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Never Too Late
No Woman Left Behind is part personal memoir, global health crusade, and all heart, following your journey from an ad executive to an advocate for women suffering from obstetric fistula, a childbirth injury that is almost entirely preventable. Why was this an important book for you to write?
The day a woman gives birth is the day she is most likely to die or be seriously injured, particularly in the poorest parts of our world. It’s easy to forget that in a place as prosperous as the US where most women have safe childbirth experiences in hospitals. I believe that no woman should suffer a life of incontinent misery and isolation simply for trying to bring a child into the world. While fistula ruins the lives of too many women, it doesn’t have to. Most women can be cured with a single surgery. Our biggest obstacle to getting more of the one million women with the injury treated is lack of awareness of their plight. My goal in writing No Woman Left Behind was to create awareness and encourage more people to step up to help women they will likely never meet get their lives back.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
I wanted people to know that they have the power to help too often forgotten women get a new shot at a healthy and productive life. We all live in challenging times; the world is filled with many intractable problems, but fistula isn’t one of them. We know what works to help women.
Another idea that I wanted to share is that it is never too late to create a new professional path for yourself. In my 20s I was working on “Madison Avenue,” using wily strategies to get people to buy stuff they may neither want nor need. The work was draining and ultimately unfulfilling. I left that behind, to find work that spoke to my heart. I hope that others may see themself in my journey.
Can you share with readers more about the Fistula Foundation’s Love-a-Sister program?
Our Love-a-Sister program provides the opportunity for donors to sponsor a surgery for a woman, that on average costs just $633. They can give one donation of that amount or give monthly to eventually fund a surgery. Most of fistula patients are indigent so our donors big-hearted generosity provides surgery for women who would often otherwise go without.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
Our tagline is “Help Give a Woman a New Life.” I hope people will be motivated to help, and perhaps at the same time, gain increased gratitude for the many blessings those of us living in a developed country like the United States often take for granted, like safe hospital-based childbirth.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | No Woman Left Behind | Amazon
The day a woman gives birth is also the day she is most likely to die or suffer severe injury—a sobering reality that comes into sharp focus when Kate Grant visits the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia’s capital. There, she sees row after row of beds occupied by young women afflicted with obstetric fistula, a childbirth injury that leaves them incontinent and too often shunned by their communities, modern- day lepers. She soon learns that surgery is the only way to end their suffering.
In No Woman Left Behind, Grant recounts her decision to abandon a promising advertising career, and the ups and downs of building Silicon Valley– based Fistula Foundation from a modest start-up into the global leader in fistula treatment. Through vivid firsthand accounts of surgeons toiling in remote corners of Africa and Asia, we see inside the fight to restore hope to some of the world’s most vulnerable women.
A compassionate army of donors spanning nearly 70 countries makes such life-changing care possible. Grant demonstrates the profound power of individual action to change lives at scale, since Fistula Foundation takes no government money. No Woman Left Behind is a compelling personal journey and a how-to guide for anyone looking to make a lasting difference in the lives of others.
100% of the net proceeds from No Woman Left Behind will go to Fistula Foundation’s Love-a-Sister program to fund free surgeries for women with childbirth injuries.
Plans Can Always Go Awry
The Destination Birth shares a heartfelt journey that navigates the highs and lows of a planned pregnancy disrupted by unforeseeable twists. Why was this an important book for you to write?
The answer here is really two-fold. I actually never intended to write a book initially. My wife just asked me to take some notes about everything that happened. I do love to write though, and once I started to write it as a story, it just sounded so much better, and it was almost therapeutic to get it all done. So I did this for my wife and my daughter, but it also helped me along the way! Also, during the pregnancy, we were reading as many books as we could to educate ourselves on the process, but what we found is there are very few books about actual childbirth stories, and we thought our story could help educate people in turn and make them feel comfortable sharing their own. And we decided if the book had any modicum of success, we would donate part of the proceeds to the NICU where our daughter was born.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Sharing your own birth story can be a hot-button topic. Many people aren’t comfortable doing so, but ours straddles the line between something that was scary at the time, but then wildly entertaining, and has a happy ending. By sharing our story, we’ve found that many others have felt more comfortable sharing their own. We’ve had perfect strangers reach out to us through social media to talk about their experience, and it’s been very rewarding. We were also able to educate people a little bit with some of the information around having a baby born early and spending some time in the NICU.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
There’s nothing wrong with being nice to everyone. You never know what someone else is going through, and being kind can help them.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
I hope our story provides expecting parents with some comfort that plans can always go awry and even the most well-planned pregnancy can have its own twists and turns. And I hope it gives all parents a few laughs, maybe some tears, with a little bit of nostalgia mixed in.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Instagram | Amazon
The Destination Birth is more than just a heartwarming and inspiring story, it’s a rollercoaster ride of emotions that will leave you reaching for the tissues one moment and belly laughing the next. But through all the tears and humor, you’ll be reminded of the incredible resilience of the human spirit, the power of family, and the unbreakable bond between a parent and child.
So buckle up, get ready for a wild ride, and join us on this unforgettable journey of hope and determination as a young couple navigates the trials and tribulations of childbirth, love, and family. This story will leave readers moved, inspired, and reminded of the extraordinary strength we can all find within ourselves when faced with adversity.
10% of all proceeds will be donated to the Bozeman-Deaconness Hospital NICU.
The Farthest-Reaching Ball
Every mother’s journey is unique, however, they all share one thing: heartache. In one way or another, every mother travels down a difficult road as she fights tooth and nail to bring her child to adulthood unscathed. Sandra Bowman, author of The Farthest-Reaching Ball: A Memoir of Motherhood is no stranger to heartache. As the mother of two children, Grant and Parker, Bowman relates the trials and tribulations she overcomes as she raises her children virtually on her own. A mother’s love is nowhere more evident than in Bowman’s explanation of how she comes to understand the needs of her children and the struggle that has permeated her son’s life since an early age.
