Happy Valley was the name given to the Wanjohi Valley in the Kenya Highlands, where a small community of affluent, hedonistic white expatriates settled between the wars. While Kenya's early colonial days have been immortalised by farming pioneers like Lord Delamere and Karen Blixen, and the pioneering aviator Beryl Markham, Happy Valley became infamous under the influence of troubled socialite, Lady Idina Sackville, whose life was told in Frances Osborne's bestselling The Bolter. The era culminated with the notorious murder of the Earl of Erroll in 1941, the investigation of which laid bare the Happy Valley set's decadence and irresponsibility, chronicled in another bestseller, James Fox's White Mischief.
But what is left now? In a remarkable and indefatigable archaeological quest Juliet Barnes, who has lived in Kenya all her life and whose grandparents knew some of the Happy Valley characters, has set out to explore Happy Valley to find the former homes and haunts of this extraordinary and transient set of people. With the help of a remarkable African guide and further assisted by the memories of elderly former settlers, she finds the remains of grand residences tucked away beneath the mountains and speaks to local elders who share first-hand memories of these bygone times.
Nowadays these old homes, she discovers, have become tumbledown dwellings for many African families, school buildings, or their ruins have almost disappeared without trace - a revelation of the state of modern Africa that makes the gilded era of the Happy Valley set even more fantastic. A book to set alongside such singular evocations of Africa’s strange colonial history as The Africa House, The Ghosts of Happy Valley is a mesmerising blend of travel narrative, social history and personal quest.
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'Barnes merges travelogue with history, visiting the ruined and reclaimed homes - once opulent abodes with rose gardens - of the wealthy and often ennobled white settlers of Wanjohi Valley, near the Aberdare mountains in west central Kenya. The author's journey to find out from locals where the set lived is determined and admirable.'
(All About History)‘A problem with the depiction of Happy Valley arises when you encounter stories like that of Mary Miller, to whom I am very distantly related. Juliet Barnes hears that Mary ‘lived off lorry-loads of champagne and booze before shooting herself…’ Also that she and her husband were on the edge of the notorious party set in their home near the Wanjohi or ‘Happy’ Valley, a chilly cleft in the Aberdare highlands near where Barnes herself lives today. The gossip is entirely untrue, as Barnes, a white Kenyan whose book thankfully begins to debunk the Happy Valley silliness, discovers. Beautifully written.’
(Aidan Hartley Spectator)"The author does a good job of presenting the various views, with added insights after visiting the homes and hearing local lore about some of the main players. In the end a well-thought-out blended theory of the motive for Lord Erroll's murder and the possible perpetrators gives yet another twist to this unsolved mystery.... the book is a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in this period of Kenya's history."
(Old Africa Magazine)"A page-turning exploration of historic houses & Kenya’s notorious ‘Happy Valley’. Truly a book of our time, this is a must read if you want to get under the skin of the last 100 years of Kenya’s social history."
(Art Life Magazine)'Numerous books have been written about Kenya’s infamous Happy Valley, but the latest edition, The Ghosts of Happy Valley: Searching for The Lost World of Africa’s Infamous Aristocrats, offers a fresh, much needed, perspective. This book is highly recommended for those interested in this part of Kenya’s history and wising to understand the current state of things.'
(The Kenyan Star)About the Author
JULIET BARNES was born and schooled in Kenya, and went to St Andrew’s University, Scotland. Today, she lives with her two children Lord Delamere’s ranch beside Lake Elmenteita in Kenya’s Rift Valley, looking out over the mountains surrounding “Happy Valley”. She writes for magazines and newspapers in the UK and Kenya and has had children’s fiction and non-fiction published in both countries.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Dr. S. S. Nagi
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
This book was first published in 2013, has 303 pages, 30 chapters, 46 photos and 1 map. The book is dedicated to 'Solomon'. JULIET BARNES was born, raised and schooled in Kenya and then went to St Andrew's University, Scotland to read English. She now lives with her 2 children beside Lake ELEMENTEITA in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya. HAPPY VALLEY (in the 1920's to 1930's) name was given to 'Wanjohi Valley' in Kenya Highlands, between the Aberdares(Nyandarua Range-13,120ft) and the Kipipiri Mountain-10,987ft, where rich whites settled. Barnes goes to find out what was left of these settlers homes, farms and lives. The Railway station of GIL GIL(relentless dusty wind) was the access to Happy Valley. Now-a-days, it is a run down and scruffy roadside town.
So in the year 2000, Solomon, a kikuyu guides Barnes to the Happy Valley. Using her old land rover on the rough roads, they see old settlers houses and farms, now rundown. Some have vanished, some intact and some now haunted! They visit 'Clouds'(Mawingo) - Lady Idina's house and 'Slains,', still mystified by the unsolved murder of Lord Erroll. Barnes discovers love triangles, drug additions, depression and even suicide, amongst the so called 'happy valley' settlers, including Alice Silverthorne(de-Janze or de-Trafford). Happy Valley had become a 'Problem Valley'.
With help from Solomon, Barnes struggles on the bad roads and visits(over 10 years) what remains of other farms and houses of the Valley, their flowering gardens, fruit trees and lawns. Now the locals are busy cutting and burning the trees and the rivers are going dry and the trout and the wildlife have gone. Some names remain - 'Happy valley school' and some 'MAU MAU' veterans, in these beautiful natural surroundings. Read more ›
So in the year 2000, Solomon, a kikuyu guides Barnes to the Happy Valley. Using her old land rover on the rough roads, they see old settlers houses and farms, now rundown. Some have vanished, some intact and some now haunted! They visit 'Clouds'(Mawingo) - Lady Idina's house and 'Slains,', still mystified by the unsolved murder of Lord Erroll. Barnes discovers love triangles, drug additions, depression and even suicide, amongst the so called 'happy valley' settlers, including Alice Silverthorne(de-Janze or de-Trafford). Happy Valley had become a 'Problem Valley'.
