cover image I Dreamed of Africa

I Dreamed of Africa

Kuki Gallmann. Viking Books, $22.95 (336pp) ISBN 978-0-670-83612-3

Both a dream fulfilled and personal tragedy are revealed in this moving memoir. As a child living in Italy, the author was fascinated with Africa. Then, in 1972 at 25, divorced and with a young son, she visited Kenya with her then-fiance, Paolo Gallmann. context is absent, with only ``at 25'' above They settled on a ranch on the Laikipia Plateau at the edge of the Great Rift Valley. With an abundance of nearby wildlife--elephants, rhino, buffalo--the Gallmanns enjoyed an idyllic life among an expatriate community. Then, in 1981, when they were expecting a child, Paolo was killed in a traffic accident. Gallmann gave birth to a daughter, Sveva, and stayed on the ranch with her son, 14-year-old Emmanuele, who died of snakebite three years later. This heartrending account ok, to avoid repetition of ``tragedy''? reveals its author's courage and strength. As a living memorial, she started a foundation ok? to avoid repeating ``memorial'' to explore ways to combine development with conservation. Photos not seen by PW. First serial to Cosmopolitan; author tour. (May)