Another LibraryThing Early Reviewer win.

Marika is a journalist. She travels to some of the harshest areas in the world, reporting on war, atrocities, all the stuff people don't want to see while safe at home. The man who inspired her, Robert Lewis, has died. Then she hears a rumor that he's been seen in Papua New Guinea. She decides she has to know if he's alive, no matter the cost.

The description of travel through PNG is amazingly well done. So well done that I know I never want to travel through the interior of that country. Ever.

It's a very good book, if not always pleasant. ( )

The White Mary by Kira Salak

Although I cannot write a good novel nor could I teach how to accomplish that feat, I know when I am reading one; this is not a terrible book but it is not a good one either. Too much of the book’s plot simply lacks credibility. Characters do not seem authentic because their actions seem impossible or inexplicable. Marika Vecera is a successful journalist but how does she manage to penetrate the New Guinea jungles where few white men and no white women have ever gone? Salak’s plot hinges on the reader believing that Marika would choose six months of trying to survive in an extremely inhospitable jungle to discover whether Robert Lewis, a man she has never met, is alive or dead. After miraculously finding Lewis, she then engages in an improbable love affair with him and he, who seems barely sane, tells her what he has told no one else. Why would Marika risk everything, including her life, to investigate a rumor about a fake suicide? Why would she have indiscriminate sex with men she barely likes when she supposedly loves and lives with a man she genuinely admires? How does she manage to survive mountain climbing, swamp forging, malaria, disease, ringworm, lack of food and water while simultaneously becoming an expert in forest survival strategies? Salak asks the reader to suspend all disbelief and just trek along with her through the plot’s jungle as well as through the New Guinea jungle.

Salak is no genius at writing stimulating dialogue either. Far too many Marika responses consist of “Yeah.” Why bother with such a lusterless response and why so frequently? Dialogue is not the only repetitious element. Marika’s eyes fill too often with tears though she can endure amazing hardships and face death with barely a shudder. I also became quite irritated with the continual mosquito onslaught.

As a former English teacher, I also dislike authors who write in fragments when a sentence would work better. For instance on p. 347 as Salak summarizes the lesson the reader is to learn about choosing life over death: “For all the ugliness in it. And for all the grace.” Clichés plague this book’s themes as well as its characters, plot, and dialogue. Marika learns after several near-death adventures that no matter what tragedies occur, no matter what horrors exist in the world, she must choose happiness for herself. She must choose to save herself. Real courage isn’t about visiting dangerous places or risking her own life. Real courage, she has learned, is choosing to live. Better yet, she will not choose to live just for herself but for the world. These ideas are neither profound nor original.

I think that Salak toyed with the idea of a cruel, powerless, or nonexistent god but then decided to end on an optimistic note. After just touching on that idea, Salak leaves Lewis alone in the jungle to struggle with his atheism and sends Marika back to her ever forgiving, overly sensitive, wealthy, handsome, brilliant boyfriend. The reader wonders why she ever left him.

Better editing might have eliminated at least some of the many episodes of mosquito attacks, endless descriptions of wounds, scrapes, bites, etc. After 351 pages I hoped for a more profound ending than a conversation with Tobo, Marika’s guide and rescuer, and Marika concerning his dead sister’s necklace:

“She starts to take it off, but he shakes his head. ‘You must wear the necklace until it falls off. Then my sister’s soul will go on.’

‘But I’ll be flying back to the U.S. with it.’

‘Yes,’ he says. ‘She will know where to go.’”

That is what I call ending a novel with a whimper rather than with any sort of a bang. ( )

Could not put this down! (Although I liked the beginning better than the ending for some reason.) As a tough war journalist, Marika travels the world over covering atrocities that 95% of the population in the US could not fathom existed, or when confronted with them, put their heads back into the sand to ignore. When she hears that her idol has not committed suicide as widely believed and reported, Marika goes to remote Papua New Guinea in search of him. Her most dangerous journey yet, she spends months in the jungle, surviving one near death experience after another, in order to find him. (Side note: Salak was the first woman to travel extensively in PNG, and I can't WAIT to read her account of that, although I don't generally read memoirs.)

