Frontline Midwife

My Story of Survival and Keeping Others Safe

By: Anna Kent

Narrated by: Anna Kent

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents Frontline Midwife by Anna Kent, read by Anna Kent.

This is a story of women in crisis, seen through the eyes of a remarkable midwife.

My own suffering, my own loneliness, was a fair price to pay for the lives we’d saved. And now here I am, training to be a midwife so that next time, I can make it better.

Anna Kent has delivered babies in war zones, caring for the most vulnerable women in the most vulnerable places in the world. At 26 years old, not yet a fully trained midwife, she delivered a baby in a tropical storm by the light of a headtorch; the following year, she would be responsible for the female health of 30,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. But returning to the UK to work for the NHS, she soon learned that even at home the right to a safe birth was impossible to take for granted.

In Frontline Midwife, Kent shares her extraordinary experiences as a nurse, midwife and mother, illuminating the lives of women that are irreparably affected by compromised access to healthcare. This is at once an astonishing story of the realities of frontline humanitarian work and a powerful reminder of the critical, life-giving work of nurses and doctors at home and around the world.

©2022 Anna Kent and Julia Gregson (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"The heart-wrenching tale of one midwife’s quest to help others—and make peace with herself—in some of the world’s most challenging environments." (Leah Hazard, author of Hard Pushed)

"In this stunning, gripping true story, Anna Kent confronts unimaginable hardships to do good in the world.... I was riveted and fascinated by her bravery, her journey and her spirit." (Delia Ephron)

Interesting book, (emotionally) tough listen

This book explores the effect aid work in conflict zones and very poor communities had on the author. It also shines a light on the hard realities especially women face in these communities when it comes to accessing medical care.
The book naturally contains very traumatic events and hit doubly hard for me as I found out my wife is pregnant in the middle of the listen. Be prepared when considering listening to this book.
The narration by the author is excellent and lively and imho adds quite a bit to the content of the book. It must have been hard to read through the tough passages clearly.
TD;DR very much recommended for anyone with the stomach to take it.

Frontline extraordinare, Anna

Thank you so very much, have been a midwife 22 years now and although haven’t had your extremes your story as helped me realise my own trauma, PTSD that I carry, have also started writing some that is helpful. Much appreciation and gratitude you truly are our hero on so many levels, much love.