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The Clouds Beneath the Sun

Review

The Clouds Beneath the Sun

It was in the chaotic Africa of the early 1960s that the organization known as KANU arranged independence talks in Kenya, in anticipation of forming a Republic to achieve independence from British governance. This must have been a momentous event to witness, even with the friction of overstressed race relations. Tribal groups such as the Kikuyu and the Maasai had long rejected foreign influence and policies, keeping to their own laws and their own lands. But planted firmly within these lands were also scientists who made important discoveries, chief among these being the Oldupai Gorge in the Serengeti Plains. This is an actual place given the title "The Cradle of Mankind," where hominid specimens were found and considered prime proof of a singular evolutionary origin for humans.

The story begins in this climate in 1961, where British archaeologist Natalie Nelson sets off for Kenya from Cambridge. Natalie's interest relates to a particular dig she's been invited to, where she'll be part of a team that includes some impressive individuals. The foremost is Eleanor Deacon, the most known name in the field, who boasts frequent sightings of hominid fossils at the gorge where she works. But Natalie has other reasons for leaving too: she's been discarded by her lover and rejected by her father after her mother's suicide. The turmoil of Natalie's private life has left her with nothing to keep her grounded.

Upon Natalie's arrival at the gorge, she joins the team and labors by day in the sweltering heat and dust of the dig site. Her free time in camp becomes uncomfortable once it's clear that she's become the object of obsession for some of her male colleagues. But her motivations are simple: to work, so it comes as a relief when the breakthroughs begin. Two aggressive colleagues are the first to make groundbreaking discoveries, recovering bones that prove the significance of bipedalism in early hominids. This is a finding that Richard and Russell become overly eager to publish, yet Eleanor will not allow submission without scientifically relevant comparisons. Their zeal to prove themselves leads the two men to do something awful. One night, while the rest are sleeping, they visit a Maasai burial ground and pilfer some bones, returning to camp with them. On discovering this, Eleanor and the others are appalled and declare their actions to be immoral and unforgivable, and Eleanor knows the infraction will provoke the tribe. Just as the land itself is fraught with danger and beauty, so seems to be the lives of those who live there.

Eleanor's fears are confirmed when Richard is found dead from a brutal machete slash. With Natalie being the sole witness to the only suspect --- a Maasai warrior they know --- she faces testifying at a criminal trial that will gain national attention. To her team's dismay, the Maasai tribe has threatened to reclaim the gorge as well, and those in power have disparaged Natalie's testimony as a racially charged slur. In Kenya's unstable climate, this is dangerous. The incident threatens the tentative peace between the British and natural Kenyans, with violent mobs now gathering and on the verge of rebellion.

Natalie also faces a different kind of dilemma, as somewhere along the way she realizes she's fallen in love. There have been three men in Kenya who have pursued her, but she's interested in only one: Jack, the oldest of Eleanor's sons. Jack is a pilot and a symbolic member of the Maasai tribe who loves the land as much as she does. After fending off his pursuits, Natalie finally succumbs and becomes intimately involved. But their shared passions as a team are ultimately intellectual. The fate of the gorge will be considered most important.

THE CLOUDS BENEATH THE SUN seems reminiscent of the movie Out of Africa, aside from the agricultural focus of that film. The most striking similarity is in the careful way the land is depicted, with some awe-inspiring renderings of the Serengeti that are vivid enough to take your breath away. All of this scenery, viewed by land and by air, is magnificent enough to leave readers yearning for the real thing. Scenes of vast herds rumbling in motion across the golden grasslands are particularly memorable. This writing would arouse the deepest passions of the most reclusive readers. The protagonists are similar as well, coming from a cultivated Western world but loving the savage, free beauty of Africa enough to make the land their home. They have integrated into native tribal cultures and have gained the respect and consideration of the elders. There are some incredible aspects to this book that may not appeal to everyone but that I found to be extraordinarily beautiful.

Any readers who might be seeking a simple, sweet romance should look elsewhere. The love story is important but not the main focus. This is an intellectually inspiring story that offers beautiful imagery along with thoughtful themes, science and little-known history.

Reviewed by Melanie Smith on December 27, 2010

The Clouds Beneath the Sun
by Mackenzie Ford

  • Publication Date: July 27, 2010
  • Genres: Fiction
  • Hardcover: 464 pages
  • Publisher: Nan A. Talese
  • ISBN-10: 0385529112
  • ISBN-13: 9780385529112