Monique and the Mango Rains

Our book club recently read a book that I really loved. We even had the opportunity to speak with the author via speaker phone, which made me love the book even more since we could delve deeper into some of the characters and get to know them even better.

Below is a quote from another reader in NY who is a childbirth educator and midwife who recommended the book to all her friends:

...the main character is a West African midwife named Monique Dembele. I haven't been moved this much by a character in a long time. Reminds me of A Simple Heart by Flaubert. Monique is pure and passionate about her life, work and children. She gives everything to her world. A Jesus figure. I am a doula, childbirth educator, midwifery student and mother so this book touched me on many levels. A nice way to experience Mali if you can't get there. The author may come to NYC for a reading next year. In the meantime, I encourage you to buy the book, read it in your book club (Kris loves coming in to book clubs for discussions, in person or via speaker phone), and pass it on to friends.

Monique and the Mango Rains
Two Years with a Midwife in Mali By Kris Holloway

Against the background of day-to-day village life in Mali, Kris
Holloway draws a moving portrait of Monique Dembele, a legendary local midwife, and the extraordinary cross-cultural friendship that blossomed between them during Kris's stint as a Peace Corps volunteer.

“Delicious like mangos in season, you will not be able to put this incredible book down.” —Brigitte Jordan, author of Birth in Four Cultures

"There have been many accounts of studying people from other cultures, but few accounts 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

A portion of the proceeds from book sales go to fund “Clinique Monique”, a maternal and child health clinic in Mali. For more information on the book or the clinic, please visit http://www.moniquemangorains.com/

If you haven't read this book yet, consider buying it or taking it out from the library. Monique was a truly unique individual in a culture where women rarely possess such positions of power in their villages. She was very inspiring to me, both for her wonderful outlook on life and marriage, and for her spirit. Happy reading!