Heart of Darfur - Lisa French Blaker (2007)I guess stressing out over stupid romantic comedies at the movies is put into perspective when you consider this book. Lisa French Blaker is a kiwi nurse who goes to do aid work in Darfur. Faced with the extreme poverty and hopelessness of a population caught up in a crazy race fueled war, she explains what it is like to work long hot days being able to patch people up and move them on with only the basics of modern healthcare.
I felt her book often bleak and a bit monotonous, but that seemed to reflect how her weeks were. Just trying to go into camps or shelters and provide basic health care to these poor people. She does make an effort to find out many of their stories, women who must leave children at home and walk 14 hours with a sick baby to get help, groups of family who have no access to any water and numerous babies who live or die when they suffer from malnutrition, pneuomonia and malaria.
Definately worth the read, especially if you are not aware of the conflict occuring in Darfur, or just want to understand a bit more. Just think - if you read this and run into George Clooney you will be able to hold your own in a conversation with him, even for a short while. 3/5 from me.
No comments:
Post a Comment