Bookline and Thinker Ltd.
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About The Author

Yvonne Barlow
Yvonne Barlow lives near Cambridge. She trained as a midwife in
Scotland and served with Voluntary Services Overseas in rural
Zambia. Later, she studied journalism in the United States and
worked at The Dallas Morning News. On her return to Britain, she
freelanced for the Dallas newspaper and the Women’s Feature
Service, an international news agency.

She wrote Quick, Boil Some Water after studying for an M.A. in
Writing. The book was inspired by her grandmother's curiosity about
childbirth for African women. "How was it?" She'd whispered - for
Scottish granny's never talked openly about such things. When Yvonne
began to describe the problems of bleeding, infection, and mothers
too small for their infants, her grandmother silenced her. "That
happened here too!" Nothing more was said.

But Yvonne never forgot this short conversation. Fifteen years later,  
she put a request in the Women's Institute newsletter asking ladies to
talk about their birth experiences in the '40s, '50s and '60s. She
received telephone calls and letters - some anonymous. Many began,
"I've never told anyone this ..."

For this is not the Oprah Winfrey generation who share all with anyone
who will listen. Instead, the stories are private with many women
feeling guilt that their difficult births caused problems for their children
in later life.

Yvonne built up a personal relationship with many of the women. "I still
cry when I read some of the stories - even the happy ones," she says.

Yvonne gives talks on childbirth in the 1940s, '50s and '60s.
She can be contacted by sending an email to:
yvonnebarlow@yahoo.com