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Circling the Sun by Paula McLain Summary Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Circling the Sun


Plot Summary Part 1

As a young girl, Beryl's father takes her family to Kenya to build a farm in the wilderness. Beryl's mom takes one look at this African wilderness and immediately runs away with Beryl's brother, leaving Beryl behind with her dad, leading to the book's very first WTF moment.


Why did Beryl's Mom just run away, leaving her Dad behind? Did she plan to divorce him, or what? And why did she take her son with her, but leave Beryl behind? This is never explained; it just happens, so we find Beryl left on this African farm with her Dad, without explanation.


Beryl becomes a tomboy and hangs around with the local black kids and hunts and plays with knives. This didn't please her dad and he tries to hire some tutors but Beryl scared them off with snakes. Then he tried to send Beryl to boarding school but she got herself kicked out of them as well. She was a wild bush girl. Bush girl, heh heh heh.

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One time they went to a friend's house. Their friend had a lion roaming around. That's right, a lion. The lion bit Beryl in the leg. Everyone seemed surprised. What did they expect, having a lion roaming around their property?


Beryl's dad hired a housekeeper named Emma but Emma's real purpose seemed to be to let Beryl's Dad bone her. This confused Beryl because she thought her Dad was still married to her mother. More confusion was yet to come.


As Beryl started to grow breasts and a hairy v_gina, she started to come onto the Kibii, the black boy she had been hanging out with. Kibii refuses to bone her, fearing he will be killed for putting his large African p_nis in her tender white v_gina. Sexually frustrated, Beryl must find sexual release elsewhere.


Beryl decided to marry a local farmer named Jock. She knew absolutely nothing about him, just that his name was Jock, as in "jockstrap". That was good enough for Beryl.


But Beryl gets a big surprise on her wedding night. Jock could not get his p_nis hard so there was no sex. During their marriage Beryl was repeatedly frustrated as she tried to put the equivalent of a wet noodle inside of her. Ha ha ha. I crack me up!


Jock claims he can't get an erection because he has too much on his mind. When he sees Beryl's naked breasts and furry v_gina, his mind is still on his farm. Is Jock gay or something? The book never tells.


Beryl is disappointed, she thought she could marry a complete stranger and have the marriage turn out well. Yes, she really thinks that.


Beryl asks for a divorce.

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