Some things that kept this from getting five stars: I found it a bit unbelievable that she would go out on a wild whim in order to find someone. Sure, it was representative of a soul search (and was) but.... I still thought it a bit of a stretch. Also, almost all of the characters has supporting roles to Marika, they did not really seem to exist without her. Still, a great read. ( )

This was easily my favourite read of this year, and will probably place in my top ten reads ever.

I found this to be a powerful read. Nothing was superficial and that was a welcome change. It was so powerful and raw, and very though provoking.

I would highly recommend this book.

This book is a tale of darkness and light with the main character, a reporter of Third World conflicts, finding herself through a search for another person.

Descriptions of atrocities, while graphic, are key to the reader understanding the horror of "man's inhumanity to man" and the effect on those who live through those atrocities.

Marika Vecera, the main character journeys through awakening experiences in Africa, Boston, and finally Papua New Guinea. The experiences ring true and are enhanced by the author's intimate knowledge of the places she writes about. To quote the author, this story "guides us from illusion to truth, from darkness to light." ( )

This is one the best books I've read all year. Not only is the character of Marika Vecera believable, she elicited so much sympathy from this reader that I was torn between wanting to finish the book and not wanting to leave the world she inhabited.

I do realize this is a work of fiction but I reads like it's based on actual occurrences, and the author has confirmed this is the case. I'll admit it is very dark indeed. It contains scenes of torture, mutilation and suffering, but since the author had survived so much it seemed somewhat cathartic to even just read of her experiences.

P.S. I have no plans to travel to New Guinea... ever! ( )

The White Mary has an intriguing premise. The main character, Marika Vecera, returns to her home in Boston after a hellish journalistic assignment in the Congo. Unable to get past her experiences there, Marika has withdrawn, pulling away from her boyfriend Seb when he tries to explain to her that talking about what happened would only be beneficial to her and to them as a couple. Marika has always been able to internalize her feelings and to detach herself mentally from what's she's seen during her career, and doesn't want help from anyone, especially from Seb. But when she discovers that her iconic idol, Robert Lewis, Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, has committed suicide, Marika decides that she wants to write a book about Lewis. While she is gathering information and writing, she discovers that a missionary working in the wilds of Papua New Guinea has seen a man that he swears is Lewis and decides that she needs to go in search of him.

For me, the best parts of the book were the scenes of Marika's time in New Guinea -- in the journey through the wilds and in the villages of the local natives. The scenes in the Congo and the story of Lewis in East Timor were raw and gritty, and very much worth the read. As far as characters, my favorite was Tobo, Marika's guide and the shaman of a local village in New Guinea. Salak's portrayal of Newlove, the missionary was also well done, even though he was a totally unlikeable character. The main characters were all a bit larger than life and I wasn't really impressed with any of them. Seb didn't come off as realistic (a bit too good to be true), and Marika's psychological issues made her at times not very likeable and I never really came away with the feeling that I'd bonded with her as a person. The dialogue was often stilted and unrealistic, especially between Marika and Seb. But Salak's novel tackles some important issues: how far can a person internalize pain and suffering without losing himself or herself, and at what point does one accept that sometimes no matter what you do, there's nothing you can do.

I sort of liked the book, didn't love it, but the writing was overall good. It's hard to believe that this is her first novel, and although this book was kind of overdramatic and histrionic for my taste and often Marika's actions made no sense, it has received rave reviews elsewhere so it's something you'll just have to read it and judge for yourself. ( )

The White Mary,

Marika Vecera is a determined, dedicated journalist who chooses to live life with little baggage. She lives in a sparsely decorated apartment with minimal material comforts. Cherished tokens from her travels serve as windows to her past. She has no permanent male companion and likes it that way. No attachment. She can pick up and leave to follow a story at any moment.

