Marika Vecera is a young war reporter driven by the danger experienced during her assignments. During a trip to the Congo, she is held captive by rebel soldiers and barely escapes with her life. She returns to the States, battered and beaten, mentally worn. Upon her return, she discovers that her idol/mentor Robert Lewis, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, has committed suicide. She devotes her life for the next several months to writing his biography. During her research, she discovers evidence that indicates Lewis is still alive, living in a remote village in Papua New Guinea. Drawn to the possibility that Lewis is still alive, Marika embarks on a journey not knowing what she will find. Her guide is Tobo, a medicine man, provides her with guidance along the way. During this journey, Marika learns a lot about humankind, and more importantly, herself. The White Mary is an incredibly powerful and empowering tale about one woman’s dedication to her career. While the scenes detailing the atrocities that are occurring clear across the world are difficult to read at times, the end result gives you an appreciation for all that we have as inhabitants of the “civilized” world.
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One More Page Book Club!
Tuesday, December 6: The Call by Yannick Murphy
Past Selections:
November: The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
October: Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman
September: Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy
August: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
July: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
June: Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen
May: Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt
April: Cutting for Stone: Abraham Verghese
March: These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
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Sounds a little like Heart of Darkness maybe? In any case, I look forward to reading this!
I’ve seen reviews stating that it has been compared to Heart of Darkness. Unfortutely, I can’t recall much about my reading of HoD…that was about 15 years ago!
Oh you totally need to read it again, Jenn! I’ve read Heart of Darkness somewhere around 10 times (most recently 2 yrs ago) and I love it everytime.
I don’t think I ever read Heart of Darkness. I liked this novel, though. Thanks for such a good review!
White Mary is just amazing in every way! I much prefer it to Heart of Darkness. I can see where the comparison comes from, though. I’ve always had trouble with HOD, no problems at all (except some heavy cringing!) with White Mary.
Because we read so many books, original stories are sometimes hard to find.
This sounds like an very interesting tale, and I look forward to reading it.