The White Mary

When I read a review in Publisher's Weekly of Kira Salak's novel, The White Mary, that described it as a blend of Heart of Darkness and Tomb Raider, I knew I had to read it (Laura Croft is awesome!). Although I enjoyed the book, I did not see any resemblance to Tomb Raider. More Heart of Darkness, but unfortunately, no Laura Croft. The main character, Marika Vecera, is a journalist who has covered many of the most dangerous places on earth. When the journalist who inspired her career choice, Robert Lewis, supposedly commits suicide, she sets off for Papua New Guinea to investigate a claim that Lewis was seen alive in the remote jungle. Marika spends weeks trekking through the dangerous jungle, battling leeches, swarms of mosquitoes, and dysentery. When she finally finds Lewis alive, she attempts to understand the reasons for his staged suicide.


This is Salak's first novel, however she was the first woman to traverse Papua New Guinea, which she wrote about in her nonfiction account, Four Corners: One Woman's Solo Journey Into the Heart of Papua New Guinea. She draws on that experience to create the great detail found in this novel. Her descriptions of the jungle were exceptional and I really got a great sense of the location and Marika's struggle to beat the jungle. Papua New Guinea is not a place many people know much about, so I enjoyed reading about the people and how they live. Salak is a talented writer and I enjoyed the novel so much that I picked up Four Corners.