The White Mary - by Kira Salak (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Marika Vecera is a young war reporter, recently back from the Congo and venturing into the first serious relationship of her life, when she hears the news that Robert Lewis has committed suicide. Lewis was a famous war correspondent and a hero to Marika, and as she begins working on his biography she gets word from a missionary who claims to have seen Lewis alive. Astounded, Marika uproots her life in Boston and heads to Papua New Guinea--the world's least explored frontier--to uncover the truth. Encountering all the dangers of jungle travel and the haunting mythology of native tribes, Marika's search for Lewis becomes an unforgettable journey into the depths of the human soul.

Review Quotes

"Harrowing . . . Salak's descriptions of the jungle passage are compelling and dreamlike." --The Washington Post

"Keenly observed . . . As Vecera cuts her way through swamps and forests, encountering insects, snakes and the native population along the way, you'll think of the travails of Katharine Hepburn in The African Queen." --USA Today

"There aren't many books that we hand to friends, urging, 'You have to read this.' The White Mary is one of them." --The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

"Salak's descriptions of the sights, sounds, and smells of the jungle, with its brutal chieftains and servile women, brings the story to life with all of its horrors and satisfactions." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

About the Author

KIRA SALAK is a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure. She lives in Montana.