The Africa House

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In the last decades of the British Empire, Stewart Gore-Brown built a feudal paradise in Northern Rhodesia, a sprawling estate reminiscent of the finest English homes, complete with servants and rose gardens. He envisioned sharing this dream with Ethel Locke King, a remarkable woman nearly twenty years his senior, married, and his aunt. Lorna, the only other woman he loved, had married long ago. Then he encountered Lorna's orphaned daughter, who resembled her mother so closely that it felt like a ghostly reunion. This new connection offered companionship and the possibility of love, yet sharing the Africa House proved challenging. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of British colonial life, marked by arrogance and ambition, culminating in a poignant conclusion as the once-majestic house falls into ruin, symbolizing lost dreams and betrayal. Christina Lamb captures a tale rich with passion, adventure, and heartache, described as "absorbing, affecting, and bizarre" by the Sunday Telegraph and an "amazing story of high hopes, lost love, and ruined lives" by the Sunday Times. An award-winning journalist, Lamb has spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent, covering diverse regions and authoring several acclaimed works.