Product Description
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 she’s 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. From intestinal parasites to getting caught in a civil war, culture clashes to unexpected friendships, 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.AUTHOR BIO EVE BROWN-WAITE was a finalist for Iowa Review, Glimmer Train, and New Millennium Writings Awards for stories she wrote about her time abroad. She lives with her husband and two children in Massachusetts.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 52 reviews)

Great start, but didn't hold my interest. by Tanya Dennis

3 Stars
October 15, 2009
I've heard writers and editors talk about the "red line of death." It's the point in a story that causes the reader to shut the book. Either the story progresses too slowly, is too confusing or simply no longer holds the readers interest. This book has a red line of death. I loved it at first! It was funny and offered a sweet, interesting story. I could relate to the main character (who, since this is a memoir, is actually the author). She showed a lot of spunk. The book seemed well-written and flowed nicely. Then she lost me. It wasn't that the book became too confusing; rather, I just got bored. The plot seemed too redundant. The characters didn't evolve. At least not within the first 130 pages. What was entertaining and challenging became depressing and cliche. The wit became rote. It's not that I didn't like the book! I did, but I couldn't finish it. This title has rested untouched next to my bed, bookmark firmly in place, for the last two months. Worse: I have no motivation to finish it. I simply don't care what happens in the last half of the book.

Sweet, Funny, and Real by A. D. Boorman

4 Stars
September 09, 2009
This is a neat book. It's not deep, but its heartfelt and honest. Ultimately its strength comes from its authenticity and the authors honesty. Other reviewers have adequately covered the plot of this book, so I won't bore you with another re-hash of the storyline. What I really liked about this book is that the humor and the drama of the book come from the Eve Brown-Waite's determination to share the totality of her experience. Even when the sharing casts her in a less-than-admirable light, The author shares it all. In too many memoirs, the author tends to color and shade details and incidents to make themselves look good, strong, virtuous, whatever. Some authors strive for victimhood. Eve is, at different points the good, bad, active, passive; she is sometimes the main character and sometimes an observer. THe great strength of the book comes from its honesty, from the heart of the author. I hope to read more from her soon.

American signs on with the Peace Corps, gets more than she bargained for by Julee Rudolf (Oak Harbor, WA USA)

3 Stars
August 16, 2009
In First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria, Eve Brown-Waite writes about her experiences abroad, first with the Peace Corps in Ecuador and later (no longer with the PC) in Uganda. The woman starts off on the wrong foot in her attempt to join the Corps by falling in love with her interviewer. Soon she's sent to Ecuador, worrying all along that the boy back home will find someone new. A year in, Ms. Brown decides to break her (two-year commitment) and return to the States. Fortunately, the gal gets the guy and accompanies him, working for CARE, to Uganda. She humorously recounts her experiences abroad including efforts to find work, hanging out with other expats, interactions with the locals, and having a kid on foreign soil. Although I enjoyed Ms. Brown-Waite's ability to share the lighter side of life, the constant lightheartedness sometimes felt forced. But in my book, she earns back all the points she lost from bailing on her Peace Corps commitment and overthinking herself really hot by having a baby abroad. In summary, First Comes Love is a light, funny read about the adventures of an expat. Better: Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller and Fever by John G. Fuller.

Not Deep, Not Dramatic, But a Very Nice Love Story by Sacratomato (Northern California)

3 Stars
July 23, 2009
Usually, I feel many first time writers over-dramatize their experiences to add spurious color and excitement to their stories, but with Ms Brown-Waite, I felt just the opposite. She lived in a very dangerous area of Uganda, but I think she down-played the dangers and hardships she went through. And that's fine with me, because by the end I enjoyed her book as a love story, not as travelogue. She ended up in rural Uganda, but I think she would have happily lived in Uzbekistan or Ulan Bator to be with her husband. She was the happy victim of the "coup de foudre", the lightning bolt of love.

Humorous in spots, but somewhat one dimensional in the end. by Jayson A. Olson (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)

3 Stars
July 20, 2009
I wasn't exactly sure what I was expecting, but the premise seemed very interesting in terms of mixing comedic stories with real life events that took place in third world countries. After the initial chapters of getting to know the author and her dealings and motivations of signing up with the peace corps, readers are treated with a real romp down in the remote areas of South America, specifically Ecuador. Here, the author paints a very good picture of her surroundings, how she becomes acclimated and some amusing stories throughout based on language barriers, culture shock, hygiene, and getting a decent cold beer. I personally thought this is where her tales shined. There was a lot of variety and incidents during her initial weaning off of all things U.S. and was an entertaining read with a bit of wit thrown in. However, this doesn't last as long as it should for this reader. Shortly after her musings in Ecuador her mentor/boyfriend visits and her attention in the book quickly gravitates on how she is determined to make John her husband, and she succeeds. After a very brief interlude back in the states for the marriage, John accepts an assignment in Uganda, Africa and for the remainder of the book, and probably now the remaining two-thirds of the book, author Eve takes us on a rather flat journey of their escapades in Uganda. While I respect Eve and John for their humanitarian efforts in wanting to do the right thing for this third world nation and the plight of its people, the events turned a bit stale and more about political undertones and Eve's obsession of wanting to have a baby, and the odors of those she came in contact with. I thought while there were still amusing incidents from time to time, overall the humorous bits seemed a bit more sporadic and flat. Instead the book discusses the turning tide of political action and oppression within and Eve and John's eventual exit strategy back to the states. That's not to say this book takes a turn for the worse, but it loses it on-surface promise of humor and quirky adventures once the adventures moves on to Africa. There just seemed to be much more variety early on in the book and a lighter tone when we were treated to the initial peace corps volunteer process and Eve's first excursion to South America.

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