First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria
By Eve Brown-Waite
First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria is a cute story about the author’s years in Ecuador through the Peace Corps and then in Uganda with her former Peace Corps-recruiter-turned-husband through CARE, another non-governmental organization. Brown-Waite detailed – in her funny and slightly sarcastic voice – her short Peace Corps adventure in Ecuador, falling in love with her recruiter back in the States, and their 3 years living in Uganda.
I appreciated Brown-Waite’s manner of storytelling and could see her maturing as the memoir progressed. When the book began, Brown-Waite was in her early 20s, and there were the stories about falling head over heals in love and her idealism about saving the underdeveloped peoples of Ecuador. At this time, Brown-Waite clearly seemed like both a young, silly girl and a bit spoiled. But with age and experience (Ecuador, marriage, schooling, and finally Uganda), Brown-Waite matured substantially.
First Comes Love, then Comes Malaria was a fascinating glimpse into life in a third-world country, the struggles faced, and the interesting contrast between the seemingly elite Western CARE representatives to the native Ugandans.
Recommendation: I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a lighter read, but something much different from most books on the shelves (or at least the ones I’ve come across!).
Grade: B+