BLOG TOUR: Belly Woman - Benjamin Black

What happens to pregnant women when a humanitarian catastrophe strikes?

Belly Woman shines a light on a story often left untold.

May, 2014. Sierra Leone is ranked the country with the highest death rate of pregnant women in the world. The same month, Ebola crosses in from neighbouring Guinea. Arriving a few weeks later, Dr Benjamin Black finds himself at the centre of an exponential Ebola outbreak. From impossible decisions on the maternity ward to moral dilemmas at the Ebola Treatment Centres. One mistake, one error of judgment, could spell disaster.

An eye-opening work of reportage and advocacy, Belly Woman chronicles the inside journey through an unfolding global health crisis and the struggle to save the lives of young mothers. As Black reckons with the demons of the past, he must try to learn the lessons for a different, more resilient, future.

 

What did I think?

Belly Woman is a medical memoir set during the West African Ebola epidemic of 2014 to 2016 and I think it's important to mention the trigger warnings for this book.  There are a lot of miscarriages and stillbirths so it might prove difficult reading for anyone who has experienced this themselves, however, the western experience of such devastating events is in stark contrast to the experiences depicted in this book.

Dr Benjamin Black was there on the front line but instead of feeling proud of everything he accomplished in Sierra Leone he feels ashamed.  Ashamed he couldn't do more...ashamed that so many pregnant women didn't leave his care with a live baby...ashamed of the health service we take for granted but don't support enough...I could go on.  Note that this is my interpretation of Benjamin Black's feeling of shame as I completely understood why he would feel that way.

For a non-fiction book, the pacing is incredibly fast as it is so well written and full of drama that it feels as if it's a fiction novel.  Unfortunately for the people of West Africa, this story is very real.  Before COVID-19 there was Ebola, but this mainly affected Africa so to most of us in the UK it was simply a foreign news story.  This is the true story of Ebola and its devastating effect.

Harrowing, honest and raw, Belly Woman is a powerful and unforgettable novel that everyone should read.  Very highly recommended.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: Where Do I Go From Here? - India Rigg

Another thing checked off Seffy's list - a promotion before she's thirty! But that's not the kind of thing you can brag about on Facebook - that's reserved for engagements, weddings and photos of adorable little children. When it comes to those milestones, Seffy's struggling; she's divorced, heart-broken and reeling from a recent infertility diagnosis.

Then her best friend suggests she takes a sabbatical, goes travelling, and creates a new list - one full of mile-high clubs, hot strangers and sketchy mushrooms. Maybe amongst all that chaos, she might find a way back to herself - even if that way involves travelling halfway around the world.

But when life's a series of negatives, how far would you go to find a positive?

 

What did I think?

Where Do I Go From Here? is a really fun book to read but it also covers serious topics such as work/life balance, infertility, miscarriage and divorce.  I really enjoyed Seffy's story and my heart was breaking for her as we relive her struggle to conceive through her letters to Aphrodite.

Seffy is approaching her thirtieth birthday as a childless divorcee and the only thing left to tick off her list is a promotion at work.  Seffy is a workaholic and her job is the only fulfilment she has in her life, but there's more to life than work and Seffy is about to find that out.  Seffy's bag is packed and she's off travelling for nine months!

I loved Seffy's relationship with her friend Harry and I was fuming at Luke for divorcing her at her lowest ebb, however, there are always two sides to every story and I was guilty, as usual, of jumping to conclusions.  

India Rigg tackles the difficult subject of infertility with honesty and sensitivity and it really makes you think about what's hiding behind people's smiles.  It's surprising how many couples suffer from infertility and/or have experienced miscarriage so what you may think is an innocent question: 'Do you have children?' is like sticking a knife into their heart and giving it a good twist while you're in there.

Heartbreaking and humorous in equal measure, Where Do I Go From Here? is an entertaining and thought-provoking novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.  It's beautifully written to perfectly balance light-hearted fun with sensitive and emotional subjects.  I wish I'd read it in my thirties when I treated work as my life.  

