The Mottled Lizard

London: Chatto & Windus, 1962 From the dust jacket: In The Flame Trees of Thika, Elspeth Huxley described her early childhood in Kenya where her parents went as pioneer farm ers. Now, in The Mottled Lizard, she carries on the story when the family return to Kenya after the First World War. She re creates, in vivid detail, their home, their native servants, their European friends, their ponies, travels, shooting expeditions and, above all, the wonderful wild life of the country with its forests, bushveld and open spaces; its beasts, birds and reptiles. The relationships of the girl with her forceful mother, her gentle ineffective father, and the young man Alan who is her hero, are delicately handled. Nature 'provides unforgettable backgrounds and episodes - a big waterbuck by the pool at dawn, an elephant family playing in the river, the splendour of the African sunset, the escapades of Rupert, the de lightful pet (but not tame) cheetah. At the end, when the girl leaves Kenya to return to Europe, the reader shares her regret for the loss of this wild, exciting country that has vanished now for ever, and whose magic is preserved in pages written with insight, wit and love. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 335 pages ------------------ Orders over $100.00 are shipped using tracked courier delivery services. Size: Approx 6" Wide and 8½" Tall