She wanted to write, she freelanced and sold her stories, always risking personal injury and life threatening odds. It wasn’t easy in the beginning as she paid her own way to get to perilous places in order to report a story. Her hero is the famous journalist, Robert Lewis and has read everything he ever wrote. When she reads of his suicide she is devastated. Soon after, she decides to write a biography about his life.

Contrary to her single lifestyle, Marika becomes involved with Sam Gilman, an “intense” doctoral student. Unaccustomed to deep relationships Marika is frightened as Sam tries to break through her desensitized cocoon. After a horrible fight, Marika leaves Seb.

She learns that a missionary is quite sure he spotted Lewis living in a remote jungle village in Papa New Guinea. With rash determination she decides to follow the lead. Treacherous travel through leech invested swamps and the constant attack of mosquitos leads Marika to a village where she is called white mary. Her visit turns unexpectedly reflective when the protective shield that binds her ability to feel begins to unravel.

Kira Salak’s personal experiences make this novel a realistically compelling read.
A beautifully sensual book with poetic imagery that lives off the page.

“Trees surround her like great columns in a cathedral. Birds announce the coming day with bold calls, and not even the faint drumbeats can overpower the incessant droning of insects.”

I consumed this book without stopping. Reflective and mesmerizing,The White Mary, will be one for my 2009 top ten picks. ( )

The biggest compliment I can provide for a book after reading it is to immediately seek out additional work by the author. I was so intrigued by Kira Salak’s vivid descriptions of her trek through the jungles of Papau New Guinea, I plan to read Four Corners which chronicles the author’s personal adventures through the heart of PNG. Others have done a great job of summarizing the story of The White Mary, so I won’t do that here. I will add that if readers are interested (like I was) in seeing photos from Ms. Salak’s adventures in PNG, including the locations and people that serve as sources of inspiration for different aspects of The White Mary, check out http://www.kirasalak.com/. Fascinating!

[This book was reviewed as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewers group] ( )

The White Mary
Kira Salak
Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2008
ISBN: 9780805088472
Reviewed by Dawn Janine Mitchell for ReviewYourBook.com, 12/2008
3stars
“A journey of healing to personal salvation?”
Marika Vecera is a war correspondent who is in search of her childhood hero, Robert Lewis, who was pronounced dead after an apparent suicide. However, Marika receives a letter from a missionary who claims to have seen Lewis alive in the jungle. Throughout the story, it seems as if Marika looks to him as a father figure, but later the reader sees a sudden change in the relationship, which is quite unbelievable.
Only one character seems true in this story: Tobo, Marika‘s guide through the jungle. Tobo’s character was full of old-world wisdom, and it was easy to believe in his authenticity. The descriptions of Papua were phenomenal.
I could almost feel myself present in the various places described. I was compelled to finish the book just to learn more about the culture, the different attitudes and beliefs of the tribes of New Guinea. However, the graphic depictions of torture and rape were quite unnecessary. It’s best to sometimes leave descriptions up to the reader’s imagination.
I have to admit that the description of the story was more appealing than the story itself. I didn’t see much about the personal journey that rang true. In real life, such a journey takes time and more effort. The healing aspect of the book was just too far-fetched. Some parts of The White Mary were rather dull reading and others were just too graphic. ( )

The characters, scenes, events and descriptions of this book are so real that I found myself almost living Marika's life and experiencing her trials, tribulations, and successes in her amazing journey from traumatic events to a spiritual awakening. Never once was my reading suddenly interrupted by any event that seemed unreal and made me aware that I was reading a work of fiction. The characters are interesting, all people who we come to care about and understand at a very a deep level. The book brought me to places I have never seen, never imagined, and made them as real to me as my own living room. The book's pages flow easily and you are constantly being pulled forward, wanting to know what will happen next. Once I started reading the book I ignored other plans and just had to keep reading until the end. Tobo, though a secondary character, I think is one of my favorites, his insights into life are really amazing. The physical and spiritual journeys in this book are wonderful, sometimes extremely powerful, and I am so glad that I was able to join Marika on her journeys.

