Monique And The Mango Rains Summary

“The small rains that come, in February and March. They come when the earth is dry and the heavy rains still far away to make the mangoes sweet.” In some ways, Monique, the midwife, can be thought of as the rain. She is the Malian women’s hope for a successful childbirth and a healthy baby, as well as being the hope for them to have greater access to crucial health care that they do not have. Monique is there for the women in tough times and whenever they may need her, she will come, just as the rain will eventually come to make the mangoes sweet.
Monique and the Mango Rains was written in 2007 by an author named Kris Holloway. She was working for the Peace Corps and was trained to go on a 2-year job in the village of Nampossela, Mali.
Other themes that develop include kinships, friendships and relationships, the role of women, and parenting and childbirth. Throughout the book, there are many strengths that the author demonstrates through her writing style and her honest portrayal of what is happening within the community of this village. Kris Holloway does an excellent job of portraying issues surrounding medical care, pregnancy, and childbirth, while also helping to show how her relationship with Monique developed into a strong friendship. While the book does portray real challenges and struggles that these women face, it does a good job of getting across the facts without sounding too dry while doing so. Kris is also able to portray emotions and set up emotional scenes that really connect with the reader and keep them wanting to engage further into the book and discover more about Monique’s story. Another major strength is that the book flows really well and is easy to read and get involved in. There are not many weaknesses but Kris Holloway did not focus as much on birthing practices in Mali as I had expected and it did seem at times that she didn’t appreciate their birthing traditions there, and just related them as unsanitary and having to do with being in