Author - Marian Haley Beil

In November 1963, a bright Hawaiian morning is shattered by news of the assassination of the President. This marks the beginning of a journey to a remote Iranian village by a young American Peace Corps Volunteer who sets out with rebellious tenacity to do what is right, unaware of America’s loss of innocence — and his own. From a youthful determination to perpetuate Kennedy’s legacy, to coping with the reality of America’s faults and ambitions, to grappling with unfamiliar customs and languages, to discovering the friendship and love of Iranians, Tom Klobe discovers that being “Tom of Iran” is as fulfilling as being “American Tom.” A Young American in Iran is a tribute to the people of the village of Alang and Iran — to their love and to their goodness. It strives to capture the essence of life in a specific village and Iran in the mid-1960s. It is . . .

An East African Peace Corps Life Tales from A Muzungu by Nicholas Duncan (Uganda 2006–08) A Peace Corps Writers Book December 2014 156 pages $14.95 (paperback) Reviewed by Richard M. Grimsrud (India 1965–67) • Nicholas Duncan’s entertaining memoir of his experiences as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda after 9/11 presents a fascinating picture of his host country during his service. One slight problem with the book at the outset, however, is that it is not exactly clear when during the five five-year terms of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni (1986-96 and 2001-present) Duncan actually served. When I searched for a specific date in the book, I had to assume from the reference to Super Bowl XLV on pp. 75–76 that the author’s service dates were 2006-08, but it would have made the story more interesting to me (for reasons that should be evident at the end of this review) if . . .

Truth Poker: Stories by Mark Brazaitis Pittsburgh: Autumn House Press January 2015 180 pages $17.95 (paperback) Reviewed by Clifford Garstang (Korea 1976-77) • Mark Brazaitis’s sixth book of fiction, Truth Poker, is a collection of superb short stories divided into three themed sections. In one sense, the fictions are a continuation of his past work, as these stories, like those in his 2012 collection, The Incurables, are also tied to the fictional town of Sherman, Ohio, and the campus of Ohio Eastern University. And, as in his earlier writing, Brazaitis draws on his own Peace Corps experience by featuring Volunteers in several of the stories, including those set in Guatemala, his country of service. Beyond the Peace Corps connection and the nominal ties to an Ohio community, however, the stories here do, for the most part, feel like they are part of a unified project, and on that basis alone . . .

Susanne Aspley (Thailand 1989–91) published her Peace Corps novel Ladyboy and the Volunteer with Peace Corps Writers this past November.  In her responses for this “Talking with . . . ” piece she chose to eschew  incorporating my usual author-interview questions  — and it all turned out quite well! Thanks Susanne.— Marian • I served with the Peace Corps in Nakorn Sri Thammarat, Thailand, from 1989 to 1991 as a Community Development Volunteer in a small fishing village on the Gulf of Siam. I taught English classes and began several duck farms. I also discovered the cure for cancer, slayed dragons and brought peace to the Middle East but no one believes me. I have a B.A. in English with a minor in Film. My English degree was very helpful for my teaching. I feel good about accomplishing the second and third goal of the Peace Corps, but failed miserably with the . . .

In December Nick Duncan (Uganda 2010–12) published his Peace Corps memoir Tales from A Muzungu with Peace Corps Writers. Here Nick talks about his Peace Corps service and his Peace Corps memoir. • Where did you live and work in-country? I lived and worked in Iganga, Uganda, which is in eastern Uganda. It is a transport hub for travelers and truck drivers coming and going from northeastern Uganda and Kenya to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, in the south-central part of the country. To be more specific, I lived and worked in Nabirye, Iganga, which is about a 5-minute ride from Iganga Town. . What was your Peace Corp project assignment? I was an economic development Volunteer tasked with helping The Hunger Project in a variety of ways. The Hunger Project is a non-profit organization head-quartered in New York that is  committed to the sustainable end of world hunger. . . . .

Death in the Dolomites (A Rick Montoya Italian Mystery) by David P. Wagner (Chili 1965-67) Poisoned Pen Press 2014 250 pages $24.95 (hardcover), $14.95 (paperback), $8.99 (Kindle) Reviewed by Geraldine Kennedy (Liberia 1962–64) • In the first chapter of Death in the Dolomites, David Wagner, with meticulous detail, guides us along the well-choreographed movements of an unidentified man clearly in the midst of nefarious activity. Without a single word spoken, we know a crime has been committed. The mystery man is taking great care to hide the evidence. It turns out to be the most captivating scene in this gentle mystery. Our hero, Rick Montoya, an Italian-American translator, is on a ski vacation in a charming Dolomite tourist village, home of his college roommate. An American banker is reported missing. Unbeknownst to Rick, his Italian uncle, a detective in Rome, has intervened to bring Rick’s services to the attention of . . .

2,000 Miles Around the Tree of Life: A Naturalist Hikes the Appalachian Trail by Richard W. Carroll (Central Africa Republic 1976–82) A Peace Corps Writers Book December 2014 126 pages $10.00 (paperback), $8.95 (Kindle) Reviewed by Mary-Ann Tirone Smith (Cameroon 1965–67) • Readers of Richard W. Carroll’s 2,000 Miles Around the Tree of Life about his extraordinary five-month journey from the southernmost point of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, to his arrival at the northernmost end (or beginning depending on where you start) in Maine, need to understand that is not a memoir as the jacket copy states. It is, rather, a journal — something Carrol explains on the final page of the book — meant to “keep the memories alive.” So expect grand courage, an oh-so impressive stoicism as he suffers the often dire rigors of such a momentous hike, and experience his joy vicariously with each discovery he . . .