I loved that Marika was so realistic. She has all of the strengths and weaknesses that we find in all humanity. Marika represents us at the point in our life where we struggle out of darkness and into the light. The character Seb represents what we can become after reaching the lowest point and struggling through years of work to reach the highest point.

Salak is a true master at the craft of novel writing and this is a powerful novel written on many levels.

A book that should definitely be read. ( )

Kira Salak's "The White Mary" is a gripping first novel about one woman's journey to the end of the earth--otherwise known as Paupa New Guinea--and back. Salak's heroine, Marika, goes to PNG looking for the famous war reporter Robert Lewis. A war reporter herself, Marika goes into the jungle expecting an adventure, but instead undergoes a near death experience that changes her life. The novel flashes back and forth between Marika's time in PNG and her life in Boston before her trip, slowly exposing the heroine's demons to the reader. When Marika is forced to face who she really is in the depths of the jungle, the reader is pulled along through her emotional journey.

I think Salak's novel is so gripping because the author herself is a war reporter, and many of Marika and Lewis' experiences are based on things the author experienced. When she describes the jungles of PNG or the African plains, you feel like you are really there. This realism does warrant a warning though--some passages of Salak's novel are graphically violent, so sensitive readers should beware.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a story about a strong woman, or a story of a woman finding herself. This is very much a modern "Heart of Darkness" so be ready! ( )

Kira Salak is an award-winning journalist and travel writer, who was the first woman to traverse Papua New Guinea, so it comes as no surprise that her debut novel features a female journalist, Marika, trekking through remotest Papua New Guinea. The book tries to combine the arduous, almost impossible trek which is motivated by Marika’s compulsion to find a missing journalist, with her doubts and insecurities about her deepening relationship with Seb, a psychologist who has a decidedly more compassionate view of the world than Marika, who in her journalistic pursuits has seen the worst mankind can dole out to one another (some of which is described in horrowing detail). The target of her search is Robert Lewis, a world-famous reporter whose suicide by self-drowning is left open for questioning since his body was never found. Marika is drawn into the hero-worshiping circle that surrounds Lewis, but she takes it one step further when she gets wind that he may still be alive and living in the jungle. There’s supposed to be a message here, possibly about not letting man’s inhumanity toward each other rob one of the ability to trust and love, but it all gets bogged down in poorly rendered, heavy-handed Conradian darkness, stereotypical unsavory missionaries, and poorly written love-is-real revelations. For more entertaining novels I’d suggest both At Play In The Fields of the Lord, or Poisionwood Bible. Or stick with Heart Of Darkness for the real thing. ( )

The White Mary ranks in my top 5 books of the year. Provided I got past some obvious but indirect disdain for Christianity at times, the story itself was and adventure worth taking.

The novel is about Marika Vecera, a foreign journalist, who ventures into the most remote, most dangerous places she can find. In doing so, she seems to toss her soul from place to place hoping something, or someone that can awaken its true purpose and she can ultimately find joy and love.

Marika is a strong female character, who loses her Mom not physically, but in mind, when her Mother loses her mind. She has already lost her father, so Marika goes to live with relatives, and by thirteen, wins a scholarship to boarding school, where she finds herself on her own from that point on. Her hero through her school years is foreign journalist Robert Lewis. Robert Lewis is assumed dead due to a suicide note, and in researching a biography she is penning about him, she uncovers clues that he may still be alive.

Marika sets out on a treacherous journey through the forests of Papua New Guinea, where amazing events, scenes, people, and places play out in a story that dwarfs the likes of Indiana Jones and other adventure tales. With Marika’s guide Tobo beside her most of the way, Kira Salak provides two voices for this captivating journey of the body and the spirit.

If you love adventure and the exploration of other cultures and places, you’ll love this book. ( )

WANT TO READ

“Beauty intrudes upon her. Flocks of red and green parrots. Butterflies of blue and gold dancing over the black waters. Crowned pigeons with their regal headdresses of gray plumage. She would like to know this beauty, not just see it.”

