A Spear of Summer Grass

~ I received a copy of this book from the publisher or author to facilitate this review.  I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~

Synopsis (from Amazon): Paris, 1923

The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even among Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savanna manor house until gossip subsides.

Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society.

Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teeming—yet fleeting and often cheap.

Amidst the wonders—and dangers—of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for—and what she can no longer live without.

My Review: 

One (or more) Sentence Summary:  Downton Abbey in Africa.  To give this some reference.....I LOVE Downton Abbey.  All the stories within the story.

Favorite Character(s):  Delilah for her sassy, take charge attitude. Ryder for his demanding presence and manhood.  Gideon for his wisdom and kind heart. Tusker for her "I don't care what people think" personality!  In all honesty, all the characters are great and have their own place and purpose in the book.

Setting:  The setting was 1920's Paris (for the first few chapters) and Africa.  The focus was in Africa.  I loved everything about the setting and time period.

Fast read/slow read:  Fast, I didn't want to put it down. 

Cover:  100% perfect! I loved it.  It is exactly how I see Delilah and Africa.  I love her outfit (and hair) - so 20's!

What Others Are Saying: "With a strong and unique voice, Deanna Raybourn creates unforgettable characters in a richly detailed world. This is storytelling at its most compelling."

-Nora Roberts, #1 New York Times bestselling author.

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Absolutely, no doubt about it, YES!

Meet the Author:  A sixth-generation native Texan, New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn grew up in San Antonio, where she met her college sweetheart. She married him on her graduation day and went on to teach high school English and history. During summer vacation at the age of twenty-three, she wrote her first novel. After three years as a teacher, Deanna left education to have a baby and pursue writing full-time. Fourteen years and many, many rejections after her first novel, she signed two three-book deals with MIRA Books.


Deanna plots her books from her home in Virginia. After one too many hot Texas summers, Deanna and her husband packed up their daughter and moved to the mid-Atlantic state, where they enjoy the fall leaves but deeply miss good Tex-Mex cooking. 

Connect: You can find Deanna blogging three days a week at her blog, online at her website, on Facebook, and Twitter. 

Purchase it:  You can purchase A Spear of Summer Grass online at Amazon for $15.95 ($8.51 Kindle version). Right now at Amazon, you can get Far in the Wilds (ebook) for free. This is the prequel novella featuring Ryder!