Myra always felt different and like she didn’t fit in as far as her peers went. Myra was a Muslim and her parents were from Palestine. Myra’s mother was a doctor and Myra went on a mission trip with her mother to Haiti  to help in a medical clinic as her mother hoped Myra would become a doctor. But  Myra didn’t want to be a doctor her dream was to become a photographer.  She hoped by winning a photography contest it would provide the money for her to go to photography school. She hoped to get the perfect picture while in Haiti. One shot could do it for Myra. Then Myra met the cute translator and her heard her say he was cute. Myra also felt a lot of things she had never felt before. She didn’t know Elias needed his job to support his family. So his younger siblings could go to school and have a good future. But the number one rule of his employer who didn’t treat him very well was stay away from the Americans. But Elias finds insta / love puppy love whatever with Myra after a few days and breaks the rule.I didn’t particularly like this story for the most part. The story dragged for me at times especially in the beginning. I did like how Elias tried to protect Myra when she puts herself at serious risk. I just don’t feel Elias would sacrifice his family for a girl he had only known a couple days and would be leaving soon.  Matter of fact I loved Elias’s devotion to his family. I didn’t like Myra she was selfish, self centered, thoughtless, careless, and immature. This just wasn’t believable to me.  But I did like how the author brought in the problems in this country and what the people go through. I am sure someone will like this just wasn’t for me.

3.5 Stars

Let's just get to the things I didn't like much first.
I am not a huge fan of the writing style. To be honest, the way Trombley dealt with the creole dialogues, is not to my liking. I know that is style many authors use, but I personally find it disruptive. It's really a matter of personal preference. At time I found the writing a bit too simplistic, but at others there were amazing descriptions. Which makes the writing style feel a bit inconsistent and it's one of the reason's it took me a while to get into the book.
The second negative point: the romance. It's too insta. I mean, we talking a week! One week, people. I get that Myra got affected by the place, but their feelings for each other and the dramas? I kept thinking, dude, it's been a few days...
However, the thing I liked do outway the things I didn't! So despite the above, I enjoyed the book immensely.

First and foremost Trombley chose two really different protagonists. I love that! But not only did she chose diverse characters, she also did a brilliant job at getting them right. Myra makes "sense", her struggles, even the ones with her mother, her attitude, her perceptions, her acts are that of a pakistani american youth. It's really well done. I absolutely love the character building in this book. Elias, felt a bit woody in the beginning, but soon became a vivid character that felt real.
The support cast was just as well written. But really for me the star in the story is Myra and her character growth. It's beautiful and feel so realistic. I was really moved by her, her changes and discoveries.
As I said I wasn't a fan of the romance, which means, some of the plot was not really my cup of tea. But there is so much more to this story than the romance. The work in the clinic for example, I have worked as a helper in a refugee clinic, and let me tell you I felt transported back to it. Tromley did a fantastic job at shedding light to those situations. I mean the negative and positive sides. And I felt like I visited Haiti after I finished read this. I know all about leaving a piece of your heart in places (mine is scattered in places all of the world) and I totally got what happened to Myra.
The poverty, the way that people are, the kids are the highlight of this book to me.
A beautiful reminder and a wonderful beacon of hope. Because as Myra discovered, instead of seeing the differences, when we see the similarities- the joy and hope we all share- we discover true beauty. I believe that humanity needs people like that and that we need to be reminded of this as much as possible.

Beautiful subtext, interesting characters and some beautiful descriptions make this a truly different experience.

3.5 Stars

Let's just get to the things I didn't like much first.
I am not a huge fan of the writing style. To be honest, the way Trombley dealt with the creole dialogues, is not to my liking. I know that is style many authors use, but I personally find it disruptive. It's really a matter of personal preference. At time I found the writing a bit too simplistic, but at others there were amazing descriptions. Which makes the writing style feel a bit inconsistent and it's one of the reason's it took me a while to get into the book.
The second negative point: the romance. It's too insta. I mean, we talking a week! One week, people. I get that Myra got affected by the place, but their feelings for each other and the dramas? I kept thinking, dude, it's been a few days...
However, the thing I liked do outway the things I didn't! So despite the above, I enjoyed the book immensely.

First and foremost Trombley chose two really different protagonists. I love that! But not only did she chose diverse characters, she also did a brilliant job at getting them right. Myra makes "sense", her struggles, even the ones with her mother, her attitude, her perceptions, her acts are that of a pakistani american youth. It's really well done. I absolutely love the character building in this book. Elias, felt a bit woody in the beginning, but soon became a vivid character that felt real.
The support cast was just as well written. But really for me the star in the story is Myra and her character growth. It's beautiful and feel so realistic. I was really moved by her, her changes and discoveries.
As I said I wasn't a fan of the romance, which means, some of the plot was not really my cup of tea. But there is so much more to this story than the romance. The work in the clinic for example, I have worked as a helper in a refugee clinic, and let me tell you I felt transported back to it. Tromley did a fantastic job at shedding light to those situations. I mean the negative and positive sides. And I felt like I visited Haiti after I finished read this. I know all about leaving a piece of your heart in places (mine is scattered in places all of the world) and I totally got what happened to Myra.
The poverty, the way that people are, the kids are the highlight of this book to me.
A beautiful reminder and a wonderful beacon of hope. Because as Myra discovered, instead of seeing the differences, when we see the similarities- the joy and hope we all share- we discover true beauty. I believe that humanity needs people like that and that we need to be reminded of this as much as possible.

