesting and fascinating glimpse into this time and era. I received a complimentary copy from Goodreads giveaway program.
The author did a great job of research. I think over a decade of collecting stories from family members and staff still alive, visiting the old ruins of the homes of this decade and researching past biographies was done by the author, herself a resident of Africa.
Because no one ever confessed to the death of the earl and no witness came forward, the real story died along with all the residents of Happy Valley. The only disappointing part of the book was that the author was not able to really dig into exactly what went on at these parties, what led to the suicides of some of it well known partiers, and what these residents were really like. The author was fantastic in her research, but because all of these eccentric expatriates have died, we only get to scratch the surface of their lives.
Juliet Barnes focuses more on research of the homes and what could be gleaned from biographies and second hand info.
Pretty interesting and fascinating glimpse into this time and era. I received a complimentary copy from Goodreads giveaway program.
August 21, 2016
Juliet Barnes takes time off from painting flamingos to explore the exotic history of the Happy Valley set of Kenya in the interwar era, starting off with a return to Clouds House, Lady Idina's old place. Rather interesting history for me having done Quentin M's new version, Clouds in the Macedon Ranges near Hanging Rock. I was most surprised when she said she was quite familiar with the old places in Kenya, Clouds, Nderit and Tsavo, met Boy Long but missed Genessie. Was even more surprised up here Brisbane way when a client turned up with a big coffee table book of Australian country house, with Quentin's old place at Sanderswood highlighted with yellow post-it tags, the caste iron dogs are the front door and the odd chandelier in the entryway that we transferred to the new Clouds house. The client has acquired two half built Hansel-and Gretal style houses from divorcing Germans, and we turned them into one big grand Australian style place with that spare, pared back elegant look that many old Australian houses possess.
November 26, 2013
3½ nudging 4
Really interesting book about Happy Valley in Kenya, notorious for the excesses of the white settlers in the 1930s and 40's.
The author spent a long period researching this book and unfortunately this shows - I have a good memory but often got completely bogged down with who was married to who, who lived where etc. The storyline hops around much as the research must have done - trips here, there and everywhere over a period of several years.
I am sure Juliet Barnes lived and breathed all this information (and she lives in Kenya too) but it was confusing and muddling to the reader who probably only knows about White Mischief or The Bolter.
Some sort of list of characters would be helpful. I would also have loved more photographs of the main characters - Alice, Idina, Diana, Jos etc. Instead I am peering at tiny little snaps trying to see what they looked like!
Really interesting book about Happy Valley in Kenya, notorious for the excesses of the white settlers in the 1930s and 40's.
The author spent a long period researching this book and unfortunately this shows - I have a good memory but often got completely bogged down with who was married to who, who lived where etc. The storyline hops around much as the research must have done - trips here, there and everywhere over a period of several years.
I am sure Juliet Barnes lived and breathed all this information (and she lives in Kenya too) but it was confusing and muddling to the reader who probably only knows about White Mischief or The Bolter.
Some sort of list of characters would be helpful. I would also have loved more photographs of the main characters - Alice, Idina, Diana, Jos etc. Instead I am peering at tiny little snaps trying to see what they looked like!
January 19, 2014
I liked the way Juliet Barnes shows how the houses which once belonged to the rich, debauched "Happy Valley' lot, now belong to the Kikuyu people, who are trying to make a living from growing crops in the once beautiful, landscaped gardens. The houses are all now in a state of disrepair, but the views and surrounding countryside unchanged. However, although well researched the author jumped from one house to another and from one character to another to such an extent that it was confusing and I found myself losing interest - Not sure if I would reccomend to a friend.
February 17, 2016
What do i know
I was born in Kenya , yes my Uncle and his second wife Betty rescued and later saved many more giraffe . My grand mother is mentioned in the book Mary Miller previously Mary Leslie-Melville . I think the editing and translation of this book seem to Pete out at the end when the supposed delinquent fades from the scene but all in all an interesting book as it added pieces that had previously been missing in my own life puzzle , thankyou Dancy for suggesting this book to me .
I was born in Kenya , yes my Uncle and his second wife Betty rescued and later saved many more giraffe . My grand mother is mentioned in the book Mary Miller previously Mary Leslie-Melville . I think the editing and translation of this book seem to Pete out at the end when the supposed delinquent fades from the scene but all in all an interesting book as it added pieces that had previously been missing in my own life puzzle , thankyou Dancy for suggesting this book to me .
June 5, 2016
Muddled. I get that the author wanted to weave in modern day issues with her investigation into the bed-hopping antics of Happy Valley's heyday, and understand that in visiting the houses, and the ruins of houses, once inhabited by those characters, that she saw this in a non-linear way. But with a big cast of people to marshal and inter-relate the stories of, this is a confusing mess of timelines.
A book with a big ambition that almost certainly needed a clear-headed editorial overview to succeed.
A book with a big ambition that almost certainly needed a clear-headed editorial overview to succeed.
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