My books are not about myself.
They are about the courageous men and women from across the planet who have
fled war, torture, famine and genocide. They come here with hope. They dare to hope
that they can once more live in peace. They dare to fall in love again, dare to
make babies again and dream of providing a better life for their families.
They come from every country and
background imaginable; from Africa, Asia, the South Pacific, Mongolia, Burma,
Europe and South America. Against all odds they have landed here, bringing
absolutely nothing with them... but hope.
My books are not about my life.
They are about these amazing survivors starting over, from scratch. They invite
me to witness some of their most intimate moments, like the birth of their
babies. My job is to help them
navigate the impossibly complex world of the American medical system. With each
one I try to create a safe environment for them, so that they can access their
own power and wisdom from within
in order to birth this particular child.
My books are not about me. Yes, I get to be part of their lives
and rejoice with them. I often get to visit their homes, eat their food and
kiss their beautiful babies, but this is not about ME. Sometimes I also cry
with them. The last time was when I accompanied a woman from Ghana into the
operating room for a C-section. Her twin babies were showing signs of distress.
They needed to be born NOW.
Two plump
beautiful brown baby girls who both carried a rare genetic syndrome; the incidence is only 1 in every 15,000 births—and they both
have it. They will be disabled for the rest of their lives, but their brave
parents love them dearly.
My books are not the story of my
life. So why has Ma Doula: A Story Tour of Birth been
allowed to be listed in the Barnes and Nobel catalogue as biography and memoir?
They should be under transcultural medical care, intercultural communication,
childbirth, doula, midwifery, health, and parenting. I have sent this letter to my publisher to get to the distributor to fix it.
