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Published by She Writes Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
Dr. Sarah Whitaker has always been an obedient overachiever, but she is burned out. Training to be a surgeon is stressful. So when her fiancé, David, offers a solution—take a break year at a hospital in Africa and climb Mount Kilimanjaro together—she jumps on board. When he backs out, she embarks on the adventure alone.
Sarah quickly falls in love with Tanzania, a land of gentle people, exotic wildlife, and stunning natural beauty, from the sands of Zanzibar to the peaks of Kilimanjaro. She also develops great respect for new Tanzanian friends: strong African women who strive to serve an overwhelming need for health care. Shocked by the high rate of maternal mortality and the scourge of female genital mutilation in the country, Sarah begins to speak out against FGM and develops an experimental program to train tribal birth attendants in a remote mountain village. Conditions are primitive there, and life is fragile. The separation takes its toll on her relationship with David, and she fights against feelings for another man. As the months pass, one thing becomes clear: if Sarah survives this year, her life will never be the same again.
Sarah quickly falls in love with Tanzania, a land of gentle people, exotic wildlife, and stunning natural beauty, from the sands of Zanzibar to the peaks of Kilimanjaro. She also develops great respect for new Tanzanian friends: strong African women who strive to serve an overwhelming need for health care. Shocked by the high rate of maternal mortality and the scourge of female genital mutilation in the country, Sarah begins to speak out against FGM and develops an experimental program to train tribal birth attendants in a remote mountain village. Conditions are primitive there, and life is fragile. The separation takes its toll on her relationship with David, and she fights against feelings for another man. As the months pass, one thing becomes clear: if Sarah survives this year, her life will never be the same again.
Product Details
- Publisher: She Writes Press (October 8, 2019)
- Length: 352 pages
- ISBN13: 9781631526619
Raves and Reviews
2019 Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Awards Silver Winner in Unpublished Women's Fiction
2020 CIBA Chatelaine Book Awards 1st Place Winner
2020 American Fiction Awards Winner in Multicultural Fiction
2020 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Silver Winner in Fiction: Romance
2020 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Romance
2020 Readers' Favorite Book Awards Honorable Mention in Women's Fiction
2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Multicultural (Fiction)
2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Romance (Fiction)
2021 Chatelaine Award First Place Winner in Romance
2021 New Indy Book Awards Finalist
“An engagingly written story of a woman’s transformation that’s begging for a sequel.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Gayle Woodson writes in prose that is fluid and captivating and fills the writing with exciting dialogues, right from the moment the reader encounters the protagonist in the aircraft to the very last page.”
—Readers’ Favorite
“Medical fiction of this kind is rare—it’s not a thriller or a tearjerker, but a thoughtful novel about doctors, the work they do, and the impact this work has on their patients and the communities they serve.”
—Booklist
“A beautiful story of courage, adventure, love, loss, and hope. I could not put it down.”
—Dr. Nina Shapiro, award-winning author of Hype: A Doctor’s guide to Medical Myths, Exaggerated Claims, and Bad Advice
“What a magnificent journey into the heart of Tanzania and what it means to be a young female surgeon in such a far away, sometimes brutal, and ultimately romantic area. In the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, Dr. Woodson exposes the reader to life and death, love and loss, and ultimately what it means to find one’s own voice.”
—Nancy L Snyderman, MD, FACS, Professor at Stanford University Center for Innovation in Global Health
“This shimmering novel takes us to Tanzania with Sarah, a young surgical resident who is torn between a boy back home in America and a new love in Africa. Medical action skillfully interweaves with vivid descriptions of the country and the looming presence of Mount Kilimanjaro. The book is a page-turner. I literally could not put it down.”
—Carol Scott-Conner MD, FACS, author of A Few Small Moments
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): After Kilimanjaro eBook 9781631526619
