Vaccines and Bayonets
Bee Bloeser
Step into the heart of a turbulent era with a gripping historical memoir that chronicles one woman’s extraordinary journey in Africa. In this vivid recounting—which one Pulitzer nominee says, “reads like a political thriller, women’s history, and African adventure rolled into one,”—Bee Bloeser unveils the raw reality of her family’s part in the mission to eradicate smallpox, revealing triumphs and trials faced along the way.
As a young wife with two young children, Bloeser follows her husband, Carl, to Africa, driven by ideals and a sense of duty. In Nigeria she witnesses the roots and ravages of civil war and the horrors of smallpox and leprosy, yet finds beauty in the vibrant local culture.
In Equatorial Guinea, a nation newly independent but plagued by the terror of a brutal dictatorship, secrecy shrouds the people, and Bloeser confronts a world far removed from her idealistic expectations. Forbidden from interacting with locals and surrounded by oppression and suspicion, she documents her experiences in hidden notes, capturing the essence of a desperate struggle.
Through her eyes, readers experience the intense battle against a relentless virus and against tyranny. This Amazon #1 Bestselling memoir is a story of medical triumph but also a poignant reflection on humanity’s capacity for courage—the indomitable spirit of those who risk everything for a better future.
Duration - 9h 46m.
Author - Bee Bloeser.
Narrator - Claudia Dunn.
Published Date - Tuesday, 23 January 2024.
Copyright - © 2021 Bee Bloeser ©.
Location:
United States
Description:
Step into the heart of a turbulent era with a gripping historical memoir that chronicles one woman’s extraordinary journey in Africa. In this vivid recounting—which one Pulitzer nominee says, “reads like a political thriller, women’s history, and African adventure rolled into one,”—Bee Bloeser unveils the raw reality of her family’s part in the mission to eradicate smallpox, revealing triumphs and trials faced along the way. As a young wife with two young children, Bloeser follows her husband, Carl, to Africa, driven by ideals and a sense of duty. In Nigeria she witnesses the roots and ravages of civil war and the horrors of smallpox and leprosy, yet finds beauty in the vibrant local culture. In Equatorial Guinea, a nation newly independent but plagued by the terror of a brutal dictatorship, secrecy shrouds the people, and Bloeser confronts a world far removed from her idealistic expectations. Forbidden from interacting with locals and surrounded by oppression and suspicion, she documents her experiences in hidden notes, capturing the essence of a desperate struggle. Through her eyes, readers experience the intense battle against a relentless virus and against tyranny. This Amazon #1 Bestselling memoir is a story of medical triumph but also a poignant reflection on humanity’s capacity for courage—the indomitable spirit of those who risk everything for a better future. Duration - 9h 46m. Author - Bee Bloeser. Narrator - Claudia Dunn. Published Date - Tuesday, 23 January 2024. Copyright - © 2021 Bee Bloeser ©.
Language:
English
Opening Credits
Duration:00:00:29
Dedication and Opening Quote
Duration:00:00:52
Preface
Duration:00:01:12
Prologue
Duration:00:05:29
Part I Chapter 1: Ranka Didi
Duration:00:08:57
Part I Chapter 2: Called to Africa
Duration:00:13:31
Part I Chapter 3: To the Sahel
Duration:00:12:56
Part I Chapter 4: Adamu
Duration:00:04:38
Part I Chapter 5: The Lepers
Duration:00:03:39
Part I Chapter 6: Kano City
Duration:00:09:14
Part I Chapter 7: Smallpox Target Zero
Duration:00:13:21
Part I Chapter 8: Mangoes and Mambas
Duration:00:15:10
Part I Chapter 9: Green
Duration:00:11:25
Part I Chapter 10: Technology 1969
Duration:00:01:12
Part I Chapter 11: Smallpox / Measles Logistics
Duration:00:08:00
Part I Chapter 12: The Moon and Man
Duration:00:04:52
Part I Chapter 13: Expats
Duration:00:14:45
Part I Chapter 14: Primadonna
Duration:00:03:42
Part I Chapter 15: Hausa Customs
Duration:00:08:26
Part I Chapter 16: For Your Eyes Only
Duration:00:02:15
Part I Chapter 17: Crash
Duration:00:00:50
Part I Chapter 18: Two Targets
Duration:00:03:08
Part I Chapter 19: Hemorrhagic Fever
