Born for Life: Midwife in Africa


Non-Fiction - Womens
310 Pages
Reviewed on 01/20/2019
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Author Biography

Julie grew up in a small, rural town in New Zealand. After leaving school, she worked at the local maternity annexe as a nurse aide, which gave her a love for caring for mothers and babies. Life could not have been happier until the death of her second baby at birth led to depression, loneliness and despair.

Julie’s first book Born for Life: A Midwife's Story follows her journey to overcome challenges and become the midwife that she was born to be. Julie hopes that her story will inspire others to follow their dreams and not give up hope.

Midwifery remains Julie’s passion. Julie loves travelling and has worked as a midwife in many countries – including Zambia, Africa where she worked at Kalene Mission Hospital.

Julie’s second book Born for Life: Midwife in Africa describes her experiences living and working in Africa. She shares her incredible journey to make a difference in the lives of African women and their babies at the most cherished time in their lives.

Julie lives in Palmerston North, New Zealand with her husband, Barry.

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Born for Life: Midwife in Africa is a work of non fiction written as a memoir by author and midwife Julie Watson. Following her original collection, Born for Life: A Midwife’s Story, this new selection of memories tells the tale of Julie’s experiences as a volunteer in Zambia. Working in a mission hospital in a remote location, Julie recounts the trials of getting out there in the first place with her husband to do their volunteer work, as well as the shock of adjusting to African ways of life and looking after mothers and newborns at such a pivotal and potentially dangerous time of their lives.

This a superb account of volunteering which doesn’t play too heavily on the heartstrings, making it highly accessible for any reader who wants to discover the true hardships and incredible rewards that doing this kind of work can bring an individual. Author Julie Watson makes no exaggeration in her narrative style, keeping to the incredible facts of her five-month adventure in another culture, whilst at the same time explaining the factual account of what being a midwife entails. I think that, particularly for aspiring midwives and nurses, this would be an eye-opening and educational read on world medicine and the importance of looking beyond your own front door. For me, the experience of reading Julie’s tale become more personal as it went along, slowly unlocking the reasons for her powerful commitment to her cause without being sensationalized or ‘tear-jerking’. Born for Life: Midwife in Africa is a revelation in kindness recommended to all.