Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle [Paperback]

Moritz Thomsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1990

At the age of 48, Moritz Thomsen sold his pig farm and joined the Peace Corps. As he tells the story, his awareness of the comic elements in the human situation - including his own - and his ability to convey it in fast-moving, earthy prose have made "Living Poor" a classic. 'Hilariously funny at times, grimly sad at others and elavened with perceptive insights into the ways of the people and with breathtaking descriptions of the Ecuadorian landscape' - St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hilariously funny at times, grimly sad at others and elavened with perceptive insights into the ways of the people and with breathtaking descriptions of the Ecuadorian landscape." -St. Louis Post-Dispatch

About the Author

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Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: University of Washington Press (May 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0295969288
• ISBN-13: 978-0295969282
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Travel > Latin America > South America > Ecuador & Galapagos Islands
  • #89 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Travel

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Portrayal of Peace Corps Life, December 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle (Paperback)

Before going to Peace Corps, I read every Peace Corps related book I could find. Although this book is the oldest of all that I read, it gave me the clearest, most realistic picture of Peace Corps life. Beyond that, it was a story that touched me deeply. Too many Peace Corps stories drown in sentimentalism or self-admiration or cutesy life lessons learned. Living Poor avoids these traps and is a great story, whether or not you are contemplating Peace Corps.

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was lucky, July 5, 2001

By 

"blair_mdstblz" (Phoenix, AZ United States and Tumbaco, Ecuador) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle (Paperback)

I was fortunate enough to grow up in Ecuador and was the daughter of a good friend of his. This book, like his others, brings out the curmudgeonly appeal he had for me as a young girl playing in his courtyard. His straightforward dark humor, playing on the subtleties of his life, is present throughout this book. I found this book to reflect the nature of South American Ex-Pats, new and old, bringing that fervent desire to belong and not belong to the adopted culture. To me this is also about trying to make an impact learning and teaching, creating and destroying.

I highly prize this book, and am so saddened that I will never again read another book from this man.

If you are interested in South America, the nature of Ex-patriotism, and living in a culture outside your own, this is one book to have in your library.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best description of the Peace Corps experiece I have read., March 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle (Paperback)

In 1988, my wife and I decided to join the Peace Corps. We were both in our early 40s at the time. When we found we were being sent to Ecuador we madly scoured the library trying to find something about the Peace Corps in Ecuador. We we lucky enough to find Moritz Thomsen's book, "Living Poor." As we devoured the book we both laughed and cried, looked at each other and wondered what we were getting ourselves into. Although every Peace Corps volunteer's experience is different (and our's was totally different from the authors) after our two years in Ecuador this book still rings true This book is brutally honost. Moritz makes no effort to glorify himself or what he accomplished or the Peace Corps. This is part of the charm of the book. We regret that we never met the author but we will always treasure his books.