Book Review: Never the Hope Itself

Esteban Illades reviews Gerry Hadden’s “Never the Hope Itself.”

The first few paragraphs of Never the Hope Itself, Gerry Hadden’s memoir about being a correspondent for NPR in Latin America and the Caribbean, hook you immediately: Hadden was on his way to become a Buddhist monk before abruptly changing paths and turning into a radio reporter instead.

A few pages in, it turns out that reality is more nuanced. Hadden already had radio experience before joining NPR, and his foray into monk-hood is not quite the event he makes it out to be. He was on his way to a retreat, not onto full-fledged earthly withdrawal, when he took the position. Read more in TheBrooklynInk.com.