Walking Back

In the assembly hall of a Cheshire grammar school, a fairhaired boy, illuminated by a shaft of light, catches the eye of a dark-haired girl. The year is 1942, and this glance between Jim and Jean leads to teenage love and the inevitable mistakes that occur when love takes over from common sense. In the cinema, the film that made an impression was &quote;Stanley and Livingstone&quote;. Africa became lodged in their minds, and they decided this was where they wanted to be. But Jim becomes successful in agriculture and departs for estate life in Africa alone. Jean tried many things but failed to settle. Yet an extraordinary piece of luck led her to Nyasaland (now Malawi) with her six year old daughter Elizabeth. Here she searched for Jim, and found him.Their mutual fascination was rekindled, and the result was two girls, Sally and Jane. They shared a life of love, romance and adventure in this torrid continent. Time was also spent in South America and other countries, but there was nothing to compare with the red clay of Africa, the shimmering heat and undulating swathes of unending bush. Here they walked together through the wide open spaces, arm in arm, in the glades of the mighty Zambezi. The life was to continue in full measure through the political turmoil which existed latterly until their retirement in 1990. This book gives us memories of life, of love and of a love for Africa. And what a life!