First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria

By: Eve Brown Waite

Narrated by: Eileen Stevens

Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third World Adventure Changed My Life

In this laugh-out-loud funny memoir, a pampered city girl falls head over little black heels in love with a Peace Corps poster boy and follows him literally to the ends of the earth.

Eve Brown always thought she would join the Peace Corps someday, although she secretly worried about life without sushi, frothy coffee drinks, and air conditioning. But with college diploma in hand, it was time to put up or shut up. So with some ambivalence she arrives at the Peace Corps office sporting her best safari-chic attire to casually look into the steps one might take if one were to become a global humanitarian, a la Angelina Jolie.

But when Eve meets John, her dashing young Peace Corps recruiter, all her ambivalence flies out the window. She absolutely must join the Peace Corps - and win John's heart in the process. Off to Ecuador she goes and - after a year in the jungle - back to the States she runs, vowing to stay within easy reach of a decaf cappuccino for the rest of her days. But life had other plans. Just as she's getting reacquainted with the joys of toilet paper, John gets a job with CARE and Eve must decide if shes up for life in another third-world outpost. Before you can say, "pass the malaria prophylaxis," the couple heads off to Uganda, and the fun really begins--if one can call having rats in your toilet fun.

Fortunately, in Eve's case one certainly can, because to her, every experience is an adventure to be embraced, and these pages come alive with all of the alternatively poignant and uproarious details.

With wit and candor, First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria chronicles Eve's misadventures as an aspiring do-gooder. Here is an honest and laugh-out-loud funny look at the search for love and purpose from a woman who finds both in the last place she expected.

©2009 Eve Brown Waite (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

I Hear ya

Well, the hype says "laugh out loud" funny. I didn't hear a peep from me. But, I sure did learn a thing or two about the peace core. All in all I can say I was not too impressed

Honest, funny memoir

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book but I was pleasantly surprised.
Eve's tales are humorous, horrifying, humorous, sad, humorous, honest, humorous, and touching.
Over the span of years, Eve and John experienced some really sad and horrifying things but Eve's wit and humor helped balance them out. I laughed, cringed, and cried on numerous occasions.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to nearly anyone!
And if I'm being perfectly honest, it gave me the desire to really see and experience the world... only I'm not going to eat guinea pig head so I'll probably stay right here in the good 'ol U.S. of A.

I loved the narration. There were so many unsual accents in this book and Eileen Stevens nailed them all (at least to my uncultured ears!). I especially loved her African accents.

What an adventure. What growth.

I loved this story from the first chapter. Loved the voice narrations with accents.
I could relate to the memory trigger as it happened to me in much the same way.
On the special naming of the author by new friends...I got all choked up. What an honor!
On the last goodbyes...I was flat out bawling. It felt so painful, yet celebratory. For all of the growth, the community, the sisterhood, the 'it takes a village'... A once-in-a-lifetime experience. Most of us will never know that bond in the way that the author did. Also an honor.

Made me yearn for her sequel!

Any additional comments?

I truly enjoyed this book. Eva Brown Waite made me feel as if I were part of her world - I laughed at some of her stories and got teary-eyed at others. She did a great job of describing life in remote areas of the world - and how people are people no matter where you go.

Worth a listen

The narrator is terrific--emotional and funny and a master of accents (at least, she convinced me). The story is interesting and personal, as memoirs at their best are. It is evocative and informative, and made me want to travel to Africa immediately.

This writer and her husband joined the world of the expats in remote locations who go to make a difference in the lives of the people living in the countries they visit, in this case, Uganda. She is compassionate and insightful, and yet from time to time she makes observations that seem to lack in both, of the what-is-the-matter-with-these-people-anyway variety, acknowledging their poverty and the corruption of their government yet simultaneously frustrated that they can't just stand up and rise above it.

However, that said, it is clear that her heart is in the right place, and given the instability of the region and the vast differences between the American culture (and what we take for granted) and the Ugandans' culture (and what they not only take for granted but also accept), she draws a remarkable and positive picture.

Took awhile but it grabbed me

At first her, terminally cheerful reading, alternating with prolonged whining was hard to take but eventually I enjoyed this book and found the information about Uganda and Care very interesting. Worth the read if you are interested in these things

almost unbearable

In the first chapters of this book I thought this shallow, narcissistic writer must be presenting herself in a harsh light in order to show how the Peace Corps and developing world would change and strengthen her character. No such luck. Rarely has such a self-absorbed person set carelessly written, shabbily edited words on paper. As a returned Peace Corp Volunteer who worked for 3 years in Sierra Leone with my husband and 3 children, I am interested in the experience of other PCVs. Yes, I have had malaria and so have 2 of my children. Yes, as the "non-matrix spouse" I had challenges defining a job for myself. Yes, I have subsisted on a limited diet and pined for American food and physical comforts. But Ms. Waite's experience with deprevation is appallingly self-centered, and whatever growth she experiences happens off stage or is instantly erased by her needy, whiny attitude. Count me in among the Audible reviewers offended by her writing on perceived African body odor -- and it's not just a mention, it's a rant.

As for her signature chapter sign off, "I'll keep you posted," my response is, "No thanks, I've had enough."

Couldn't finish it

An idealistic self-proclaimed JAP goes out into the wilds of world to change the face of it and fight AIDS. Instead, she fails to finish her Peace Corp mission (completely understandable, under the circumstances), and heads off to Uganda where lies around and whines about not being able to do any good deeds because she lives in the middle of nowhere.

Eve does a good job of explaining the various issues that stood in the way of her accomplishing anything of weight in Uganda - the bureaucracy, the corruption, the poverty - but eventually I couldn't take any more of her whining. Especially about the smells of Uganda. Oh, and a baby.

I got 3/4 of the way through, it was compelling enough, but once the drought happened and she started getting into the Difficult Pregnancy section, I'd had enough.

funny? don't think so

I did not even finish the book. I didn't lol once. It was not what I expected. She tells a good story, but I had to force myself to keep listening. I finally gave up.

Skip this one

Any additional comments?

I have read/listened to dozens of memoirs, bios, and auto-bios. Never have I not liked a person so much. For someone who wants to join the Peace Corp and save the world - Eve complains, whines, and carries on as if she didn't expect to be in a third world country surrounded by people who think white people are strange and don't speak English.

The only reason I finished this book was because I hoped at some point along the way she would redeem herself of the constant moaning and grousing - but no - she surprised me and ended up worse.