What readers think of The White Mary, plus links to write your own review.

This book kept me on the edge and I did not want to put it down. It is hard to find a book that gets under my skin but this one did that. I never knew what was going to happen next and in no way could guess. That to me is a good book.

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.

In Salak's dugout canoe take an inhospitable adventure into the jungles of Papua New Guinea in search of a man believed dead. But is he? Beautiful, hypnotic, mesmerizing, intoxicating. Raw in nature while elegant in spirit. Simple yet deeply profound. Meaningful reading. Salak will renew your sense of spirit.

How much sorrow and intentional pain can we witness without losing our souls? It's a highly personal question that award-winning journalist Kira Salak explores in her first novel, The White Mary. Knowing that Salak has herself spent much time in the heart of Papua New Guinea and covering atrocities in the Third World brings a sense of realism to this story that makes it all the more heartbreaking. It has some awkward tense changes in the beginning, and the character of Seb could have been better developed, but the plotting and pace of the book are impeccable and the story riveting. I highly recommend it.

This is an incredible debut novel by Kira Salak. The novel follows in the tradition of Conrad's In the Heart of Darkness.The adventure scenes leave one speechless and brings back the story of Stanley's search for Livingston. This tale of spiritual quest will inspire and change the reader's view of the world. It is a tale of survival and enlightenment.

From the moment I turned the cover to read the first page until I closed the book at the end, I was right there. Marika Vecera, a young journalist, has patterned her career after that of Richard Lewis. Lewis being an award winning, outstanding Journalist that had committed suicide a couple of years earlier.

Marika decides to write a biography of Richard Lewis. She begins to gather information about him.and comes across a letter that suggests that Lewis might not be dead after all. This sets Marika on a journey that is unlike anything she has ever experienced before.

Kira Salak in her Authors Note just inside the front cover tells us that some of the information about Marika is from her own life. Which made it all the more interesting to me.

I found this book to be an excellent read.

This is a riveting, and sometimes harrowing, adventure tale which at times I found to bounce between a love story and a "nail biting thriller". Marika is a gutsy heroic journalist and a fearless survivor who attacks the harsh realities of war zones and untamed jungles. She is a hero to inspire all adventure "junkies - a character you will never forget! This book is all fast paced action and for me was mesmerizing - I definitely felt like I was under a spell and couldn't wait to read the next page. I read the book all in one sitting! It is obvious that Kira Salak as a reporter herself has lived through similar adventures and that is how she can capture the beauty of exotic places like Papa New Guinea at the same time as the violence of war zones and political upheaval. I can't recommend this book enough - I LOVED IT!!!

This is a sweeping adventure tale that is also a spiritual quest for love and meaning. Kira Salak work as a journalist really pays off here in her first novel. Incredible book.