The White Mary

by Kira Salak

A young woman journeys deep into the untamed jungle, wrestling with love and loss, trauma and healing, faith and redemption.

Marika Vecera, an accomplished war reporter, has dedicated her life to helping the world’s oppressed and forgotten. When not on one of her dangerous assignments, she lives in Boston, exploring a new relationship with Seb, a psychologist who offers her glimpses of a better world.

Returning from a harrowing assignment in the Congo where she was kidnapped by rebel soldiers, Marika learns that a man she has always admired from afar, Pulitzer-winning war correspondent Robert Lewis, has committed suicide. Stunned, she abandons her magazine work to write Lewis’s biography, settling down with Seb as their intimacy grows. But when Marika finds a curious letter from a missionary claiming to have seen Lewis in the remote jungle of Papua New Guinea, she has to wonder, What if Lewis isn’t dead?

Marika soon leaves Seb to embark on her ultimate journey in one of the world’s most exotic and unknown lands. Through her eyes we experience the harsh realities of jungle travel, embrace the mythology of native tribes, and receive the special wisdom of Tobo, a witch doctor and sage, as we follow her extraordinary quest to learn the truth about Lewis—and about herself, along the way.

Genres: Fiction, Adventure, Travel, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Book Club

351 pages, Hardcover

First published August 5, 2008

About the author

Kira Salak won the PEN Award for journalism for her reporting on the war in Congo, and she has appeared five times in Best American Travel Writing. A National Geographic Emerging Explorer and contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure magazine, she was the first woman to traverse Papua New Guinea and the first person to kayak solo 600 miles to Timbuktu. She is the author of three books—the critically acclaimed work of fiction, The White Mary, and two works of nonfiction: Four Corners: A Journey into the Heart of Papua New Guinea (a New York Times Notable Travel Book) and The Cruelest Journey: Six Hundred Miles to Timbuktu. She has a Ph.D. in English, her fiction appearing in Best New American Voices and other anthologies. Her nonfiction has been published in National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, Washington Post, New York Times Magazine, Travel & Leisure, The Week, Best Women's Travel Writing, The Guardian, and elsewhere. She lives with her husband and daughter in Germany.

Reviews

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

The story revolves around war correspondent Marika Vecera. After returning from the Congo, she gets disturbing news that another well-known war reporter, and hero to her, has committed suicide in Papua, New Guinea.

She decides to honor his memory by writing his biography. In the midst of this, she receives word from a credible source that he is still alive. Determined to find out the truth, and leaving behind a new love interest, she travels to the jungles of Papua.

There she is immersed in a culture that is, in many, many ways, extremely different from the culture in Boston to say the least. She absorbs all that is around her and treats the native population with respect. Some areas of the book are written from the view point of a Papuan witch doctor and I enjoyed those viewpoints immensely.

Kira talks about missionaries in this book, and not always in a positive sense as you may have been led to believe. Many are critical of this, but I applaud it. I know and greatly admire missionaries who try to do positive things, such as digging wells to bring in fresh, clean water, but I am not so supportive of those who simply want to convert others to their religion. This may stem from being half Native American, where my ancestors were stripped of their religious beliefs, so I admit some bias on that view point.

That being said, please do not decide not to read this book based on people who only judged it on the portrait painted of missionaries trying to "correct" locally held beliefs and traditions. It's well-written, and you will find it hard to put down.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in anticipation for a lecture by the author at National Geographic later this month. I am familiar with Salak's nonfiction work about her own travels and experiences, and her first novel had many of the same elements that draw readers into the story.

Marika Vecera is a well-known war correspondent: she takes the dangerous and scary jobs in war-torn developing countries and has had more than one near-death experience. She starts a serious relationship and soon after learns about the apparent suicide of her journalistic "idol", Robert Lewis, and decides to begin research to write a biography. As she details his life, we see Marika learn more about her own through a series of flashbacks. Her search to learn more about Lewis leads her to the jungles of Papua New Guinea; she leaves her home and her loved one with this obsession to learn more about her subject.

While reading the novel, I could not truly divorce the character of Marika with Kira Salak, the author. Of course, I know that most novels are often autobiographical, but this one seemed particularly close to the source.

