Description: Nothing could prepare the author for the experience of living and working in the heart of Africa. This memoir takes readers on her journey to Kalene Mission Hospital in Zambia, where she worked as a midwife caring for African women and their babies. It is a story of joy and heartbreak, of courage and perseverance, and an extraordinary adventure.
Brief description: Julie grew up in a small, rural town in New Zealand. After leaving school at the age of sixteen, she worked at the local maternity annexe as a nurse aide. Life could not have been happier until the death of her second baby at birth led to depression, loneliness and despair. Julie overcame these challenges and studied to be a nurse and midwife in her late thirties - fulfilling a lifelong dream. As a midwife, Julie has worked in many countries - including Zambia, Africa where she worked at Kalene Mission Hospital. She lives in Palmerston North, New Zealand with her husband, Barry.