This memoir describes the author's experiences traveling to Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon with her husband to help with vaccinating people against small pox and measles. Bee and her husband, Carl, travel to dangerous areas of Africa in the late 60s and early 70s with their young children, with a goal to eradicate smallpox globally. The author gives details descriptions of the challenges faced in their daily lives as well as the vast differences between her life growing up in the US and her experiences in Africa. She also shares interactions with the many people she interacted with, from servants to diplomats to the community members she grew to depend on at different times in her life in Africa. The book also includes personal photos to help tell the story. In a time when we are once again trying to prove the importance of vaccines, this book is relevant and reminds readers that vaccination is the answer to eradicating, or at least minimizing the effects of pandemic and epidemic viruses. More than just a focus on illness as a killer, this book also looks at the fighting occurring during the time period, both in Africa and around the world during the cold war. It is a very detailed and descriptive account and can provide readers with a good understanding of the events at this time. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

A very interesting book about the journey of a young mother, her very dedicated husband and young children as they travel and live in some of the most dangerous areas of Africa. Her husband was a very determined "man with a mission" to eradicate smallpox globally and she and her family followed him during the very late 60's and early 70's. The author bares it all and one can only imagine the true horror and fear of their everyday lives. Even with all that they find a way to find joy and friendship along the way. The book never gets boring and even though I was only 10 at the time this occurred - I can appreciate the strength (as a mom and grandmother now) what it must have taken for her to hold it all together then. Her story is accompanied by her own personal photos. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.