Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2023 -

Maternal death rates are often used as indicators of a nation's health status. Rates reported in Malawi, a country of nearly 20 million in southeastern Africa, vary widely across regions and over time and are among the highest in the world. Wendland (Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison), an anthropologist and an obstetrician, interviewed more than 100 people in Malawi between 1990 and 2017. This book tells the stories of four Malawian women who died in childbirth and poses the question "Why did she die?" for each story. Wendland critiques six types of explanations given for these preventable deaths, each one multistoried yet incomplete and based on inconclusive evidence. Some narratives blame the mothers or local cultural changes, others include poor nutrition or the lack of transportation and basic resources, and still others reference national and global injustices and policies. The author offers a well-written, compelling, dynamic narrative that broadens and complicates readers' understanding of the contributing causes and impacts of maternal mortality. Drawing on comparative data, Wendland notably disallows any more favorable narrative of maternal mortality in the US. The text includes a glossary of terms, abbreviations, and titles for informal and formal health care providers in Malawi, in addition to extensive notes.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.

New York Times journalist Villarosa (a contributor to The 1619 Project) weaves lessons in history and public policy through a series of personal narratives, adding a degree of humanity to the statistics and academic terminology that often weigh down public discourse about racism. Villarosa effectively deploys her journalistic acumen to invite readers to engage with a heavy topic. This text's relaxed written style sets it apart from purely academic writing but does not compromise on rigor. Reading this book feels like being in conversation with the author, and the sense of intimate dialog is further cemented by Villarosa's use of reflexivity in examining the impacts of racism on the health of her own family. This approach makes the book accessible and potentially engaging for a wide variety of readers, reflecting a core tenet of journalistic ethics. In the course of eight strong chapters, Villarosa examines multiple facets of American racism--from harmful myths and stereotypes about the biology of Black people to the impact of geography on access to quality health care. The book ends with "Putting the Care Back in Health Care," which reviews essential work being done by passionate individuals to minimize the impacts of racism and improve health care for all.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.