Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali

Holloway travels to nearby Koutiala to speak with Monique’s boss, Mr. Mariko. He hears her out and promises to talk to Monique’s family sometime soon.

Back in Nampossela, John and Holloway meet with other villagers over dinner to determine how much the supplies will cost for the birthing house repairs. Holloway notices that Monique is unusually quiet; when pressed, Monique admits that her husband is having an affair.

It is not Francois’s infidelity that bothers Monique but the fact that he is spending the money that Monique earns on gifts and clothing for the other woman. Meanwhile, Monique and her children are left with no money for food: “She has new clothes while we have water for sauce” (107). Holloway realizes that both she and Monique depend on each other for support in all aspects of life.

The next morning Holloway races to the maternity ward because Korotun is about to give birth. After a difficult labor, Korotun gives birth to a girl. The new mother turns her head away at the sight of the child, despondently saying, “She would be beautiful in her father’s eyes if she were a son” (110).

After helping Korotun settle in at home, Monique talks to Holloway about how often she has to stitch women up after childbirth.