An illuminating debut following three women in sub-Saharan Africa as
they search for home and family
Leona, an isolated American anthropologist, gives birth to a baby girl
in a remote Maasai village and must decide how she can be a mother, in
spite of her own grim childhood. Jane, a lonely expat wife, follows her
husband to the tropics and learns just how fragile life is. Simi, a
barren Maasai woman, must confront her infertility in a society in which
females are valued by their reproductive roles. In this affecting debut
novel, these three very different women grapple with motherhood,
recalibrate their identities and confront unforeseen tragedies and
triumphs.
In beautiful, evocative prose, Adrienne Benson brings to life the
striking Kenyan terrain as these women's lives intertwine in unexpected
ways. As they face their own challenges and heartbreaks, they find
strength traversing the arid landscapes of tenuous human connection.
With gripping poignancy, The Brightest Sun explores the heartbreak of
loss, the struggle to find a sense of belonging and the surprising ways
we find our family and home.