“Both a raw personal examination and an insightful look at Mongolian history and culture, Davis' illuminating memoir sheds light on a remote region.” —Booklist

“A lively, frank look into the Mongolian psyche...a work that offers a rare glimpse into a little-understood part of the world.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Matthew Davis's portrait of Mongolia is riveting, insightful, and deeply honest. He captures the timeless elements of this remarkable country--the glorious history, the wide-open landscapes--but he also writes about the forces that shape today's Mongol society. As a teacher he experiences it all firsthand: he lives in a nomad-style ger; he drinks too much, like the locals; he witnesses the mass migration to the cities and foreign countries. He even finds himself caught up in a quarantine for the plague. It's rare for a young person to have such intimate contact with such a distant country, and even rarer for him to write about it so well.” —Peter Hessler, author of Country Driving, River Town, and Oracle Bones

“Mongolia is a bewitching land, and Matt Davis captures the exotic and the quotidian aspects of living there in this sweet and utterly engaging book. Braving an outbreak of the plague, surviving in minus-40 degree cold, drinking vodka and fermented mare's milk just like the locals, Davis looks past Mongolia's desperate challenges and finds moments of touching humanity. Davis has a forgiving eye and a sharp pen. A lovely, memorable book.” —Seth Faison, author of South of the Clouds: Exploring the Hidden Realms of China

“When Things Get Dark is an intimate, sometimes ambivalent account of the terrible beauty and the sometimes squalid underbelly of modern Mongolia, by a young American who lived the real Mongolian life, including serious drinking, for two years. The warmth and hospitality of the Mongolian people shine through despite moments of desperation and despair, both his and theirs. It made me remember the coal and dung smoke and the mutton stew. It made me want to go back.” —Steve Bodio, author of Eagle Dreams and Querencia

“WHEN THINGS GET DARK is a beautifully written, vivid book that presents a very well observed picture of Mongolian society. I was quite moved by many of the passages. The universal themes of love and growing up will appeal to people anywhere with or without an interest in exotic, far away Mongolia.” —Jasper Becker, author of Mongolia and Dragon Rising

“...a sincere account of good intentions gone awry and an entertaining splash of cultural anthropology.” —Washingtonian