Stylistically, I had a few (minor) issues with the book, hence the 3 stars instead of four. The character dialogue seemed contrived, particularly between Marika and her lover, Seb. I kept on thinking "do people really talk like this to each other?" At least no one I know... Aside from that, I did truly enjoy the story. I had a hard time putting the book down, and read it in entirety on one rainy Saturday.

Edited to add: after seeing Salak at NGS, I felt that this book was a retelling of her own solo travels across PNG in her first book Four Corners. Also, seeing her in person made me realize that what draws me to her work is the great storytelling - she is a mediocre writer (with a penchant for hyperbole and drama) but a GREAT storyteller.

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book suffers from the author failing to heed the cardinal rule of writing: show, don't tell. For example, we're told about the protagonist's murdered father and insane mother. We are never shown these people alive and relating to the protagonist. We're just supposed to swallow the scenario whole, and it doesn't work. The book's third-person-omniscient point of view doesn't help matters. At some point, we're inside the head of nearly every character in the book, being told what they think and feel.

Despite all the "telling," the writing remains imprecise. For just one of many possible examples of the imprecision -- at one point, the author describes a young government official as wearing a uniformly "solemn" expression, but a couple of sentences later notes that his eyes are darting around the room, which doesn't seem very solemn at all. The book is full of this type of garbled observation.

The characters are flat and expository. The romantic male figure, Seb, is meant to be sensitive and caring but he comes off sappy. The two characters continually butt against one other and never engage in a way that seems believable. Even when they're at their most comfortable with one another, they speak in cringeworthy, teenagerish pronouncements about how much they care about each other. The famous journalist Marika pursues tells her the story of his murdered son's decomposition, and somehow that story is lacks immediacy, lacks horror. It seems to have been included as pure exposition.

The closest the book comes to creating a real character is with the character of Tobo the witch doctor, who I found to be the only likeable character in the book.

Overall the writing is bland, and scenes that are meant to stir emotion in the reader (including, unfortunately, the torture scenes) simply do not work. Nothing really happens in this book, which would have been something very different in the hands of a more dynamic writer.

[Bryn Greenwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that is both deeply satisfying, yet oddly disappointing. It's clear from the depth of detail that Kira Salak knows Papua New Guinea, its landscape, its people, and its dangers. The parts of the novel that follow journalist Marika Vecera through the PNG jungles in search of her journalistic idol are compelling. The terrain is rough, many of the people hostile to a white woman, and she's tracking a man who is supposed to be dead of suicide.

Alas, the other element of the book wasn't nearly as strong. Playing against Marika's odyssey through the jungle are flashbacks to her relationship with Seb. Seb is ... annoying. He's gentle, understanding, studying to be a psychiatrist. He wants to heal Marika and understand her. Oh and his family is really rich. There's almost nothing about him that seems real. Rather he seems like a construct--a convenient mechanism to reveal Marika's "inner wounds." He also saves the day, Boyfriend ex Machina, when Marika finally reaches the end of her journey.

[Saleh MoonWalker · Rating 3 out of 5]

جزو فیکشن هایی بود که توصیف جزئیاتش زیاد بود. محتوای گرافیکی، جنسی و خشونت زیاد، جزو المان های بارزش بود که البته با توجه به موضوع داستان قابل درک بود. داستان راجع به ماریکا و رابرت هست که به جنگل های پاپوآ در گینه نو سفر کردن که باتوجه به چیزایی که بهش بر میخورن و آخرش بازم زنده میمونن، خیلی جالبه. توصیفش از قبیله های اونجا دقیق هستش. نکته جالبی که داشت این بود که نشون داد با اینکه اونا تکنولوژی ما رو ندارن، اما اصلا هوش پایینی ندارن و ارزششون کمتر از ما نیست. بخش رابطه عاشقانه داستان زیاد به چشم نمیاد و کمی هم ضعیف پرداخته شده، و زیاد نمیشه با این بخش ارتباط برقرار کرد. در نهایت داستان جالبی بود، متنش ساده بود و سریع خونده میشد.