Duration:00:01:50
Part I Chapter 20: Just Who Carl Was
Duration:00:02:33
Part I Chapter 21: Medieval Festival
Duration:00:09:17
Part I Chapter 22: Winds of Sahara
Duration:00:04:32
Part I Chapter 23: Making Vinegar
Duration:00:02:46
Part I Chapter 24: The War Ended Today
Duration:00:02:36
Part I Chapter 25: Party in the Harem
Duration:00:06:33
Part I Chapter 26: Market with a Past
Duration:00:11:10
Part I Chapter 27: Objet d'Art
Duration:00:05:33
Part I Chapter 28: Women Hidden behind Walls
Duration:00:09:52
Part I Chapter 29: Hold the Celebration
Duration:00:01:01
Part I Chapter 30: The Void
Duration:00:02:12
Part I Chapter 31: A Fateful Decision
Duration:00:13:51
Part II Chapter 1: Mr. Ambassador
Duration:00:11:47
Part II Chapter 2: Calvo Sotelo
Duration:00:05:15
Part II Chapter 3: Standoff
Duration:00:02:24
Part II Chapter 4: So This Is the Foreign Service
Duration:00:05:33
Part II Chapter 5: But It Looks Like Paradise
Duration:00:05:22
Part II Chapter 6: A Little History
Duration:00:11:38
Part II Chapter 7: Eerie Silence
Duration:00:09:03
Part II Chapter 8: And Then There Were Six
Duration:00:04:49
Part II Chapter 9: Rio Muni
Duration:00:08:58
Part II Chapter 10: No Talking to Locals
Duration:00:04:50
Part II Chapter 11: Everybody Comes to the Bahia
Duration:00:16:59
Part II Chapter 12: Macias Nguema
Duration:00:10:19
Part II Chapter 13: Not a Game / and Reflection
Duration:00:04:09
Part II Chapter 14: Samuel's Domain
Duration:00:05:54
Part II Chapter 15: Brother to Brother
Duration:00:04:59
Part II Chapter 16: The Shipment
Duration:00:13:43
Part II Chapter 17: The Spanish Ambassador's Bride
Duration:00:01:45
Part II Chapter 18: Tumbu Fly
Duration:00:03:08
Part II Chapter 19: Fourth of July
Duration:00:02:49
Part II Chapter 20: Embassy Comic Relief
Duration:00:05:54
Part II Chapter 21: Child's Play
Duration:00:06:03
Part II Chapter 22: The Outside World
Duration:00:09:57
Part II Chapter 23: Beaten
Duration:00:01:04
Part II Chapter 24: But We Were Just Out for a Walk!
Duration:00:02:51
Part II Chapter 25: A Spy Behind the Tree
Duration:00:03:45
Part II Chapter 26: Black Beach Prison
Duration:00:06:18
Part II Chapter 27: Isolation
Duration:00:02:44
Part II Chapter 28: Pressure Valve
Duration:00:07:00
Part II Chapter 29: Milestones
Duration:00:02:36
Part II Chapter 30: Musical Ministers--Again
Duration:00:01:28
Part II Chapter 31: The Terror / and Reflection
Duration:00:13:10
Part II Chapter 32: Cautioning CDC
Duration:00:01:26
Part II Chapter 33: The Cult
Duration:00:01:36
Part II Chapter 34: Fines and Worse
Duration:00:03:33
Part II Chapter 35: May I Hear from You at an Early Date?
Duration:00:01:30
Part II Chapter 36: Jesus He Been Born
Duration:00:02:35
Part II Chapter 37: High-Level Diplomacy
Duration:00:03:53
Part II Chapter 38: The King Jaja
Duration:00:03:32
Part III Chapter 1: The Calm Before
Duration:00:03:10
Part III Chapter 2: International Incident
Duration:00:06:24
Part III Chapter 3: Time to Go
Duration:00:04:23
Part III Chapter 4: Exit
Duration:00:01:24
Part IV Chapter 1: Gunboats
Duration:00:02:07
Part IV Chapter 2: The Doctors Bradley
Duration:00:02:40
Part IV Chapter 3: Aftershock
Duration:00:03:03
Part IV Chapter 4: Settling
Duration:00:05:40
Part IV Chapter 5: Martin
Duration:00:02:27
Part IV Chapter 6: Kind of Like Normal
Duration:00:04:32
Part IV Chapter 7: The Zoo
Duration:00:07:52
Part IV Chapter 8: Friendly Fire
Duration:00:02:19
Part IV Chapter 9: The Dailies
Duration:00:02:00
Part IV Chapter 10: Changing of the Guard
Duration:00:04:00
Part IV Chapter 11: Cold War Decision Making
Duration:00:03:19
Part IV Chapter 12: So Long, Farewell
Duration:00:05:20
Part IV Chapter 13: And Then There Were Five
Duration:00:04:08
Part IV Chapter 14: Rough Reentry
Duration:00:08:35
Part IV Chapter 15: Shock Wave
Duration:00:12:02
Part IV Chapter 16: A Grief Across the Ocean
Duration:00:06:51
Part IV Chapter 17: Is a Puzzlement
Duration:00:05:23
Part IV Chapter 18: The Dog of War and the Long Shadow of Macias
Duration:00:12:09
Part IV Chapter 19: Home from the Field / and Reflection
Duration:00:06:41
Part IV Chapter 20: The Final Chapter
Duration:00:10:53
Epilogue
Duration:00:21:49
Ending Credits
Duration:00:00:45