Autobiographical narratives are rarely entirely nonfictional, and Out of Africa is no exception to the rule. Dinesen thought of herself as a storyteller and had, in fact, a distinguished career as an author of tales. The voice of the storyteller comes through in Out of Africa as well. There is, however, no reason to doubt the factual basis for Dinesen’s narrative, for there is a complete correspondence between her own version of the events and the way in which her African life has been presented by her biographers. The artistic aspects of the book manifest themselves in the selection and organization of the material more than in fictional departures from the real events themselves.

Dinesen’s narrative stance is marked by modesty, a sense of fairness, and love for her friends among the natives and the settlers. Although her voice is present at all times, she is reluctant to draw attention to herself and only places herself at the center of the action when required by her narrative. She describes what she has seen, and her focus is on the land itself and its inhabitants. Her descriptions of the scenery and the animals are vivid; her portrait of the gazelle Lulu, a fawn that for a time became a pet on the farm and then for many years raised its babies in the farm’s vicinity, is particularly captivating.

Although there is evidence that Dinesen was unable to completely overcome the ethnocentrism common to the European settlers, her portraits of the natives are, without being romanticized, very sympathetic and testify of her great love for her employees. Her Somali servant, Farah Aden, is depicted as a great and noble soul; Kabero, a young Kikuyu boy who fled to the Masai reserve and was brought up there after the accidental killing of another boy, is described in terms of admiration; and the chief Kinanjui seems to be admired as much by Dinesen as he is by the members of his tribe. Many of the natives became the author’s friends because she, led by her sense of responsibility toward the Africans, found opportunities to do kind things for them. At times, there is also scathing criticism of the settlers who were unwilling to help the natives in their hour of need.

Dinesen pays close attention to the culture and way of life of the natives, particularly their celebrations and legal customs. One of the most engrossing episodes in the book has to do with the rich cattle owner Kaninu, who has to give up some of his beloved animals as compensation for his son’s accidental killing of one boy and maiming of another. Although the Africans’ concept of justice is dramatically different from that of most Westerners, Dinesen understands their reasoning well and is able to clearly represent it to her readers.

It is understandable that the author, a Danish woman living in a foreign land, would also tell about her friends among the settlers. The most important of these is her lover Finch-Hatton, who figures prominently in her narrative. Finch-Hatton, an English aristocrat, was a great aviator and hunter, and Dinesen tells about a number of airplane and hunting trips that they took together, among them several dramatic lion hunts. Much space in the book is given to the story of Finch-Hatton’s untimely death, and his burial is described in considerable detail. Upon finishing the book, the reader is left with the impression that Out of Africa may well have been written as a sort of memorial to the man; it can be viewed as a literary equivalent of the obelisk that was erected on his grave in the Ngong Hills by his brother and that the author says she has never seen.

Out of Africa was written for adult readers, but it may be enjoyed by young adults as well. The vivid nature descriptions, the many dramatic episodes, and the exotic milieu will all appeal to younger readers. Yet the book also has much to teach about respect for alien peoples and cultures and about reverence for the natural world.