Dispatches from the Peninsula: Six Years in South Korea

I enjoyed Dispatches very much, and appreciated Tharp's growth over the period described in the book. In the sections covering his early days in the country, Tharp is condescending toward Koreans (in the tradition of Paul Theroux—a former Peace Corps Volunteer—who never met a local he couldn't make fun of). But over time, it's clear that Tharp's affection for Korea and his understanding of the country have grown, so that in the later sections of the book the self-portrait is of a man who is much more in tune with his surroundings. I also was touched by Tharp's account of the loss of both his mother and father while living abroad (which closely paralleled the deaths of both of my parents while I lived in Singapore in the ´80s and early ´90s), and the challenges of being so distant from family. I also could relate to Tharp's experience in other ways, including his love of Korean food and his struggles with the Korean language.

See full review at Perpetual Folly: Dispatches