Belly Woman
Birth, Blood & Ebola: The Untold Story
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Boundless Publishing Group Ltd
Published:18th Oct '22
Should be back in stock very soon
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£20.00(9781911107569)
Winner of the Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing in 2023
"This book will stay with me for years." ADAM KAY, author of This is Going to Hurt
"Black puts a human and profoundly humane face on what it’s like to be a doctor." FORBES
“A brilliant, painful and honest book. Read it.” MARY HARPER, BBC Africa Editor
“Benjamin Black has the most amazing gift for telling a story. I could not put the book down.” VICTORIA MACDONALD, Channel 4 News
Courage meets crisis in a doctor's extraordinary true account on the frontlines of maternal healthcare during a deadly epidemic in Sierra Leone.
In May 2014, as the country grapples with the highest maternal mortality rate globally, a new, invisible threat emerges: Ebola.
Dr. Benjamin Black finds himself at the centre of the outbreak. From the life-and-death decisions on the maternity ward to moral dilemmas in the Ebola Treatment Centers, every moment is a crossroads where a single choice could tip the balance between survival and catastrophe. The tension is palpable, and the stakes are unimaginably high. One mistake, one error of judgment, could spell disaster.
Belly Woman is a powerful piece of reportage and advocacy that draws parallels between two global outbreaks of infectious diseases: Ebola and COVID-19. Black's firsthand experience on the frontlines of a global health crisis bears witness to the raw emotions, tough decisions, such as the need to carry out medically-mandated abortions to save lives, and the unwavering dedication that defines the lives of those who step up when the world needs them most.
Compelling for readers with an interest in medical memoirs, social justice, and humanitarianism, as well as healthcare professionals and maternal health caregivers.
‘Moving, kind, eye-opening, terrifying and inspirational - this book will stay with me for years.’—Adam Kay, author of This Is Going to Hurt
-- Adam Kay'Belly Woman is a must-read for our times. It is riveting, illuminating and humbling.’ —Aminatta Forna, author of The Memory of Love and The Devil That Danced on the Water
-- Aminatta Forna‘This is an inspirational story of compassion and dedication in the face of a brutal epidemic, and Benjamin Black is the one to tell it.’ —Leah Hazard, author of Hard Pushed: A Midwife’s Story
-- Leah Hazard‘Brave, moving, and vital. A unique account of battling the Ebola outbreak while providing maternity care in Sierra Leone, and of the incredible women, families, and health workers Dr Black encountered. Read it.’ —Damien Brown, author of Band-Aid for A Broken Leg
-- Damien Brown‘Belly Woman is a jaw-dropping, mind-expanding read, a work of vast compassion and delicate insight into the bracing reality of giving birth in today’s Africa. At times it’s hard to read on without wanting to weep – at the mistakes made and the sheer implacability of death. But like the author himself, you never become numbed or unaffected by the women we encounter, such is their courage and the vividness of Black’s writing in capturing their experiences.’ —Michela Wrong, author of Do Not Disturb: The Story of a Political Murder and An African Regime Gone Bad
-- Michela Wrong‘Connecting individual patients and their caregivers to pandemics and the uncertain landscape of 21st century humanitarianism, Black shares with us how he seeks to understand the complexities at work in our world as he fights for new and existing lives. Written with clarity and compassion, and sometimes a challenging, graphic urgency, readers will be reminded of the essential truth that no matter where human beings live or under what particular circumstances, babies will be born, and that they and their mothers will need help with survival and future health. Even if it is from a distance, it is up to all of us to take care of each other.’ —Emily Mayhew, author of The Three Horsemen
-- Emily Mayhew‘I was gripped from the first page. May we all be humbled by this book. — ANNA KENT, author of Frontline Midwife
-- Anna- Winner of Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing 2023 (UK)
ISBN: 9781911107576
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 498g
300 pages