Beautiful subtext, interesting characters and some beautiful descriptions make this a truly different experience.

3.5 Stars

Let's just get to the things I didn't like much first.
I am not a huge fan of the writing style. To be honest, the way Trombley dealt with the creole dialogues, is not to my liking. I know that is style many authors use, but I personally find it disruptive. It's really a matter of personal preference. At time I found the writing a bit too simplistic, but at others there were amazing descriptions. Which makes the writing style feel a bit inconsistent and it's one of the reason's it took me a while to get into the book.
The second negative point: the romance. It's too insta. I mean, we talking a week! One week, people. I get that Myra got affected by the place, but their feelings for each other and the dramas? I kept thinking, dude, it's been a few days...
However, the thing I liked do outway the things I didn't! So despite the above, I enjoyed the book immensely.

First and foremost Trombley chose two really different protagonists. I love that! But not only did she chose diverse characters, she also did a brilliant job at getting them right. Myra makes "sense", her struggles, even the ones with her mother, her attitude, her perceptions, her acts are that of a pakistani american youth. It's really well done. I absolutely love the character building in this book. Elias, felt a bit woody in the beginning, but soon became a vivid character that felt real.
The support cast was just as well written. But really for me the star in the story is Myra and her character growth. It's beautiful and feel so realistic. I was really moved by her, her changes and discoveries.
As I said I wasn't a fan of the romance, which means, some of the plot was not really my cup of tea. But there is so much more to this story than the romance. The work in the clinic for example, I have worked as a helper in a refugee clinic, and let me tell you I felt transported back to it. Tromley did a fantastic job at shedding light to those situations. I mean the negative and positive sides. And I felt like I visited Haiti after I finished read this. I know all about leaving a piece of your heart in places (mine is scattered in places all of the world) and I totally got what happened to Myra.
The poverty, the way that people are, the kids are the highlight of this book to me.
A beautiful reminder and a wonderful beacon of hope. Because as Myra discovered, instead of seeing the differences, when we see the similarities- the joy and hope we all share- we discover true beauty. I believe that humanity needs people like that and that we need to be reminded of this as much as possible.

Beautiful subtext, interesting characters and some beautiful descriptions make this a truly different experience.

3.5 Stars

Let's just get to the things I didn't like much first.
I am not a huge fan of the writing style. To be honest, the way Trombley dealt with the creole dialogues, is not to my liking. I know that is style many authors use, but I personally find it disruptive. It's really a matter of personal preference. At time I found the writing a bit too simplistic, but at others there were amazing descriptions. Which makes the writing style feel a bit inconsistent and it's one of the reason's it took me a while to get into the book.
The second negative point: the romance. It's too insta. I mean, we talking a week! One week, people. I get that Myra got affected by the place, but their feelings for each other and the dramas? I kept thinking, dude, it's been a few days...
However, the thing I liked do outway the things I didn't! So despite the above, I enjoyed the book immensely.

First and foremost Trombley chose two really different protagonists. I love that! But not only did she chose diverse characters, she also did a brilliant job at getting them right. Myra makes "sense", her struggles, even the ones with her mother, her attitude, her perceptions, her acts are that of a pakistani american youth. It's really well done. I absolutely love the character building in this book. Elias, felt a bit woody in the beginning, but soon became a vivid character that felt real.
The support cast was just as well written. But really for me the star in the story is Myra and her character growth. It's beautiful and feel so realistic. I was really moved by her, her changes and discoveries.
As I said I wasn't a fan of the romance, which means, some of the plot was not really my cup of tea. But there is so much more to this story than the romance. The work in the clinic for example, I have worked as a helper in a refugee clinic, and let me tell you I felt transported back to it. Tromley did a fantastic job at shedding light to those situations. I mean the negative and positive sides. And I felt like I visited Haiti after I finished read this. I know all about leaving a piece of your heart in places (mine is scattered in places all of the world) and I totally got what happened to Myra.
The poverty, the way that people are, the kids are the highlight of this book to me.
A beautiful reminder and a wonderful beacon of hope. Because as Myra discovered, instead of seeing the differences, when we see the similarities- the joy and hope we all share- we discover true beauty. I believe that humanity needs people like that and that we need to be reminded of this as much as possible.

Beautiful subtext, interesting characters and some beautiful descriptions make this a truly different experience.