(”The White Mary” pg 3*)

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book, considering most of the reviews I’ve seen have either loved it or hated it. After reading it, I find that I’m somewhere in the middle, but leaning more toward the ‘loved it’ group. Like many of the books I’ve recently read, this book floats between the past and the present. Marika, the main character, is a journalist who returns from the Congo and decides to write a biography about the dead journalist who inspired her to take up the profession. “The White Mary” starts out later- when Marika is in Papua New Guinea- searching for that journalist after hearing he may still be alive. While I found the Papua New Guinea (PNG from now on) parts to be the better parts of the book, it took me awhile to get into them. I would have preferred to start the book with chapter 2- which takes place in Boston, and introduces us to Markia instead of jumping right into Marika’s journey through PNG. (Read the rest of my review at my blog: here)
( )

Journalist Marika Vecera discovers reason to ask a question: Did her idol, acclaimed journalist Robert Lewis, commit suicide as widely reported -- or is he living in seclusion, deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea? To answer, this white mary (“white woman”) travels to Papua New Guinea and hires a native man, Tobo, to guide her through the jungle in search of Lewis.

It took me fully two weeks to read the first half of this novel, which is mostly backstory involving unsympathetic characters and under-motivated events -- Lewis, Marika, her previous assignments, her love interests. And the narration took some acclimation -- objective and unemotional, more like reportage, bouncing from person to person sometimes by page or even paragraph.

But when the story finally returned to Marika’s journey through the jungle -- well, the pages flew! I loved the guide, Tobo, and felt honored to peek into the mind of such a wise man; I was fascinated by the jungle setting and its tribal societies -- so far outside my own experience. They make me grateful to have read this book, and interested in pursuing Salak's nonfiction. And should she write a follow-up novel involving Tobo, I’ll be first in line at the bookstore. ( )

The White Mary by Kira Salak is the story of Marika Vecera, a journalist whose job involves traveling to the most violent and dangerous places in the world. She has seen in person horrors that most of us couldn’t bear to even hear described.

When Marika hears of the suicide of Robert Lewis, a journalist that she idolized, she decides to write a biography of his life. During her research, she reads a letter from an American missionary who is certain he has seen the supposedly-dead Lewis in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Marika is involved in her first ever healthy relationship, but her own demons prevent her from fully giving herself over to Seb, her boyfriend. She decides to head to Papua New Guinea in the hopes of tracking down the possibly alive Lewis.

I’m not quite sure what I think of this book. On the one hand, it is extremely well-written. The descriptions of the Congo and the jungles of Papua New Guinea are breathtaking in their detail. Salak fully demonstrates the physical horrors of what Marika experiences while held hostage in Africa, and the toll the jungles of PNG take on her body. I appreciated the honesty and emotion with which the story was written.

But, I can’t really say that I loved it. I disliked the way that the author used the character’s sexual experiences to portray her emotional state. Many of the scenes were too explicit, and even brutal, in my opinion. I think there are other ways to portray what a person is going through emotionally than through how they experience sex.

I also found the scenes of Marika’s emotional “redemption” unbelievable. They just didn’t play as realistic to me. However, I have read many other reviews of The White Mary that are full of praises, so it could just be me. ( )

Summery:
The White Mary is a fascinating journey that takes a ‘Tomb Raider’ adventure and merges it with some of the most in-depth character development and exploration seen in the last few years. Marika Vecera is a journalist who sets out to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to investigate a sighting of journalist Robert Lewis, who was supposed to have committed suicide months before. During her travels Marika is faced with surviving not only the dangerous jungle, but also her own past.

