Beryl Markham

May 1, 1997
Gr 6-10-Markham defied convention from the days of her childhood to become the first person to fly the Atlantic from east to west. Her life was full of adventure, hardship, daring, and courage, and throughout it all, the woman was fiercely independent. Her father moved the family from England to Africa when she was quite young, and she learned the ways of the land from the natives. After an unhappy first marriage that had been arranged by her father, Markham struck out on her own, established a stable of horses and a reputation as a trainer, married, and had a child, whose care she gladly relinquished to her mother-in-law in England. Not long afterwards, she left her husband and began her career as a pilot. Just a month shy of her 34th birthday, she made her trans-Atlantic flight. Throughout her life, Markham remained untamed by society's conventions, unrelenting in pursuing her goals, and fiercely devoted to the people and things she loved. Gourley has captured the essence of this fascinating woman's story. This rich narrative, with its engaging structure, is as spirited and intriguing as the subject herself.-Marilyn (Makowski) Heath, Greenwood High School, SC