Perfect bound, soft cover
6 x 9, 402 pages
30 photos

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You Never Try, You Never Know: Six Years in Liberia
by Ruth Jacobson

In 1971, Ruth and Harold Jacobson—a registered nurse and a maintenance mechanic in their 50s—joined the Peace Corps and went to Liberia.

During their three years as volunteers and three more years as staff at a mission hospital, Ruth chronicled their experiences in weekly letters to her mother and family. From the mundane to hair-raising, she described the details of their life and work, the events of the times, the everyday life in the villages where they lived, and people's customs.

This compilation of Ruth's letters offers a portrait of the Liberian people in pre-war (and pre-cell phone) Liberia. In the end, the letters also paint a portrait of Ruth herself, and reveal a strength of character and approach to life instructive to anyone who is thinking about or planning to work in a developing country.
Read some letter excerpts

Information flier

You Never Try, You Never Know is on Facebook. See videos of Ruth speaking in May 2011 about her experiences in Liberia.

Sending letters back home to America, book review by Mike Wold.
"This collection of letters from a middle-aged Peace Corps volunteer and mission worker is less of a literary read and more of a primary source and fascinating insight into the life of American volunteers abroad.... Read more.

"...  a very enjoyable read - I highly recommend it!" Laurie Hamption

"Openness. Honesty. Integrity. Warm love and understanding of humankind, especially African. All these SHINE in this book.... We recommend this book to anyone interested in serving in any capacity overseas or in a new and different culture." Beth and Jordan Holtam

..."I'm not a big fan of nonfiction, but this book kept me completely interested all the way through. Ruth's letters create a strong image of Peace Corps life in Liberia at that time." Meredith Regal