Pros:
Kira Salak entered her first war zone in her twenties and passed her experiences on to her character, Marika. Salaks experiences in journalism, war-torn countries, and PNG itself show through in the vivid descriptions of her novel. From the first chapter it’s apparent that most of this novels research was not taken from books, but experience. And through Marika the reader gets to share in these experiences. It would have been such an easy mistake for Marika to become unreachable to readers- most of us have never been to a war zone or a place like PNG… but Salak doesn’t make that error. Marika is easy to relate to, because she has the basic human insecurities we all face: succeeding at our careers, opening up in new relationships, coming to grips with our past. As close as the reader feels to Marika, the other characters in The White Mary are exceedingly foreign. It’s difficult to relate to the natives and their bazaar (to us!) beliefs, but this actually adds to the experience, because Marika feels similarly. Even the jungle of PNG becomes a character- every mosquito, vine, and sickness fighting against Marika on her journey.

Cons:
The White Mary is full of vivid descriptions of war-torn countries and violent crimes; the character interaction is richly detailed. Early in the novel the jungle is described in lush illustration, but this fades quickly and doesn’t resurface until a brief moment at the end of the journey. Perhaps Marika herself became numb to her surroundings and stopped noticing the beauty, but a little more imagery in the center of the novel would have been welcome. Most readers will never have the chance to visit PNG and for some this will be the only introduction to the land. It would have been wonderful to hear more about the mountains Marika and her guide Tobo climbed and the country they traversed across.

Conclusion:
The White Mary is an exciting and informative foray into uncharted lands. The characters are vivid and believable and the plot is solid and well-thought out. With the exception of a lack of geographical description the novel succeeds in being a stunning adventure and a well thought out story of personal discovery. As the book progresses it doesn’t become so much about finding Lewis as it does about Marika finding herself.

The White Mary, by Kira Salak, tells the story of Marika Vecera, a journalist searching through the jungles of Papua New Guinea for her idol and mentor, war correspondent Robert Lewis, who has allegedly committed suicide but may, in fact, still be alive.

Marika's story is heartbreaking, from her childhood to her journalist adventures to her lovelife. The author ensures that the reader cares about Marika; fears for her and wants her to find happiness.

Whether describing Marika's relationships, the jungle scenery, or the horrifying reality of child soldiers, Kira Salak never holds back. Her writing style is straightforward and completely in keeping with the story.

I've already recommended The White Mary to several friends. ( )

This book had an interesting subject matter and was pretty well written, but I honestly found myself pretty ambivalent about the whole thing. I never had to struggle to pick it up, but it sure wasn’t a struggle to put down either. The whole thing was just solidly ‘eh’. I do think that Salak has promise as a writer, and I would be interested in reading some of her nonfiction about her own adventures in journalism.

For the full review:
http://www.devourerofbooks.com/2008/0... ( )

Marika Vecera is a fearless war journalist, traveling to war zones that many male reporters have avoided. When her idol, the famous journalist Robert Lewis, commits suicide, Marika feels driven to write his biography. In the course of researching her book, Marika receives a letter from a missionary who claims to have seen Lewis in Papua New Guinea. Marika drops everything to follow up the lead, embarking on a grueling journey that may cost the journalist her life. As the story progresses, we see that Marika’s quest is as much a journey to find herself as it is to find Robert Lewis.

The White Mary is one story told in two parts. The main part of the book covers Marika’s search for Lewis in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, while the events that drove her to that search are told in a series of flashbacks. These flashbacks, though insightful looks into Marika’s character, are the weakest points in the story. I found Marika’s interaction with her boyfriend Seb to be unrealistic. The dialogue between the two of them just felt stilted and forced. Marika is an interesting, multi-faceted character, but with each flashblack, I found her less likable. Her journey ultimately changes her for the better, but that change came too late for me.

There were elements of this book that I loved. Salak’s descriptions of the jungle are absolutely breathtaking. Tobo, Marika’s guide through the jungle, is a fascinating character. Clever, resourceful and wise, he saves Marika’s life on more than one occasion. Kira Salak, like Marika, is an accomplished war journalist, and her experience is evident in the descriptions of Marika’s time spent in various war zones.

The White Mary is gritty, intense and, at times, disturbing. There are graphic depictions of torture and rape, and one scene towards the end of the novel is so disturbingly vivid that it may turn even the strongest of stomachs.

