Life and Destiny of Isak Dinesen

Isak Dinesen was the pen name of Baroness Karen Blixen of Rungstedlund (1885-1962). A storyteller of originality and distinction, she spent the first part of life in British East Africa, from 1914 to 1931. Her book "Out of Africa" records many of her experiences in the colony where she operated a coffee plantation. During her lifetime Isak Dinesen was reluctant to reveal to the public the many photographs which chronicle her fascinating and often tragic life. Among the more than two hundred photographs collected for this handsome picture album are glimpses of the author's aristocratic ancestors and childhood in Denmark, striking photographs of her beloved companions in Kenya, and later more familiar portraits by Cecil Beaton and Peter Beard. This book serves to illustrate the characters and settings of Isak Dinesen's fiction and provide additional insights into her enigmatic personality.