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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About the author:

Born in North Norfolk, India grew up along its picturesque coastline before leaving to study Cell Biology at Durham University and embark on a career in Marketing.  Expanding from the tiny towns of East Anglia to the hustle and bustle of the big city made her see the world for all its wonders and faults - it's a big place to try and change yourself but India wants to give muted societal issues a voice and give scary topics a friendly face. She believes all good ideas come from a spicy Bloody Mary, a niche documentary and over-hearing conversations in cafes.

Follow India Rigg on Instagram: @indiegram__

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Unprotected - Sophie Jonas-Hill

She's fighting to save everyone else but will she have anything left to save herself?

Witty, sharp and sarcastic tattoo artist Lydia’s life is imploding. Her long-term relationship has broken down after several miscarriages and she’s hiding from her hurt and loss in rage.  After a big night out she wakes beside a much younger man who brings complications she could really do without. 

As her grief about her lost babies and failed relationships spirals out of control, she obsesses about rescuing a wayward teenage girl she watches from her window and gets more involved than she should with her charming but unstable younglover. 

Unprotected is a raw and punchy story of love, family and accepting yourself for who you really are.

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, what a flipping AWESOME novel.  Reading books you wouldn't normally pick up has to be one of the best things about blogging; it's so easy to stick to your comfort zone with your favourite authors, but by doing so you're missing out on a wonderful world of outstanding literature with books like Unprotected.  It's going to be hard to review Unprotected as it's so fantastic that I all I really want to say is "just buy it", but I'll try to portray some of the reasons why you should definitely do just that.

Lydia is Hurting and I mean that with a capital 'H'.  Having miscarriage after miscarriage and yearning for a baby proves too much for her partner Max who kicks Lydia when she's down and leaves her.  Oh I could have given Max a good kicking alright!  Lydia has never really felt good enough so she takes the failure to carry a baby for longer than a few weeks more personally than most.  When Max leaves her she spirals out of control, and I couldn't really blame her, but I feared that she would fracture into a million pieces if she hit rock bottom.  

To take her mind off her pain, Lydia picks up an unshakeable one night stand who she refers to as 'The Boy'.  As much as he keeps turning up when she doesn't want him to, it turns out that he is carrying his own pain and in order to help him Lydia needs to muster the strength she has deep inside.  With Lydia's mind going round like a washing machine, it's no surprise that she suffers from insomnia.  When she sees strange things with a young girl going on at the local taxi rank, Lydia's maternal instinct kicks in and she turns into a roaring lioness.

Lydia reminded me of Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander, not only because she has tattoos and blue hair but because she is such a strong character and is willing to fight to keep people safe.  It's absolutely astounding how Sophie Jonas-Hill has created a character in Lydia that is so personal and completely laid bare that I felt as if I could see the bones of her.  Every flaw, pain and quip builds such a multi-dimensional character that makes it easy to forget that she is fictional.  

Absolutely stunning, Unprotected is gritty, raw, emotional and surprisingly humourous.  If you're looking for something different to read, you've definitely found it.  Unprotected is so unique and painfully compelling; I've never read anything like it.  Very highly recommended.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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The Idea of You - Amanda Prowse

With her fortieth birthday approaching, Lucy Carpenter thinks she finally has it all: a wonderful new husband, Jonah, a successful career and the chance of a precious baby of her own. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

But becoming parents proves much harder to achieve than Lucy and Jonah imagined, and when Jonah’s teenage daughter Camille comes to stay with them, she becomes a constant reminder of what Lucy doesn’t have. Jonah’s love and support are unquestioning, but Lucy’s struggles with work and her own failing dreams begin to take their toll. With Camille’s presence straining the bonds of Lucy’s marriage even further, Lucy suddenly feels herself close to losing everything…

This heart-wrenchingly poignant family drama from bestselling author Amanda Prowse asks the question: in today’s hectic world, what does it mean to be a mother?

What did I think?

