''I Dreamed of Africa'' is a memoir by

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

writer

Kuki Gallmann Kuki Gallmann () (born 1 June 1943) is an Italian-born Kenyan national, best-selling author, poet, environmental activist, and conservationist. Biography The daughter of Italian climber and writer Cino Boccazzi, in 1972 she moved to Kenya with ...

. The book focuses on Gallmann's lifelong interest in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Plot

The memoir ranges from her childhood's fascination with the continent (whence the title) to her 1972 decision to relocate to

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

to run a farm in the

Laikipia Laikipia County is one of the 47 Counties of Kenya, located on the Equator in the former Rift Valley Province of the Country. Laikipia is a cosmopolitan County and is Listed as County number 31. The county has two major urban centres: Nanyuki ...

plain with her husband and son. Gallmann published the book in 1991, twenty years after moving to Kenya, and she chose to write it in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

as this was by then her adoptive language. The book is often compared to

Karen Blixen Baroness Karen Christenze von Blixen-Finecke (born Dinesen; 17 April 1885 – 7 September 1962) was a Danish author who wrote works in Danish and English. She is also known under her pen names Isak Dinesen, used in English-speaking countrie ...

's ''

Out of Africa ''Out of Africa'' is a memoir by the Danish people, Danish author Karen Blixen. The book, first published in 1937, recounts events of the seventeen years when Blixen made her home in Kenya, then called East Africa Protectorate, British East Afr ...

'', as the subject has several traits in common, and the setting is, in both cases, the

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

s of Kenya, in the

Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is a series of contiguous geographic trenches, approximately in total length, that runs from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in Southeast Africa. While the name continues in some usages, it is rarely used in geology as it ...

area.I Dreamed of Africa
data and reviews at Amazon.com (notice that "Isak Dinesen" is the pen name of K. Blixen). The 2000 movie of the same title, starring

Kim Basinger Kimila Ann Basinger ( ; born December 8, 1953) is an American actress and former fashion model. She has garnered acclaim for her work in film and television, for which she has received various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Glo ...

and directed by

Hugh Hudson Hugh Hudson (born 25 August 1936) is an English film director. He was among a generation of British directors who would begin their career making documentaries and television commercials before going on to have success in films. He directed the ...

, is based on the book.

References

Italian autobiographical novels Travel autobiographies Novels set in Kenya Kenyan literature 1991 novels {{lit-bio-book-stub