The Flame Trees Of Thika

Based on the beloved autobiographical novel by Elspeth Huxley, BBC miniseries The Flame Trees of Thika brings an eventful childhood in Eastern Africa to vivid life. In 1913, 11-year-old Elspeth Grant (Holly Aird) traveled with her mother, Tilly (Hayley Mills), from England to Kenya to help build a coffee plantation. (Born in 1907, Huxley was actually six at the time.) Her father, Robin (David Robb), who had preceded them, was waiting to greet his family in the arid town of Thika. Also waiting for them were lions, elephants, giraffes, and countless other creatures (the 18-week production was filmed on location in Kenya). Directed by Roy Ward Baker (A Night To Remember) and written by John Hawkesworth (Upstairs, Downstairs), The Flame Trees of Thika isn't just about one girl, or one family, adrift in an occasionally hostile foreign land, but also about the dangers of colonialism. The Grants, their neighbors, the Palmers (Nicholas Jones and Sharon Maughan), and most of the other Europeans in Thika feel certain they're bringing culture to the uncivilized, without realizing what they're destroying in the process. Ian Crawford (Ben Cross from Chariots of Fire), is one possible exception to the rule, but he brings another kind of danger in his pursuit of Mrs. Palmer. Since their actions are seen through the eyes of a child, The Flame Trees of Thika is never preachy, but the meddling of these adults--however well intentioned--in the affairs of the Masai, the Kikuyu, and other locals frequently creates tension. As Tilly notes, "It's like two whole separate circles revolving around each other--their world and ours--and only just touching occasionally." What began as Elspeth's coming-of-age story, becomes one for her parents, as well, in this sensitive and engaging series.

When a young Edwardian family leave the shores of England to build a home in the wilderness of East Africa, what they encounter is beyond their imagination, but remembered forever by their 11-year-old daughter. Based on the celebrated memoir by Elspeth Huxley, The Flame Trees of Thika brings to life the colour and adventure of turn-of-the-century Kenya.

In 1913, Robin and Tilly Grant arrive in Africa with the dream of transforming a barren plot of land into a thriving coffee plantation. But torrential rains, relentless insects and savage animals, along with the natives and other settlers, challenge their ambitions. Will England call them back? Or will the wide-eyed wonder of young Elspeth unlock the mysteries of a foreign land and open the doors into the pleasures and rewards of an exciting new home?