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. As I stated earlier, there were many things that I loved about this book, but in the end, the things I didn’t like stood out more. While I can’t give it an enthusiastic endorsement, I am glad that I took the time to read The White Mary.

http://www.bookishruth.com/2008/07/re... ( )

ARC Review: A quick moving story of a mid-30's war correspondent who had seen things that few Americans ever had. She journeys to the Papua New Guinea region to search for a missing man, whom she had always idolized, to confirm his death. This is a truly eye opening story of not only the horrors that we humans do to one another but also that we do to ourselves. ( )

While on a sort of "working vacation" I finished reading The White Mary by Kira Salak. I'm having some difficulty writing a review of this book. Not because the book isn't good, quite the contrary, it is an excellent novel. I think the problem is that this novel is difficult to categorize. The novel follows a young journalist, Marika Vecera, as she risks her life in war zones throughout the world. The atrocities she documents and the threats to her own life are portrayed with such detail, you wonder if the author of the novel has lived this herself.

Marika admires another older journalist, Robert Lewis, and aspires to emulate his life. When he commits suicide, she focuses her energies on writing a biography about him. In her research, she stumbles across a letter to his sister indicating that he may still be alive and living in the deepest jungles of Papua New Guinea. Marika enters the jungle to search with a primitive tribal guide. Again, the novel is written with such detail that you wonder how much time the author herself has spent amongst these primitive tribes far from civilization.

Although the novel is a wonderful story, part travelogue, part National Geographic/Discovery Channel special, it is ultimately a story about Marika and her personal journey toward discovering all that life has to offer us. It is a story about the choices we all have that can bring us either happiness, contentment and joy; or keep us restless, unfulfilled and alone. The book shows masterfully that striving for peace and happiness in one's life isn't merely an invention of the civilized world, but something everyone, from primitive tribal shaman's to educated PhD's seeks.

I found this an interesting novel, well written and completely enjoyable. Marika draws conclusions in the end, that seem to coincide with my own perspectives on life. I certainly have never lived a life like Marika's and never will, but I have always believed that being happy is a choice we can all make for ourselves. ( )

Kira Salak’s The White Mary is an engaging read. Journalist Marika Vecera has a history of working in dangerous war zones to document the atrocities and suffering of people around the globe. She was inspired at an early age by the work of another risk-taking journalist, Robert Lewis. When she learns of Lewis’ disappearance which is attributed to suicide, she is shocked and decides to write a biography of his life. During her research for the book, Marika comes across a letter from a missionary in Papua New Guinea, stating that Lewis was sighted there after his supposed death. Marika decides to search for Lewis. This takes her into the deepest jungles of Papua New Guinea. Much of the book tells of her struggles there. The sub-plot of the book is Marika’s romantic relationship with psychologist Seb Gilman. Sensing that Marika’s difficult life has lead her to expect sorrow in the world and distrust any feelings of happiness she may have, Seb works to help her acknowledge her feelings. The real theme of the story is Marika coming to terms with her life and her feelings.

The arrangement of the book is well thought out. Salak changes the pace of the story by interspersing the trek through the jungle with scenes from Marika’s life in Boston with Seb. She also adds in a scene from Marika’s previous assignment in the war-torn Congo. The story flows nicely and the reader doesn’t get bogged down in the dreary trudge through the jungle.

Missionaries make a brief appearance in the book. Marika discovers that one is abusing the young girls he comes into contact with. I was bothered by the fact that Marika does nothing about it when she meets the man’s superior. I would have understood if the character at that point felt too weary to protest, but I wish Salak would have addressed the issue, rather than having Marika merely give the man a contemptuous look. It seemed out of character to me. The setting of the book was fascinating. Some of the descriptions of PNG tribal culture seemed unrealistic, but Salak was a journalist herself, and wrote another book about her experiences in PNG, which leads me to believe that her descriptions are authentic. This was a fast-paced and entertaining read. ( )