The White Mary by Kira Salak
Kira Salak's talents as an adventure journalist most certainly inform this novel. As I am not familiar with her non-fiction, I can only speculate that it contains much of the same insights and information into traveling remote and dangerous parts of the world. But since it is fiction it contains a character study as well - Marika Vecera becomes fixated on discovering what has happened to war correspondent Robert Lewis. She becomes convinced after doing some research that he is somewhere in Papua New Guinea and sets off on a terrifying quest to find a lost soul.
A remarkable look at what drives a person to be surrounded by danger and compels them to keep moving despite the constant threat of death. This is unlike anything I have read - part travel journal, part mystery, part personal history - it is a fascinating read. Marika (kira?) is so far removed from my world, I am known for being pretty risk averse (re: chicken), she is a skilled and seasoned world traveller but incompetent when it comes to regular life. Marika's honesty made her a trustworthy narrator and even though I cringed at some of her decisions, her character remained consistent.
On Amazon, it is called a cross between Tomb Raider and Heart of Darkness. I think it sums it up nicely. Absolutely recommended.
4 stars
The End.
(One quick word as a caution to sensitive readers: there was a brief but brutal sexual scene, that you can see coming, skipping ahead a few pages will not interrupt the story).
Other books by Kira Salak include:
The Cruelest Journey: Six Hundred Miles to Timbuktu
Four Corners: A Journey into the Heart of Papua New Guinea
Her website is: www.kirasalak.com - there are book excerpts and articles.
If you are interested in reading more about Papua New Guinea, one of my favorite books is In Search of the Source by Neil Anderson, a Bible translator and missionary to PNG. It gives tremendous insight into living among the Folopa tribe and their culture. Out of print, it can easily be picked up used.
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