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2 Hawthorne World History- Africa

Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali

by Kris Holloway

Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali Cover

ISBN13: 9781577664352
ISBN10: 1577664353
Condition: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Monique and the Mango Rains is the compelling story of a rare friendship between a young Peace Corps volunteer and a midwife who became a legend. Monique Dembele saved lives and dispensed hope in a place where childbirth is a life-and-death matter. This book tells of her unquenchable passion to better the lives of women and children in the face of poverty, unhappy marriages, and endless backbreaking work. Monique's buoyant humor and willingness to defy tradition were uniquely hers. In the course of this deeply personal narrative, as readers immerse themselves in the rhythms of West African village life, they come to know Monique as friend, mother, and inspired woman.

Review:

"This tender, revelatory memoir recalls the two years Holloway spent as an impressionable Peace Corps volunteer in the remote village of Nampossela in Mali, West Africa. It centers on her close friendship with Monique, the village's overburdened midwife. When Holloway (now a nonprofit development specialist) arrived in Nampossela in 1989, she was 22; Monique was only two years her senior. Yet Monique, barely educated, working without electricity, running water, ambulances or emergency rooms, was solely responsible for all births in her village, tending malnourished and overworked pregnant women in her makeshift birthing clinic. With one of the highest rates of maternal death in the world, these Malian women sometimes had to work right up until and directly after giving birth and had no means of contraception. Holloway especially noted Monique's status as an underpaid female whose male family members routinely claimed much of her pay. Monique shared her emotional life with Holloway, who in turn campaigned for her rights at work and raised funds for her struggling clinic. Holloway's moving account vividly presents the tragic consequences of inadequate prenatal and infant health care in the developing world and will interest all those concerned about the realities of women's lives outside the industrialized world. B&w photos, map. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"I was moved and inspired by Monique. The friendship between the author, a young Peace Corps volunteer, and the Malian midwife is one of the great gifts of the book and proof of the power of women's relationships to recreate the world." Anita Diamant, author of international bestseller The Red Tent

Review:

"There have been many accounts of studying people from other cultures, but few of actually being friends with them. Anyone who is curious about what such a friendship feels like from the inside should read this respectful but intimate account." Anne Fadiman, author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Review:

"A respectful, unsentimental portrait... a poignant and powerful book." Kirkus (starred review)

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Denise Morland, September 7, 2008 (view all comments by Denise Morland)
Monique and the Mango Rains is the story of a remarkable friendship between a midwife in a tiny village in Mali and a Peace Corp volunteer.
This is a heart warming book that will restore your faith in humanity. Battling against a male dominated society, extreme lack of education among women, and back breaking work loads, Monique and Kris help to create a better, safer life for the women and children in Nampossela.
I loved that these two women, from such radically different backgrounds and belief systems, were able to understand and support each other so whole heartedly. Their love for each other and for the women and children they help shines from the book and reminds me that we all can make the world a better place. Beautifully written, this book is a wonderful introduction to West Africa showing equally the hardships and the joy experienced by Malians, not so different from our own.
You won't regret reading this book!!
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(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)

Product Details

ISBN:
9781577664352
Subtitle:
Two Years with a Midwife in Mali
Author:
Holloway, Kris
Author:
Holloway, Kris
Publisher:
Waveland Press, Inc.
Copyright:
Publication Date:
July 2006
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Pages:
214

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