What the Zhang Boys Know: A Novel in Stories by Clifford Garstang (Korea 1976–77) Press 53 2012 201 pages $17.95 (paperback) Reviewed by Jan Worth-Nelson (Tonga 76-78) • Clifford Garstang calls What the Zhang Boys Know a “novel in stories,” and it’s an appropriate characterization. The 12 linked tales all take place in and around a sprawling condo complex in Washington, D.C. called the Nanking Mansion, and the characters within compellingly weave in and out of all the intersecting plots. The big old edifice serves effectively as narrative frame and plot architecture. As in any good novel, the inhabitants of Nanking Mansion, a colorful mix of artists, writers, young professionals and dislocated immigrants, are absorbing and complex. One roots for them, cares about them, despairs of their tragedies major and minor, and celebrates their vindications. In the launching story, we meet everyone in the midst of a complicated melee in . . .

In December, James Beebe (Philippines from 1968-73) published his “Peace Corps memoir” Those Were the Days — A Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines in the Late ‘60s with Peace Corps Writers. I interviewed James about his impressive accomplishments, and about writing his memoir. — Marian • What was your Peace Corp project assignment? I was an Education Volunteer — elementary science, rice production, part-time college teaching. . Tell us about where you lived and worked prior to Peace Corps and  your educational background. I grew up mostly in New Orleans, Louisiana and Panama City, Florida. My education includes: before Peace Corps I was a student at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Florida; Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana; and New York University; after Peace Corps, I was a graduate student at Stanford University where I earned an M.A. in anthropology, an M.A. in Food Research (International Development . . .

Finding Neguinho by David Randle (Brazil 1964-66; Brazil staff 1967–69); with illustrations by Mary M. Jones Page Publishing June 2014 256 pages $25.95 (paperback), $9.99 (Kindle) Reviewed by Barbara E. Joe (Honduras 2000-03) • In 1964, after college graduation, newlyweds David and Inga Randle, both from Indiana farming families, find themselves far from home in the Peace Corps in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, “bigger than Texas,” a region sharing traits with the American Wild West . . . with disagreements being settled through the barrel of a gun. Also, a military coup has just occurred in Brazil, but is little felt in that remote world. Neighbors call the author “Dr. David,” — as, indeed, Hondurans still call me “Doctora Bárbara” on my annual visits there. He is permitted to drive a Peace Corps 4 x 4 Willy’s  station wagon, and often gives people a lift — who are helpful when . . .

Imagine you are on a plane to a destination you know very little about and you will be living there for two years. On top of that, you don’t know anyone else going on this adventure, you only have a vague idea of what you will be doing, and you are not sure if you even made the right decision to go in the first place. A major comfort, though, is you know that you aren’t the only person having this anxiety because this is just the beginning of a Peace Corps Volunteer’s service. Tales from a Muzungu by Nicholas Duncan tells of the highs and lows of his two-year experience in Uganda from 2010 to 2012 as a Peace Corps Volunteer. In his book, he details a variety of topics including: The atmosphere of Uganda. The the day-to-day life of a Volunteer. What his first impressions were of the . . .

To purchase any of these books from Amazon.com, click on the book cover, the bold book title, or the publishing format you would like — and Peace Corps Worldwide, an Amazon Associate, will receive a small remittance that will help support the site and the annual Peace Corps Writers awards. • The Road to Tamazunchale (Novel – reissue as ebook) by Ron Arias (Peru 1963–65) Bilingual Press September 2014 134 pages $8.69 (Kindle) • Truth Poker: Stories by Mark Brazaitis (Guatemala 1991–93) Autumn House Press January 2015 180 pages $17.95 (paperback) • 2,000 Miles Around the Tree of Life: A Naturalist Hikes  the Appalachian Trail (Memoir) by Richard W. Carroll Peace Corps Writers December 2014 126 pages $10.00 (paperback), $8.82 (Kindle) • Lily of Peru (Romance, thriller) by David C. Edmonds (Peru 1963–65) Peace Corps Writers December 2014 402 pages $15.95 (paperback) • Global Political Economy by Eddie James Girdner . . .

Getting to Where I Am by Richard Carroll (1976–82) I walked the Appalachian Trail in 1975 in a journey that spanned five months and one day. I stepped across an engraved plaque set in stone at Springer Mountain, Georgia marking the southern terminus of the A.T. on April 14th, and climbed Mt. Katahdin, Maine, the northern terminus, on September 15th. I would have completed the climb the day before, but it had snowed on the mountain, and the park service closed the trail, thus I wound up experiencing all four seasons on the Appalachian Trail. That last night I rested in a shelter, let my guard down, and got a commemorative hole in my pack from a mouse rummaging around for the remnants of the food I carried. After five months of hanging my pack, boots, food bag, and anything edible or sweaty in trees to stave off bears, porcupines, . . .