[Lynn G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really visceral experience; so very real. Besides the human characters in this story the atmosphere/setting are very present. The story wouldn't work as well without the ever-present settings, particularly while the main character, Marika, is in Congo and Papua New Guinea. I think I felt as fearful as Marika did in all the dire situations in which she found herself, heard every bullet whiz by my head, heard every insect buzz, felt all the mosquito bites, the suffering from malaria, and every thorn that punctured Marika's feet while she was traveling barefoot through the jungle and swamps in Papua New Guinea.

I appreciated Marika's soul-searching as she endured unimaginable hardships, set-backs, pain, and suffering on her quest. I quietly celebrated her ultimate decisions and imagined a fuller life for her going forward.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh...another book set in a warm climate. Marika is a war journalist who after being kidnapped (and escaping) decides to write a book about another war journalist (Robert Lewis). It is believed that he committed suicide. Robert's sister shows Marika a letter written by a missionary who believes that he saw Robert alive and in Papua New Guinea. Marika travels to New Guinea to find the journalist.
I liked the adventure parts of this book. It was interesting to read about her travels across New Guinea. There are also parts of this book that are kind of like a "luv" story because Marika falls in luv with Seb, a psychologist---he lives in Boston, not New Guinea. It is quite convenient that she falls in luv with him because she is slightly messed up...and he is perfect (yeah, right, a perfect man, ha, ha)
Some of the story is kind of tough (not just the luv parts) because she describes some of the torture/war that she has seen.
The book is written by a journalist from National Geographic who has hiked through New Guinea and traveled to all continents alone, so I imagine she has really seen most of what she wrote about.

[Cyanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was worth it for the descriptions of life and travel in PNG, but the writing and overall story wasn't all that.

At one point the main character is held hostage in Congo, but then her transition back to the States leaves a little something to be desired. I am sure that Kira Salak (author) knows what she is talking about, but I wasn't really convinced that the main character was as emotionally bankrupt as we were suppose to believe.

The story line is interesting, but the take-home lesson leaves a little something to be desired.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am listening to this as an audiobook, and while the narrator is not helping any, I don't know if I am going to make it through this on its own merits. I should like this story. I like the idea of this story. When the story is focused on the search for Robert Lewis, I do like the story. But...Marika, the main character, is not likable to me, so I am not interested in her motivations. Her love interest, Seb, is a preachy, sanctimonious, new-agey bore. I admit it (somewhat guiltily), I read for plot, but I do appreciate rich characters. Just not these.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The White Mary is the gripping and thrilling account of one woman's hellacious journey into the unforgiving jungles of Papua New Guinea and her struggles to get out alive. Marika Vecera is an adventuresome war reporter who is searching for Robert Lewis, a fellow reporter believed to be dead. When Marika finds evidence that Lewis may be alive, she embarks on an expedition halfway across the world to uncover the truth. Her growing unease with her boyfriend Seb's intimacy is just another excuse to embark on the odyssey that will bring her close to death and ultimately to the rediscovery of herself. Along the way she meets Tobo, a witch doctor and guide whom she hires to help her navigate through the wilderness, and who teaches her the ways of survival in the treacherous landscape. She discovers tribes from primitive societies whose superstitions and customs defy what even she, a well traveled and experienced explorer, can imagine. As her quest for Lewis continues, she finds that she must answer some difficult questions about herself, and above all, survive the experience.

Reading this book was a very visceral experience. It spoke to the questions and realities that we all must face. The action and conflict was delectable, but the level of self-introspection of the characters was the real heart of the story. The characters reflected on the questions that scare us, excite us, and repel us, never shying away from the uncomfortable answers that they attained. Many of the conundrums of religion were presented, as well as ruminations on war and the nature of humanity. At times, the philosophies expressed were uncomfortable and unsettling, but they were very finely etched, making them compelling rather than repugnant.

Another aspect of the book that heightened the experience was the author's tremendous way of conveying the atmosphere of the story. I literally felt hot and sticky reading about the searing conditions in the jungle. Salak's lush and descriptive language brought the Marika's world right into my living room. It was almost unbearable to read about the clouds of mosquitoes and the lack of provisions, especially the scarceness of water. The effect was one of complete immersion in the setting. It was an extremely convincing and detailed account of hardship that I found remarkable.

