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Moving Mountains
Twenty years ago, Michael Buerk's reports on the famine in Ethlopia shocked the West into action and resulted in the biggest relief programme the world had ever seen, supported by Bob Geldof and Live Aid. One of the most memorable images of that time was of the young British nurse working for the International Red Cross, who, surrounded by 85,000 starving people, had the terrible task of choosing which children to help out of all those who were too far gone to be saved. They called her 'Mamma Claire'. 'In her was vested the power of life and death,' Bob Geldof has said, 'She had become God-like, and that is unbearable for anyone.' Earlier this year Michael Buerk persuaded Claire Bertschinger to return to Ethiopia for the first time to confront her feelings of guilt, and the result was a moving documentary shown in January 04. When she joined the International Red Cross, Claire Bertschinger was fulfilling a passionate vocation for relief work in dangerous places. Apart from Ethiopia, she has worked with war wounded and hostages in Labanon, with the Mudjahadeen in Afghanistan, and with prisoners and victims of crossfire in Uganda, Sierra Leone and the Sudan. Often working in war zones under fire herself, she has shown an impressive combination of courage, commitment, compassion and resourcefulness. Her story is of a warm, charismatic woman who chose to save lives rather than settle down and start her own family - and in the process found a great personal happiness.
304 pages, Paperback
First published July 4, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 28, 2010
An inspiring figure! I was coninually amazed at her fortitude and the way she was mainly undaunted by huge-seeming problems or dangers.
January 17, 2021
3.5 Stars
A memoir of life in service is fantastic. Filled with crazy stories from the writer's life and how each moment acted as a lesson learnt, I found myself gripped by her journey. Her story is so packed full of wisdom and honesty. It highlighted her struggles with PTSD after working in Ethiopia during the famine and how after years she overcame it and continued to be the change for good.
Although, in saying that there were times I felt the narrative was a little slow.
A memoir of life in service is fantastic. Filled with crazy stories from the writer's life and how each moment acted as a lesson learnt, I found myself gripped by her journey. Her story is so packed full of wisdom and honesty. It highlighted her struggles with PTSD after working in Ethiopia during the famine and how after years she overcame it and continued to be the change for good.
Although, in saying that there were times I felt the narrative was a little slow.
May 21, 2011
Moving Mountains tells the true story of hurt, pain, suffering, loss, disease, starvation and hope. It is hope that ties these themes together, and for Claire Bertschinger, it is hope that got her through. Working as a nurse for the International Red Cross, she has born witness to some of the most horrifying scenes, and travelled to some of the most dangerous places on the planet.
After overcoming dyslexia as a teenager, Bertschinger qualified as nurse. Moving Mountains is the story of her life, the horrors she has seen, and the joy. But most of all, this book is about the hope that can be found in the most remarkable of places.
In 1985 Claire appeared on TV around the world; the news clip showed her having to choose which children out of thousands who were starving to accept into a feeding programme. While Claire didn’t think twice about having been filmed, she had a huge impact on thousands back at home in the UK. It was this small news clip that inspired Live Aid.
For many years she had been haunted by the choices she had to make at the feeding station in Ethiopia, haunted by the thought that she had sent some children to certain death. It wasn’t until 2005, twenty years later that she felt that was able to return, this memorable experience is one of only many in Moving Mountains.
Moving Mountains will break your heart, it is the sweetest, most beautiful and moving account of a life spent helping others. It is well written, an amazing feat in itself given that the author is dyslexic. This book is incredibly truthful, and I’d be lying if I said it was easy to read. It was impossible to put down, certainly, but some of the stories she has to tell and experiences she has been through are just so horrific and very hard to read. A book doesn’t often move me to tears, but at points this one certainly did.
This book deals with some of the facts of life we tend to gloss over living a relatively sheltered life. It points out what is reality for much of the world and opens your eyes. It is a story which needs to be told, and one which really needs to be shared.
After overcoming dyslexia as a teenager, Bertschinger qualified as nurse. Moving Mountains is the story of her life, the horrors she has seen, and the joy. But most of all, this book is about the hope that can be found in the most remarkable of places.
In 1985 Claire appeared on TV around the world; the news clip showed her having to choose which children out of thousands who were starving to accept into a feeding programme. While Claire didn’t think twice about having been filmed, she had a huge impact on thousands back at home in the UK. It was this small news clip that inspired Live Aid.
For many years she had been haunted by the choices she had to make at the feeding station in Ethiopia, haunted by the thought that she had sent some children to certain death. It wasn’t until 2005, twenty years later that she felt that was able to return, this memorable experience is one of only many in Moving Mountains.
Moving Mountains will break your heart, it is the sweetest, most beautiful and moving account of a life spent helping others. It is well written, an amazing feat in itself given that the author is dyslexic. This book is incredibly truthful, and I’d be lying if I said it was easy to read. It was impossible to put down, certainly, but some of the stories she has to tell and experiences she has been through are just so horrific and very hard to read. A book doesn’t often move me to tears, but at points this one certainly did.
This book deals with some of the facts of life we tend to gloss over living a relatively sheltered life. It points out what is reality for much of the world and opens your eyes. It is a story which needs to be told, and one which really needs to be shared.
June 11, 2009
This is the story of a remarkable woman . My hero. Claire Bertshinger
who works as a nurse with the red cross in war torn and poverty stricken areas around the world ,
Truely inspiring.
who works as a nurse with the red cross in war torn and poverty stricken areas around the world ,
Truely inspiring.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews