My Blue Country

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

More a character study than an adventure, My Blue Country recounts the
experiences of Jesse, 17, a member of CUSO (Canadian University Students
Overseas). Jesse narrates her story through diary entries that are
organized into two parts. “Canada” describes the CUSO group’s
training period, which began on October 2, 1972, while “Malaysia”
chronicles their field experience in early 1973.

Jesse’s culture shock begins in Canada as she encounters the
cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic differences exhibited by the
CUSO contingent. It continues in Malaysia, where she embarks on a doomed
romance with Ahmed, president of the National Federation of Islamic
Youth.

Maps of Canada and Malaysia assist readers in tracking the book’s
action. Recommended.