You can't help but be moved by the beautiful writing of Amanda Prowse, I thought I had got away with it this time as I bragged half way through the book that there were 'no tears yet'.  I did indeed speak too soon; Amanda Prowse could write a shopping list and I'd cry reading it.

Lucy put her career above her personal life but there was a very good reason why she threw herself into her work and avoided relationships.  Relationships only end in hurt, after all, but then she met Jonah and the earth really did move.  The two are perfect together, both have successful careers and they even got married in their lunchbreak.  That's probably something I would do, if I ever had a lunchbreak of course!

Jonah has a daughter from a previous relationship, but as they broke up before the baby (Camille) was born he didn't experience everything that a baby can bring.  Lucy and Jonah are therefore overjoyed when Lucy finds out that she is pregnant and Lucy starts knitting baby clothes, however, the pregnancy was not meant to be and Lucy suffers the devastating effects of a miscarriage.  With more positive pregnancy tests, more miscarriages and a visit from an unruly step-daughter in store, can Lucy and Jonah survive the future?

The Idea of You is such a beautiful book by Amanda Prowse, giving a voice to so many women who have suffered in silence.  It's only a bunch of cells after all.  These women are mothers without a baby and they carry them within their heart if not in their womb.  I have read a few books with miscarriage or infertility as a topic, and I find one thing to be a common denominator: childless women being asked the seemingly innocent question - when are you going to have children?  Perhaps we should think twice before asking such a question as it may seem innocent to the asker but so very hurtful to the askee.  It's almost as if miscarriage is a taboo subject; it was never born so it wasn't a baby.  Wrong, so very wrong...it was a baby from the first positive pregnancy test and don't let anybody tell you otherwise.

So very real, poignant and moving The Idea of You is another fabulous book from Amanda Prowse.  As a bit of a knitter, I loved the inclusion of the almost lost art of knitting and the reverence with which the garments were placed in the trunk for safekeeping.  So many women think a baby will complete them, which results in a blinkered life.  Open your eyes and see how blessed you are...Amanda Prowse reminded me of that.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Art of Baking Blind - Sarah Vaughan

Synopsis

There are many reasons to bake: to feed; to create; to impress; to nourish; to define ourselves; and, sometimes, it has to be said, to perfect. But often we bake to fill a hunger that would be better filled by a simple gesture from a dear one. We bake to love and be loved. 

In 1966, Kathleen Eaden, cookbook writer and wife of a supermarket magnate, published The Art of Baking, her guide to nurturing a family by creating the most exquisite pastries, biscuits and cakes. Now, five amateur bakers are competing to become the New Mrs. Eaden. There's Jenny, facing an empty nest now that her family has flown; Claire, who has sacrificed her dreams for her daughter; Mike, trying to parent his two kids after his wife's death; Vicki, who has dropped everything to be at home with her baby boy; and Karen, perfect Karen, who knows what it's like to have nothing and is determined her facade shouldn't slip. 

As unlikely alliances are forged and secrets rise to the surface, making the choicest pastry seems the least of the contestants' problems. For they will learn - as Mrs. Eaden did before them - that while perfection is possible in the kitchen, it's very much harder in life. 

What did I think?

I loved this book and gobbled it up in one day. The book was cleverly set out like a recipe book with sections called Cakes, Biscuits, Bread, Pies & Pastries, Puddings and a Celebratory Tea, to coincide with each section of the baking competition.

I felt like I was living a series of the Great British Bake Off whilst getting to know the contestants and being privy to their innermost thoughts and feelings - why each one is compelled to bake and why they have each entered the competition.

The icing on the cake was the little snippets of Kathleen Eaden's story that were slipped into each chapter.  Kathleen Eaden - the perfect baker that all the contestants aspire to be.  I found myself looking forward to Kathleen's story as I raced through each chapter - as she becomes more of a real person with a less than perfect life underneath the façade of the perfect Kathleen Eaden.  Kathleen's story was heartbreaking at times - will she ever get the family she craves or will a gingerbread family be all that she can create?

A lovely story that will have you reaching for your mixing bowl and favourite baking books.

I received this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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