That said, I found the main character to be exceedingly unsympathetic and unlikable. She seemed to operate out of a sense of bitterness and detachment that I could barely tolerate. With all that she witnessed and experienced, one would think that she would display some sense of wonderment or awe, be it negative or positive, but this character had none. She was jaded and cold, always unheeding of advice and shrugging off the concern of the people who cared for her. She was so headstrong it was a bit annoying, always doing things the way she wanted, never learning from her experiences or that of those around her. At times, she disregarded and ignored cultural conventions that were hundreds if not thousands of years old, putting her at odds with the very people who were sheltering her. Her inability to love or be loved was chafing and convoluted. The only strong emotion she expressed was an obsession with Lewis that was quite inconsistent with her previous behavior. By the time she actually achieved some personal growth and began to change, I had given up on her. Her hard-boiled attitude had driven me away, and I wasn't able to trust that she had changed. Her self-revelation came too late, and I didn't care.

By contrast, Tobo, her guide, was a a great character. He was humble and knowledgeable about his surroundings, and although uncomplicated by western beliefs, he was honorable, respectful and wise. I found his unending bewilderment with Marika amusing and charming. His beliefs in the spirit world and of his magic was intriguing, and it seemed as though he understood Marika and her situation much better than she did herself. He was by far the best character in the book, and I wish he had been more of a feature.

This book was a mixed bag. I liked so much of it, and felt that at times it was a great work. However, the main character was a niggling disappointment coloring the story for me, and I was never able to fully lose myself in the pages. All the other elements of the novel worked perfectly. The story had depth and substance, and the sense of place was outstanding. The mood and flavor of the story, though dark, was intoxicating. Great premise and execution, but the main character was a letdown.

[switterbug (Betsey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The arduous journey of journalist Marika Vecera through the jungle, swamps, and mountains of Papua New Guinea to determine the verity of another journalist's (Robert Lewis) suicide forms the basis of this story of survival and redemption. Marika, a Czech immigrant to the US, has a sorrowful past. Her father was the target of a political execution and her mother descended into schizophrenia after his death. Marika was subsequently inspired by the writings of Pulitzer Prize-winning Lewis to become a journalist and enter war-torn and dangerous countries such as Angola, the Congo, and Liberia to expose the torture and suffering of others. However, she has not come to terms with her own personal suffering, which affects her ability to foster deep, sustaining relationships. Her career is successful and exciting but she is wounded and savaged by her own demons.

This was my most challenging book review to write. Why? Because White Mary is a combination of spell-binding and stilted, beautiful and blemished. This is journalist Kira Salak's first novel, and maybe she just needed a peerless editor to fix the flaws. But this novel transcended its weaknesses and what remains in my memory is the ripe and horrible beauty of its prose and story. I experienced the page-turning and powerful pleasure of a 5-star book. But for the purposes of fidelity to criticism and other readers' sensibilities (who may be bothered by these flaws), I gave it a 4-star rating.

Salak's dialogue was sometimes stiff and decorous. It should have bothered me, but it didn't (I will get to that). Her handling of the themes of loss, trauma, survival, and redemption; fear, love and forgiveness are structurally simplified and calculated, even predictable in its arc of unfolding. This prevented many readers from enjoying the story as a whole.

I had the inverse experience, as the whole of the story enveloped me and allowed me to forgive its shortcomings. The journey and its dark heart reverberated with elements of spiritual grace. Although Seb, Marika's boyfriend, borders on one-dimensional thinness and sainthood, what lifted him from type was his Buddhist-like presence and allure that heightened his compassionate vulnerability. His characteristic platitudes were obscured by his utter humanity. As an example, Seb expresses the principle of "mudita," a Sanskrit word difficult to describe in English but closely resembling the feeling of sincere rejoicing for another's good fortune and success. It is a practice he embraces and attains and is a significantly occurring refrain for Marika's inward journey. And I felt the deep love he has for Marika as authentic.