With help from Solomon, Barnes struggles on the bad roads and visits(over 10 years) what remains of other farms and houses of the Valley, their flowering gardens, fruit trees and lawns. Now the locals are busy cutting and burning the trees and the rivers are going dry and the trout and the wildlife have gone. Some names remain - 'Happy valley school' and some 'MAU MAU' veterans, in these beautiful natural surroundings. Read more ›
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By warthog
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I found this book is not easy to read at times. I think the writer tends to meander through the descriptions of the houses once occupied by the European farmers. One minute we are at the house called Clouds, once the home of Idina, the wife of Lord Errol and then on to other residences owned by people who also carved out a living and strived to exist and then back to Clouds. I find that I am confused by the number and names of people she finds occupies the houses now. The map she included gives us an excellent idea of the kind of distance these people had to cover to get to any kind of contact with the outer world. I learned a great deal about the sad plight of the beautiful colobus monkey and her friend Simon who's conservation work is so important.
Juliet Barnes puts forward some already tried and tested ideas as to who killed Lord Errol. Many of the theories we have already read about in other books like 'White Mischief' or 'The Life and Death of Lord Errol'. Somebody must know something but we may never know. Julian Fellows, who did an hour long documentary on the murder said at the end that he knew who did it but would not tell! Perhaps Juliet Barnes ought to confront him and try and get some more information from him. The book has many interesting moments,especially when she meets some of the old Mau Mau fighters. I would recommend this as a good read and well worth buying as it has some good details about the type of life these pioneers led which was not easy, yet they stayed and loved the country so much
Juliet Barnes puts forward some already tried and tested ideas as to who killed Lord Errol. Many of the theories we have already read about in other books like 'White Mischief' or 'The Life and Death of Lord Errol'. Somebody must know something but we may never know. Julian Fellows, who did an hour long documentary on the murder said at the end that he knew who did it but would not tell! Perhaps Juliet Barnes ought to confront him and try and get some more information from him. The book has many interesting moments,especially when she meets some of the old Mau Mau fighters. I would recommend this as a good read and well worth buying as it has some good details about the type of life these pioneers led which was not easy, yet they stayed and loved the country so much
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Moon
Format:Hardcover
This book is a well written and beautifully documented journey through both time and the lands of Kenya.
The book is very well researched and clearly shows the authors love of her country and home. Not only are we treated to a rich and interesting commentary of Kenya's past (mainly white) history, but the troubles it has caused in modern Kenya, including corruption, de-forestation and rapid urbanisation.
It is a must for any traveler thinking of visiting Kenya, or in fact any one with an interest into colonialism or African history.
A labour of love which is a interesting, and often emotional read for all.
Only critisism is that a table of houses and owners would have been useful because I kept getting confused who everyone is!
The book is very well researched and clearly shows the authors love of her country and home. Not only are we treated to a rich and interesting commentary of Kenya's past (mainly white) history, but the troubles it has caused in modern Kenya, including corruption, de-forestation and rapid urbanisation.
It is a must for any traveler thinking of visiting Kenya, or in fact any one with an interest into colonialism or African history.
A labour of love which is a interesting, and often emotional read for all.
Only critisism is that a table of houses and owners would have been useful because I kept getting confused who everyone is!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
liked to know of what was left after the great days of the English upper class had left keyna after the days of the mao mao good reading
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By W. Cherry
Format:Hardcover
Juliet has done an outstanding job of tracking down the past and bringing old ruins to life. While the mud bricks will eventually melt forever into East Africa's soil and the last of the cedar shingles are used as kindling, her written words will preserve this most fascinating and most written about period and place in Africa's history.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have been devouring it, waiting for something really compelling to read about but it seems ( I'm halfway through ) that the people left to tell the story were never part of the group and don't know what really transpired in those places.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ghosts come alive!
This is an excellent book, it brings back many memories of life in Kenya. It also helps to set the record straight concerning Happy Valley and the many, many people who went to... Read more
Published 14 days ago by AHende1006
4.0 out of 5 stars
Read this book especialy for its present Kenya observations
Hugely interesting book - I really appreciated all the aside comments and observations on present day Kenya and the directions taken on issues like environment, the cost of... Read more
Published 14 days ago by Ulla Fomsgaard
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Happy Trashing of a Valley.
LIKE ALL BOOKS BASED ON GOSSIP AND HEARSAY, IT IS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS, AND IN THIS RESPECT ADDS UP TO A NEGATIVE OUTLOOK.
Published 1 month ago by patrick delap
5.0 out of 5 stars
The present haunts the past in 'Happy' Valley
This book is well researched and well written. I liked it especially because it treats today's Kenya as well as the past. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Anne Morgan
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ghosts of happy valley
Fascinating book, not just searching for the lost houses in Happy Valley but a social commentary on the results of independence. Read more
Published 2 months ago by JLH
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Lovely Story....
Juliet Barnes has written for all incarnations of Travel News Kenya over many, many years. They obviously like what she does, and well she does it. Read more
Published 2 months ago by The Real TCB
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