Beneath A Canopy of Green
Rayna Asbury’s debut novel, ‘Beneath a Canopy of Green’, is a story of complicated love, adventure and life set in the untamed landscapes of Northern Rhodesia in
the 1920s.
About
Rayna Asbury
Rayna Asbury lives in Mackay, Queensland, but grew up in Southern Africa. She attributes her storytelling ability to her childhood, where many evenings were spent around a fire listening, spellbound, to some great narrators relating their ‘African-bush’ adventures. Inspiration for ‘Beneath a Canopy of Green’ came from some of these stories, combined with an interest in the challenges of that era and the vast wildness of Africa. A collection of anonymous poetry and photographs inspired Rayna to write an engaging love story in a romantic, exciting setting.
Rayna undertook several courses through the Australian Writers' Centre with renowned author Pamela Freeman, including Creative Writing, Write Your Novel and Edit Your Novel.
Rayna and her husband, James, lead adventurous lives – they both obtained recreational pilot’s licences. They have sailed across the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans on their own sailing catamaran. They continue to travel, often revisiting the Zambezi River on safari, which is a significant setting in her debut novel.
Novel
Beneath a Canopy of Green
Set in Livingstone, Africa, the novel follows Evelyn, a young, capable woman who defies the societal expectations of women in the 1920s and Fenning, an ex-soldier, who finds a way to heal the wounds of war.
Evelyn develops a passion for flying and embraces the freedom of the skies. Against the backdrop of Africa’s breathtaking landscapes, her story explores love, ambition, and the choice to forge your own path.
Fenning searches for grounding after the upheaval of World War I. His search for peace and tranquillity is challenged when he unexpectedly falls in love with a woman beyond his reach.