The pulsing and ongoing, almost agonizing pleasure of this narrative resides in the proverbial and elusive presence of Robert Lewis. Marika has never met Lewis, yet they are conjoined inextricably. His presence or absence, his anima, echoes throughout the story. Paradoxically, her obsession with finding Lewis overshadows her relationship with Seb and keeps her at arm's length from her past traumas, (both familial and in the field as a journalist) yet Lewis is also the key to unleashing and unlocking the walls to Marika's joy and redemption. Until Marika can determine whether Lewis is dead or alive, she is prevented from finishing her biography on him and is, more importantly, stuck in a psychic purgatory.

Marika is accompanied through PNG by Tobo, a native guide of the region and a colorful counterpoint to her sensibilities. Tobo is fierce and daunting and often wry and cunning. He places the mourning necklace of his sister around Marika's neck and makes incantations throughout the journey to help protect the "wei meiri" (white mary), who he sees as spiritually broken and certain to die.

Although some passages, dialogue, and philosophical insights are varnished or inflated, my ultimate and visceral experience was to bypass these flaws and melt into the unnerving and unsettling beauty of this generously humane story.

A distinguished book is one that doesn't end with the last page; the vibrations hum considerably and provocatively. The White Mary is a song that soars, through the flat notes and even the off-key ones. As a whole, it is a tender, harsh, mystifying, and compelling aria of survival and love.

[drea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to talk about this book without mentioning Ann Patchett's State of Wonder. The two books are kissing cousins, only The White Mary has daredevil journalists instead of corporate scientists, and a journey into Papua New Guinea instead of the Amazon. Both feature conflicted ladies marching off into jungles to hunt down a missing colleague and discovering things about themselves and their existing relationships in the process. And you know what? It turns out this is a formula that I like. I am adding "ladies in love in jungles" to my list of pre-approved genres.

I really dug the first half of this book, enough that when it disappeared under the bed, I rolled up my sleeves and braved the sock graveyard to retrieve it. . . . Many books have failed this test. Marika was a complex heroine, and I liked that Kira Salak paid so much attention early on to exploring the psychology of international reporters who jump into war-torn areas again and again, and did it in a way that was subtle and didn't rely too heavily on Marika's relationship with Seb, who was getting his PhD in psychology. (Wealthy, infinitely patient, compassionate Seb, who was a cutie, if almost too perfect, even with his "Hey! I had a giant cocaine problem off-screen!" ARGH. You're perfect, Seb, okay? Okay.)

I also liked Marika's early introduction to New Guinea. Kira Salak also wrote Four Corners: A Journey into the Heart of Papua New Guinea, and while I haven't read it, it feels like she brings the right details into her novel. I enjoyed learning about each new village and culture, and I really liked that she gave voices to Marika's guide, Tobo, and a few of the other New Guineans that Marika meets, something that I felt was lacking in State of Wonder.

All that said, I'm a little meh about the ending, where Salak seemed to trade in her earlier nuance for some heavy-handed philosophizing about evil in the world and a cartoonishly evil missionary named Newlove (... Really?) I also felt that Marika's refusal to stay in the Woman's Hut seemed dumb for her character, and more like a manufactured way to bring the struggling plot to a head. It made me want to go back and re-evaluate my rating for State of Wonder, because for all my "It's not Bel Canto!" feelings, it did have a powerful ending, and one that felt organic to what came before.

But I would like to read Salak's nonfiction, and would definitely check out another novel, perhaps one with fewer mosquito bites.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating story. I received this book as a "First Reads" giveaway win and was anxious to read it. It was a very different story from many I have read recently and to be honest, the brutality, gore, violence and sexual exploitation was a bit graphic for my taste. But due to the nature of the story and the places that Marika and Robert visited, such graphic scenes were so integral to the story. I loved the visual and physical descriptions of her travels through the jungle. I felt like I was there myself, without having to live through the unpleasant experiences. And the idea of losing everything but the clothes on your back in a place as remote as the inner jungles of Papua New Guinea and still surviving is amazing, almost unbelievable. Her descriptions of the remote tribes in PNG are interesting and serve as a good reminder that though they may be technologically primitive, they are not necessarily less wise than we are. That their ways, though mystical and utterly foreign to us, are not necessarily less worthy than our own.

