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A FIERCE RADIANCE

Enjoy this intriguing piece of historical fiction chronicling the advent of large-scale penicillin production in the U.S. following the attack on Pearl Harbor. In A Fierce Radiance, the latest book by author Lauren Belfer (HarperCollins Publishers), the well-researched characters and surroundings engage immediately, and introduce many little-known facts about the development of a sustainable supply of this “miracle drug”. The modern reader will be astounded at the impact - scientifically, culturally and personally - of the exploration and advances in organic anti-bacterial research. The plotline of this captivating mystery breathes life into mid-century New York and the general state of public health at the time. Read an excerpt.

GRACE UNDER FIRE

In peaceful times sub-Saharan African women have a one in 13 chance of dying during childbirth, so when these women are caught in conflict their circumstances become even more unstable. In Grace Under Fire (BBC), Dr. Grace Kondino, an esteemed Chadian OB-GYN, travels to conflict zones in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to explore how war has affected women and childbirth. In these countries mass rape has become a weapon of war, and many women must deal with pregnancy and delivery while on the run. Dr. Kondino meets with women who are victims of sexual violence, and interviews doctors in clinics that are unequipped to deal with the influx of patients. This documentary highlights the extent to which women’s reproductive health is being neglected, making them the real victims of war.

SMALLPOX ZERO

Smallpox Zero: An Illustrated History of Smallpox and Its Eradication by Jonathan Roy (African Comic Production House) provides an informative look into the devastating disease that plagued the human race for thousands of years. With beautiful illustrations and comic strip narration, this graphic novel tracks the disease from its rise over 10,000 years ago, to its last case in 1977. Roy invokes respect and gratitude for the health officials and workers who succeeded against all odds to finally achieve worldwide smallpox eradication, and offers support and resources for current disease eradication initiatives.

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