African Nights: True Stories from the Author of I Dreamed of Africa

So, "I Dreamed of Africa" was panned, but it awakened my soul so I purchased "African Nights". Disregarding the typos, etc., the abilities to read "sound bites" of the Africa that Kuki knew gave me a greater insight into life there. Each story provided images of fun events and sad memories. Pick up the book, each chapter provoke thoughts and concerns. I found the "A Masaai Woman" hilarious - how do you rate yourself? The book contains short vignettes that appeal to the interests of many. If you don't like it all, you will definitely like many of the stories. Well worth the price of the book.

I did volunteer work at Kuki's Ol Ari Nyrio in 11/07 and it was the most amazing experience of my life. I also had dinner with Kuki and she is an artist- attentive, creative, intelligent, and misses nothing. Africa is a place like no other-you cannot expect the norm - truth is always more interesting & stranger than fiction, remember. Kuki is an amazing person and the work she has done for the people & animals in the area, without spoiling the natural habitat or trying to change the people's ways, is well told. The death of her son and husband, so tragic, has led her to different levels in life, where so much work has been done for the good of generations to come. Read her books-they are wonderful!

couldn't put it down. Kuki is an excellent writer who puts the reader almost into her story!! love it!! now I want to go visit the Gallmann Conservatory!!

Wonderful and informative story.

It is a wonderful reading! Kuki writes about Africa with love. And she's good at it.It's moving and takes us to special places within our souls. Loved it

Excellent.

My family and I visited Kenya last year and were utterly overwhelmed by the experience. Following that trip we read several books on Africa and amongst them was firstly "I dreamed of Africa" and latterly "African Nights". On a subsequent trip to Oman, I was reading the former book on the plane and had to stop, lest the flight attendants and fellow passengers witness me breaking down in tears. (Kuki's words at her son's funeral service). The spirit and the eloquence of her writing and indeed of her very experiences touched our hearts deeply. So much so that we traveled this year (August 2007) to Likepia, to her 'ranch' (now a conservation area), as a kind of pilgrimage to an Africa that has mostly vanished, swallowed up in commercialism, in over-grazing and exploitation. What did we find? An incredibly special place where conservation efforts harmonise with nature; where people are valued. Where students from all over the world come to research 'projects', encouraged by the owner of the land - Kuki. We met a variety of people, both African and otherwise. Pokot Tribespeople. Belgium guides. Eastern European Photographers. Kenyan Musicians. Village children at the custom built school... An eclectic mix of people with a common passion - for Africa, for its people and for its land. All inspired by one person. An author of two books.The grammar in Kuki's second book may, according to several reviews, not be immaculate or even American, but given the life that Kuki has led, and indeed continues to lead, I believe that people should simply get past such utterly insignificant details and try to feel the reality that the author describes.Kuki tells her story her way, and obviously leads her life her way. She has suffered loss and tragedy, but this is an author who has 'moved on', in control of her destiny and embracing change with a passion and an artistry that the vast majority of us could not hope to emulate.Perhaps her sentences may be deemed a bit long by some. But when she describes a vignette of her family, of Africa.... you are there with her: With her husband at the coast. With her son catching snakes by the lake... And in being there through her writing, you are actually the closest you'll likely come to a very special part of Africa. A part that isn't on the tourist trail. A part that is rapidly encroached by charcoal burning; by agriculture, by population explosion. But a part that is still home to both Elephant and to Lion and to a very special community.Put criticism of grammar or sentence structure behind you. These matters do not rate for much in the overall tapestry of life. And it is that tapestry that Kuki so artfully weaves, allowing you to enter her world, and become a part of her life by doing so.

I have read this book 3 times in the past 10 years. Gallmann's personal stories are vivid and enchanting, but also realistic and honest. There is no idealism of life in Kenya; rather, she zooms in on specific instances and experiences that bring daily life and seasonal adventures to life through a responsible lens. Mature, thoughtful, and beautifully written. I know I will pick this book up again in the next decade, too.

The stories are moving and captivating. I even used the same title for my novel, although in fairness I had chosed my title before I found it. I loved this book it was an inspiration. African Nights; Georgina's StoryAfrican Nights; Georgina's Story