I was less enamored with the love story aspect of the tale. While I spent the first 21 years of my life in Massachusetts and was eager to read more about my "homeland," the parts of the story centered in Boston and around her relationship with Seb seemed a bit lacking. I felt less of a connection to her character and definitely much less sympathy for her angst.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was a fairly quick read and I was certainly engrossed in the tale. I would enjoy reading other books by this author, especially if they contained less violence.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The White Mary is a fictional story about a tough as nails war reporter, Marika Vecera, who hears that her idol in the j0urnalist world--Robert Lewis has committed suicide. She starts working on his biography and along the way gets word that a missionary claims to have seen Lewis alive. Marika leaves Boston and the relationship that she has alternately been nurturing and killing to search for Lewis in Papua New Guinea. I love the comparison made by Publisher's Weekly that this story is a cross between "Heart of Darkness" and "Tomb Raider."
On the harrowing journey--filled with leeches, disease, deadly robbers, and superstition, Marika's life is played in flashbacks.
For me, the theme of the story is--what can heal the lowest depravity that can be dished out to a human soul--God? Suicide? Isolation? Blocking all emotion? Marika lives this question over and over, both in her own and others' life choices, before she finally makes her own choice.
This book has a lot of torture--the descriptions are very graphic. Also language and sex.
We're reading this book for our Funner book group--although the dark content of this book makes it one of the less fun books we've read.
Not a favorite book, but a very powerful one.

[Bethann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. I would actually give it 3 1/2 stars if I could. Since it is told from the POV of a journalist, I of course, enjoyed that aspect of it. Salak's descriptions of Rwanda and Iraq and New Guinea were awesome and I plan to use excerpts in my Multicultural Literature class. I think the only part I didn't like was the actual romance, and that may have been because I listened to this on tape and I hated the narrator's voice for the boyfriend. Regardless, I thought their relationship was really cliche and that annoyed me, because there wasn't much else about the book that was cliche. I don't know why the author had to fall into some tired love plots...

Otherwise, I really enjoyed the "international" aspect of this book, and the main character's development through the course of the novel. It is like the Heart of Darkness, but for modern times. The descriptions of the main characters around the world do make this book a worthwhile read.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very powerful imagery from this author. The description of the torture committed on Lewis in East Timor was nightmarish, even more so, since it probably really happens.

My favorite character though was Tobo, Marika's guide thru the Papa New Guinea jungle. His musings about the helplessness of the white ones were not only amusing but probably on target!

[Corrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was slow going in parts, but worth the read. The main character, Marika, is a war journalist, who travels all over the world to report on injustices, often risking her own life. The author's background made the book more appealing as well. Kira Salak was the first woman to traverse Papua New Guinea.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Challenge: A book a friend recommended.
A good book, well written with a good storyline. But it was kind of serious, which isn't the type of books I usually read. Gives you a glimpse of what it's like to live in the jungle. I would not survive.

[Todd Cheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fiction written from the mind of a Laura Croft like journalist. She has traversed and experienced in the raw tough parts of the world in geopolitical unrest, far from western civilization, and near humans at their base. She had done this as nonfiction. An intrepid rebel. One expects she has connected and crossed baths with both extraordinary and horrible humans. I expect she has gotten friendly with fear, death, and struggle. She expertly blends those experiences through a fictional journey into, through, and out of a jungle in Papa New Guinea. She selected a landscape she intimately new from past real exploration and may have used the grieving of the real life loss of her brother as catalyst to the novel.

The adventures travel has a parity in the landscape and her mind. A maven of a pen she unravels her thoughts and those of constructed characters. She works through her darkness and struggles to allow herself to be happy and appreciate the moments she has. The journey threads through a life in Boston with boy friend, the jungle, and the evolving personal exploration of White Mary’s mind and her mental healing. And she is not shy on the expected uncomfortable foibles and details.

Despite knowing it a fiction it tugged on my emotions. The explored struggles with darkness, self judgment, proximity to threat and acceptance, and cynicism that are juxtaposed to my external panglossian nature - are seductive as written by this author. A rare fiction for me, but a welcomed foray from a stream of other topics that tug on my curiosity. I may revisit her other non-fictions.

