Eve Brown-Waite, college diploma in hand and notions of saving the world in her head, was unsure about what to do with the rest of her life: join the Peace Corps or go to law school. When faced with these two equal options, Eve decided to choose the one that would make her Orthodox Jewish grandmother roll over in her grave. She could become a hippie, peacenik do-gooder couldn’t she?
Ecuador RPCV Eve Brown-Waite writes "First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria"
Eve Brown-Waite, college diploma in hand and notions of saving the world in her head, was unsure about what to do with the rest of her life: join the Peace Corps or go to law school. When faced with these two equal options, Eve decided to choose the one that would make her Orthodox Jewish grandmother roll over in her grave. She could become a hippie, peacenik do-gooder couldn’t she?
All of her doubts subsided when she met John, her dashing and altruistic Peace Corps recruiter. Now she absolutely had to join the Peace Corps, if for no other reason than to win John’s benevolent heart. So, upon acceptance into the program, off to Ecuador she went, spending a year in Santa Domingo, drinking warm beer, being a social worker to lost boys, and sharing her apartment with large insects. After a traumatic incident involving a close friend, Eve returned to the United States and vowed never to leave the country again. But, her beloved and faithful Peace Corps recruiter, who was now her husband, had other plans. Before long, Eve was packing her safari-chic wardrobe and cappuccino machine, and heading back overseas to the completely submerged world of Uganda, Africa.
Your browser may not support display of this image.With wit and candor, FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MALARIA (Broadway Books; On-Sale April 14, 2009; Hardcover; $23.95) by Eve Brown-Waite, chronicles Eve's unexpected adventures as an aspiring philanthropist who may not be anywhere near tough enough to rough it. With an endearing voice and refreshing humor, Eve explores the unintended prejudices and the cultural clashes that arise when the first and third worlds collide.
Her take on the “downsides of doing good” (like intestinal parasites and having to eat termites) and her experiences in the little-known corner of the world that eventually wins over her heart make for an utterly enjoyable read.
Readers are sure to laugh out loud as Eve discovers:
* Stepping on a jellyfish, even if it’s dead, hurts like hell.
* How to sit carefully on toilet bowls since rats tend to live in them during Uganda’s dry season.
* Morning sickness is nothing compared to suffering from severe dysentery and malaria during the first trimester of her pregnancy.
* It is never, under any circumstances, safe to drink the tap water . . . and more.
Unpredictably transforming from naïve, pampered city girl to seasoned international aid worker, Eve presents an honest look at the search for love and purpose from a woman who finds both in the last place she ever expected.