Sandra Bowman describes virtually every aspect of her journey as a mother in her poignant memoir, The Farthest-Reaching Ball. She details the birth of her sons so vividly that I felt, as the reader, that I attended the delivery. Her emotions surrounding the births are clearly drawn, and any parent who has experienced a particularly difficult birth will appreciate how very frank Bowman is with her details.
As a teacher, I am struck by the battle Bowman and her son, Grant, face as he begins school. His gifts are both amazing and obvious to all, but the obstacles he faces are numerous. Children with talents beyond those of the average child are often overlooked in the regular classroom, and they are not always afforded the opportunity to showcase their skills. Grant is one of those children with a mother on a mission to find a setting that suits her child’s best interests.
When Bowman’s son begins to experience behavior challenges and depression sets in, the author’s challenges multiply. Moreover, Grant’s own slowly-revealed identity crisis begins to consume his thoughts and every interaction. Bowman is more than understanding and is the proverbial mother bear–she is fierce and stops at nothing to make sure her child is content with himself. The author is beyond adept at communicating her feelings and her ever-fluctuating fears regarding Grant’s mental state. His worries are her worries, and his unhappiness is hers to bear.
There doesn’t seem to be a problem Bowman and her son haven’t endured. From excessive weight gain, to depression, to attention deficit disorder, Grant runs the gamut. Bowman is exceptionally open with her own feelings of defeat, despair, and utter helplessness. She is at loss as to how to help her son deal with an identity crisis that threatens to be the end of them all. Mothers of all walks of life can relate to Bowman’s honesty as she admits to her own suicidal thoughts.
I am impressed with Bowman’s forthrightness and openness. She lays out every frustration, worry, and obstacle for readers and shares with them the most intimate of details about her own regrets as a mother. Parents of children struggling with identity crises of all types will appreciate Bowman’s story.
Rises from Humble Beginnings
Carole Penfield Author Interview
Midwife of Normandy follows young Clare as she struggles to save her family and career from France’s tyrannical king. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thrilling novel?
An avid fan of history, I researched 17th century religious persecution of Huguenots by King Louis XIV and was surprised how few historical fiction novels had been set during this turbulent period (as opposed to numerous novels set in other times, like Tudor England.) I also noted that many historical fiction authors focused on women of royal or aristocratic blood as protagonists.
I wanted to do something different, so I created a Huguenot female protagonist, who rises from humble beginnings and dares to defy and outwit male authority, including the King’s soldiers.
After visiting Rouen and the beautiful countryside of Normandy, I felt certain this was the perfect location for my book.
I didn’t think being a midwife could be so interesting and this novel definitely caused me to look more into the profession. Why did you choose this profession for Clare in the story?
Let’s face facts; there weren’t many professional options available to 17th century women. It was widely held that their only proper role was marriage, absolute obedience to husbands, and bearing of children. Midwifery was almost exclusively performed by females, but was looked upon as a lowly trade.
In order to rise above her humble beginnings, Clare decides to offer her services, using a secret ancestral formula for pain-free birth, exclusively to wealthy members of the aristocracy who reward her handsomely, thereby turning midwifery into a lucrative profession.
Clare is a fascinating character that continued to develop as the story progressed. What were some themes you wanted to capture in Clare’s character?
Throughout history, women have struggled against many prejudices. What I set out to achieve was to create a strong, ambitious young woman who sought to control her own destiny. In a sense, Clare was an early pioneer for female equality in 17th century France, as she sought a career. However, she knew she was also obligated to marry in order to bear a female child to carry on her ancestral midwifery heritage.
At first, dewy-eyed young Clare is disappointed when her romantic childhood sweetheart leaves the country and she is coerced into marrying his older, dull brother. However, she turns out to be much stronger than her husband, even to the point of secretly using birth control until she decides the time is right for bearing children. And she is the one who must bravely plot their escape from France.
Another minor theme is the conflict a career woman faces between spending time with her children and working outside the home. A feeling of guilt. This balancing act continues through the present day, so it is a universal, contemporary theme.
What is the next novel that you are working on and when will it be available?
The second novel in the series, Lucina’s Destiny, is now available on Amazon.com. It follows the exciting adventures of Clare and her family as they settle in England.
Author Links: Website | GoodReads
![Midwife of Normandy (Secrets of the Austen Midwives Book 1) by [Penfield, Carole, Lady, A]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51O0ysGA90L.jpg)
Clare Dupres, ambitious young Huguenot midwife living in turbulent 17th century France, struggles to save her family and career from the terrors of tyrannical King Louis XIV.
On the brink of womanhood, she records in her journal the grand plan for her perfect life–marriage to the man she loves, renovation of mysterious Maison Dupres as her home, and a rewarding profession. The key to her plan lies in “the magic elixir,” her ancestors’ secret formula for pain-free childbirth, which she offers solely to wealthy aristocratic women.
But King Louis’ increasing pressure on Huguenots to convert to Catholicism shatters Clare’s dreams. Her lover forced to flee France, she is compelled to marry his boring brother. Then she is banned from practicing midwifery. Yearning to continue her profession coupled with fear that her children will be kidnapped by Papists, Clare tries to convince her stubborn husband to move to England, but he is blind to the growing menace. When danger lurks in the form of the King’s dreaded Dragonnade soldiers, she must summon all her strength and determination to save her family.
Can Clare succeed in getting her family safely out of France before it is too late?
LITERARY TITAN 