[Jackie Conciatore Senter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes the reader on quite a journey. The main thread follows freelance journalist Marika Vecera as she treks through the deepest Papua New Guinea jungle in search of the renowned journalist Robert Lewis, thought to have committed suicide after the loss of his son and too many years of bearing witness to war and other atrocities. But there are several digressions that immerse you in other environments, from Boston to the Congo – and here the reader benefits from Kira Salak’s talent for describing places/contexts and their people. I liked lots about this book, most of all that it had numerous peak moments and surprises – it really carried me along. The characters are complex – Marika is not always likeable, and her motives are at times mysterious or even just confusing. I appreciated that Marika’s life and personal challenges raise profound questions about human nature as well as joy and suffering. The insights into Papua New Guinea and its people are fascinating. It’s a place I’ll almost certainly never go, so I thank the author for this rich, memorable glimpse into that world. I have a feeling this book will stay with me for a while, and I look forward to reading more by Kira Salak.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I acquired this book because it dealt with the jungles of Papua New Guinea, which is a place that you don't hear much about (here in the US) and I enjoy stories that take place in out-of-the-ordinary settings. My curiosity was also piqued by the fact that the author, Kira Salak, was actually the first Western woman to traverse the interior of Papua New Guinea, and also because she is an editor for National Geographic. I enjoy gaining new perspectives with what I read, and I figured I would definitely see things in a different light, given the details I just mentioned.

And guess what--I absolutely did gain a different perspective, and quite honestly this book will stay with me forever. I will re-read it more than once, and not primarily for entertainment purposes. Let me clarify: this is not to say that the book wasn't entertaining. It was. Quite honestly, there was never a dull moment--not a single one. But there are lots of books I reread because I enjoy the story, the adventure, the feeling of it all. But this book? There is a great story (more than one, actually). There is definitely adventure. But enjoying the feeling of it all? "Enjoying" is not the word I would use. And "savor" might not come to mind, either, but it's closer to the truth. This is a book about life, and it is unbeguiling, and straight to the point, in a way that is extremely rare in fiction.

At first, I was very put off by the use of present tense for the narrative. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm used to reading fiction in the past tense, and when I read something that's written in present tense it always feels hurried and off-kilter and incomplete to me.

Then...I slowly realized that that's how this narrative, at least, is supposed to be. And it all made a great deal more sense when I realized that the flashback portion (which was written in the past tense) was just as significant as what was happening in the present. And with that realization, my sense of admiration grew.

There is so much realism in Marika's life--both what is happening to her in the wild jungles of Papua New Guinea, and what happened to her in the past when she was on assignment. I honestly felt like I was right there, and could feel the danger and tension all around me, could feel what it was like to be just one shade away from utter hopelessness, yet still going on anyway. Stories about war-torn Africa--even fiction--isn't really my thing, but it was riveting to me, nonetheless. Here is another case of fiction mirroring real life; several of the events that happened to Marika in the book really did happen to Kira Salak, the author, in real life. Yet another reminder of how "writing what you know" really makes the story much more vivid, and real.

I had a little trouble identifying with Marika or really getting in her head at first, and maybe that's because she is so different from me, and I was hard-pressed to find anything I had in common with her. But even that brings a new perspective, if you think about it. I couldn't understand what drove her to risk her life time and again--though it was hers to risk, of course, and we all make our own choices. I also couldn't understand why she treated Seb the way she did, but even though I sighed in exasperation each time she botched their relationship, I also shook my head in appreciation for the way their interactions were described, for that, too, was so real it was beautiful and painful at the same time. But by the end of the book, my feelings changed completely. When all was said and done, I understood her perfectly.

Never before have I experienced writing that summed up how those first few emotionally-charged months of a new relationship are: the first touch, the first kiss, the way two people want to be together every minute of the day. Even the physical part, the intimacy, was so frank, so realistic, and very much telling it like it is. No vague references or metaphors, just factual and straightforward description. I don't think I've ever quite read anything that described it like that, and the romantic in me would argue that it takes the magic away from what can be a very intimate moment for two people together, but more than anything else I was intrigued by Kira Salak's descriptions--everything, whether it was the physical intimacy, the mundane day-to-day activities we all experience in life, or life-and-death moments fraught with tension, Salak described it all like the reporter she is, and I'll tell you this much: I may not agree with all of it, and it certainly might not be the way I'd describe the same set of circumstances, but it's a huge breath of fresh air, and it is extremely fascinating to me to read something that looks at everything in a much different way than I'm used to.

