The heart-wrenching tale of one midwife’s quest to help others – and make peace with herself ‘Leah Hazard, author of Hard Pushed ‘Extraordinary, profoundly moving, all-consuming . Kent barely contains her anger and disbelief at the fact that people are forced, through circumstance, to make appalling decisions. It is inspiring to hear how Anna and the women she cares for move forward in the most desperate of situations.

Compare this with the fleeting connections she has with the women she treats, trying to cut through politics, patriarchal society and personal doubt to help the women and their babies. While the subject matter prevents the book from being described as an ‘easy read’, it is accessible, with short, powerful chapters and strong depictions of places and people. You describe cultures and healthcare so very different to ours but then in doing so you give these women who died a voice, immortalised those, who would otherwise have died leaving no trace, as dust. I certainly cried reading most of it and really felt like I could connect with the people in the book.

Once qualified, she did some midwifery at home, and then went back again overseas to be a midwife in the war torn countries. Anna’s first posting is to the South Sudan, and though she feels that she is prepared for what she is going to see and have to deal with she soon realises she isn’t. Anna doesn’t mince words but mainly leads the reader to draw their own conclusions about injustice – mainly poverty and misogyny – from the stories of those who survive and do not survive. Be aware the book does come with trigger warnings around baby loss, gender-based violence, birth-related injuries and maternal death.

Should they choose to have children, childbirth should be one of the most liberating and empowering moments of a woman's life. This book can be read many times if there is something to see or peep beyond the wall of society and life. A quite matter of fact comment from the other aid worker, James, when he informs Anna, she will be solely dealing with the midwifery aspects of their job.Her story is laced with personal tragedy too, after having a miscarriage on her wedding day and giving birth to another daughter who sadly died of a brain tumour around six years ago. It’s empowering and refreshing to read an account about birth written by a woman, a mother and a midwife. I cried a lot reading Anna’s experiences but also smiled at her ability to find love, friendship and humour where she could in the bleakest of circumstances. The affects that working in such a hostile environment with life-and-death decisions constantly left up to her clearly caused a huge amount of mental distress. Disclaimer: I worked with Anna Kent and can confirm the accurracy of her account as well as her compassion and expertise.

Its one of those books you feel immensley grateful was written - big shout outs to her and her support system for bringing this book to press. After experiencing a bit of a rocky second year, it’s given me the gee up I very much needed to keep going and finish my degree. Anna Kent has delivered babies in war zones, caring for the most vulnerable women in the most vulnerable places in the world. Like Anna he had a personal reason for being drawn to, and finding solace in, emergency care and alcohol.As inspiring as it is harrowing, this is a story of women in crisis, told through the lens of a remarkable midwife. Knowing that you may die in childbirth, is part of the experience for women in so many parts of the world, and Although many of these deaths are unavoidable simple things, like providing a clean way to cut the umbilical cord to prevent neonatal tetanus make a huge difference. At the same time, it made me see how even though I live in one of richest countries in the world, even here there is still so much more that could be done to help women during pregnancy and birth. At the time Anna thinks a lot of the restrictions put on aid workers are strange and even some maybe a tad unnecessary. When I originally picked the book up I expected this to be a story of a midwife in the UK during the Covid pandemic, but this wasn't the case.

An honor and privilege to read, Anna Kent is a remarkable woman, and the courage of not just her work, but also the courage to put her story to paper for us to bear witness too, I'm simply in awe. Anna’s writing has the power to shock without hyperbole (although there might be some hyperbole at her most blissful moments! Anna also comes across as smart and funny and there are parts in the books where you will laugh out loud at some of the absurd scenarios she encounters. It takes you on an emotional journey that may leave you exploring your own inner world, motivations and choices. Worrying about those she has helped to train and wondering how those she has treat will fair in the poor conditions they exist in.Anna really goes through a lot herself and share it in this book as well as sharing stories of women she has met, and helped over the years. I also admire how open Anna has been about her pregnancy and baby loss story, we need more of these truths out there to make this less of a taboo subject. I loved her characterisation of James and other co-workers and the descriptions of her relationships with the people she was trying to help keep safe were truly heart-rending. However, I think these graphic stories are needed in the book to really show the importance of midwifery and care in underdeveloped countries. Looking back, I am proud I stepped up and did it, but it was a really difficult time," Anna said, noting how the nation will be experiencing the impact of the pandemic on our mental health for a long time to come.