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Chapters (59)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Book
  3. Dedication
  4. Chapter One
  5. Chapter Two
  6. Chapter Three
  7. Chapter Four
  8. Chapter Five
  9. Chapter Six
  10. Chapter Seven
  11. Chapter Eight
  12. Chapter Nine
  13. Chapter Ten
  14. Chapter Eleven
  15. Chapter Twelve
  16. Chapter Thirteen
  17. Chapter Fourteen
  18. Chapter Fifteen
  19. Chapter Sixteen
  20. Chapter Seventeen
  21. Chapter Eighteen
  22. Chapter Nineteen
  23. Chapter Twenty
  24. Chapter Twenty-one
  25. Chapter Twenty-two
  26. Chapter Twenty-three
  27. Chapter Twenty-four
  28. Chapter Twenty-five
  29. Chapter Twenty-six
  30. Chapter Twenty-seven
  31. Chapter Twenty-eight
  32. Chapter Twenty-nine
  33. Chapter Thirty
  34. Chapter Thirty-one
  35. Chapter Thirty-two
  36. Chapter Thirty-three
  37. Chapter Thirty-four
  38. Chapter Thirty-five
  39. Chapter Thirty-six
  40. Chapter Thirty-seven
  41. Chapter Thirty-eight
  42. Chapter Thirty-nine
  43. Chapter Forty
  44. Chapter Forty-one
  45. Chapter Forty-two
  46. Chapter Forty-three
  47. Chapter Forty-four
  48. Chapter Forty-five
  49. Chapter Forty-six
  50. Chapter Forty-seven
  51. Chapter Forty-eight
  52. Chapter Forty-nine
  53. Chapter Fifty
  54. Chapter Fifty-one
  55. Chapter Fifty-two
  56. Acknowledgements
  57. About the Author
  58. Also by the author
  59. Sign up to Read More and discover new favourites

As they descended into the throng, Zac held firmly onto his wife’s hand. Stella saw Ava pause and dip her head as she pointed to the ground, and Mim and Stella laughed as they both saw the subtle movement in the dirt as a thorny devil lizard wandered away. Ngiyari. Ava’s desert friend had come to watch the ceremony.

Acknowledgements

As you come to the close of my new book, The Desert Midwife, I hope you have enjoyed the time spent in the Red Centre of Australia. I have grown to treasure these people and places in my heart. This story gave me some labour pains – funny how some book babies are more intense than others in creation! – but here we are. The End. And I’m proud of her.

As always, there are so many people and places I drew inspiration from, who supported me, whom I want to thank with sincere gratitude for their role in the birth and nurturing of this book. As for places, of course, there is Australia’s glorious Uluru and the evocative desert lands that surround this most magnificent natural wonder. As I rested my awed hand on the rough walls, walked the base and sat at the waterhole, I could almost feel its heartbeat. I hope this book encourages everyone to seek the chance sometime in their life to spend a while at this mystical power centre on earth and perhaps learn from the wisdom of the Anangu people.

In this book, I offer my view as a non-Indigenous midwife, and so I want to thank those who helped me write about Indigenous women and communities. My thanks to Suzie Dean, a real desert midwife, who read the early version and shared insight into situations and people she came across while working in remote communities in central Australia. You are a champion, Suze. To Rachel Scoltock, a friend and mentor, who referred me to Jennifer Cowley, author of the book I Am Uluru. Jen kindly referred me to the incredible Linda Rive, who coordinates a digital archive of all things Anangu called ‘Ara Irititja’. Linda’s insight and generous offer to share my relevant chapters with women elders was such a bonus, and together with Penguin Random House I send a huge thank you to Linda and to elder, Yanyi Bandicha, for their guidance and kindness in relation to my story.

Thanks to the wonderful staff at the Desert Gardens Hotel, who really are as fabulous as Zac said, and the ‘rock view room’, which really is special. When you go to stay, please don’t miss the Sounds of Silence dinner. Soak in that night sky.