I started off intrigued yet distanced from this story...and in the last few pages, I was so in tune with it that I cried. I won't put any spoilers here, but I will say that toward the end, I was wondering how it would turn out, which way Marika would go. At times it seemed she'd go one way, and at others, it seemed she'd go another way. But I figured the ending would leave a bunch of loose threads, since the story was so realistic, and real life seldom has perfect plot resolution at the opportune moment. But somehow...wow. Kira Salak did resolve the plot, though I didn't think there was any way there could be a satisfying ending. But there was. It was heartbreaking, but immensely satisfying, and I'm not sure whether my heart felt lighter or heavier after reading this, but I suspect it's a little of both.

Good books stay with you forever. I have no doubt that I will never forget this one. It is an incredible journey, an adventure, to find something you didn't know you were looking for. Though a bit graphic at times in several areas (war, torture, sex, and the perils of being out in the wild) please don't let that deter you. I don't use the word "masterpiece" lightly, but this is destined to be a classic.

[dead letter office · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very mixed feelings on this one. Starts rough. Tortured, complex white characters front and center throughout in a way that was hard to take in Temple of Doom and Heart of Darkness and is really jarring here. Hard to believe this came out in 2008.

Absolutely hated the Seb character. Uggggggh. And the glorification of the two white war correspondents and their troubles. And the sensationalizing of suffering in the allegedly dark places of the world (only one of which I've ever spent time in, to be fair). The way she uses the horrors of someone else's wars to advance Marika's story is just icky.

But it definitely has redeeming features. It's a compelling read that keeps you going. And there just isn't that much fiction that puts you in PNG.

Mixed bag for sure.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first woman to ever make a solo journey across Papua New Guinea wrote this novel about a character called White Mary who does the same thing.
It's a vivid, realistic tale about traversing a largely impenetrable jungle. The frightening, dangerous situations she encounters on the way to achieving her goal (she's searching for someone) are compelling, and made me grateful I was reading about them from the safety of my couch.
In addition, the backstory on the protagonist is interesting, as is the person she's searching for - an award-winning journalist who inspired her career but who might already be dead.

[William Graney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read most (or all) of Kira's non-fiction so I know how intense she can be, but reading this novel was like taking a punch to the face. She forces the reader to deal with some very grim realities but the story is also a page-turner and I found it to be a rewarding reading experience. There were times when I thought my dislike of the character Seb was detracting from my appreciation of the book but when it was all said and done, I realized it takes a highly skilled writer to make me dislike a fictional character that much.

[Val Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because it was a suggest read alike to Euphoria by Lily King, which I loved. I didn't love this one as much, but I did truly enjoy the journey. I've read several books about Papua New Guinea and am sort of enthralled with the jungle, the creatures, the indigenous people. The entire trip to find Robert Lewis, the discovery of who he was and why, all fascinated me. My only problem was with the final chapters. First, it tied up a little too easily and the self revelations seemed a little shallow. I'd still recommend reading it. It was a good ride.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a hard one to read but I am glad I read it! There is evil in this fallen world. There were scenes in this book that I hurried through and make me caution you if you want to read this. The best changes in your life come at the close of processing hurts and traumas and putting them to rest. I am finishing this at the close of the Covid epidemic. I will come back and update this review later as I am not sure what to say about this book. I know it will stay with me awhile!

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

As others have mentioned, the protagonist makes this book kind of a trial; her motivation isn't compelling, and the episodes of her character development largely make her less likable. Further, the Colonel Kurtz analogue she seeks in the dark heart of PNG is extraordinarily lamely rendered.

[Kerri Ravas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new favorite, ties themes of spirituality and religion through the role of suffering, all told as an adventure book. Also gives insight to the culture of peoples in the most remote areas in the world.

[Thomas J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A damned fine book.

I have spent a considerable time in Papua New Guinea. The writing is true to the country and its people. She and I have experienced many of the same sort of adventures.

[Heather Bathon802 · Rating 1 out of 5]

So bad. Atrociously poor writing. Drivel. * Spoiler alert - This book is not good.