Rachel Linden

I didn’t like this as much as I thought I would. It’s got nice character development, especially with the heroine, Mia. Even the supporting characters are detailed enough and nuanced enough to feel real. I liked that. It brings to light many different social issues around the world, including poverty and the refugee crisis. I have cared about issues like those for a long time, so I was happy to see them addressed in the story. However, the main character was so unlikeable at times that I felt like she undercut the message. She visits poor children in a foreign country, and she somehow manages to make it all about her, when it should be all about them. She doesn’t seem to think about the people she’s helping—she’s thinking about how wonderful she is. She has a sort of savior complex. And when she learns that it’s beyond her ability to save everyone and be this big hero that she’s envisioned, she seriously considers just giving up, and not bothering to do even the little bit of good that she can. Perhaps this attitude is not uncommon, but it made it diffficult for me to connect to the character. In this book’s defense, I think it was done on purpose. Mia doesn’t give up, and she matures throughout the story as she comes to understand, so there’s character growth. Here, again, the secondary characters come to the rescue, and the author does a good job of showing how the main character’s relationships with the individuals she is trying to help are a major factor in her ultimate transformation. Once she takes time to get to know people, she gets a little more humble about her work. Even so, it was difficult to read. I kept reminding myself, “It’s okay, she’s young, she’s too young to understand,” except she isn’t. She’s 26, which is young, I admit, but she’s a rather immature 26 at that. I felt that parts of the book were repetitive, and the writing might have been tighter. The ending is a little pat, and all the loose ends are nicely tied up, and the refugees with whom she had lost all contact and who were in the midst of violent upheaval even manage to dash off a postcard to let her know that they made it out safe. It’s a little too convenient, and I can’t decide how I feel about that. One the one hand, it’s important for Mia to realize she made a difference. On the other hand, in real life, situations like theirs often end tragically, and this book seemed way too serious in tone and content for such a slapdash happy ending. This book raises interesting issues, and the premise is nice, but I think it should have been done better.… (more)

Mia Alice West, a twenty-six-year-old apprentice baker, decides to leave her comfort zone and join a global humanitarian organization called the Humanitas Foundation after being jilted by her long-time boyfriend, Ethan. Seeking fulfillment and hoping to heal her broken heart, Mia travels the world, offering assistance to others. Unexpectedly, Mia discovers her desire to help others was always close to her heart. After visiting the slums of Mumbai, India, and a Hungarian refugee camp with her friend Rosie and four others, Mia returns home and finds true love, realizing that her future is right before her.… (more)