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Ebola
When a mysterious virus first exploded in Zaire in 1976, American physician William T. Close worked desperately to contain the outbreak. Haunted by this wrenching crisis, Dr. Close felt compelled to honor the memory of the courageous people he knew and lost. This is their a terrifying, completely authentic novel that begins with an invisible killer. It strikes without warning—a lethal disease with no name . . . and no cure. At a Catholic mission in Yambuku, a remote village sixty miles south of the Ebola River, local teacher Mabalo Lokela visits the clinic with a raging fever. Sister Lucie, a Flemish nun and nurse, gives him a shot of an antimalarial drug, wipes off the syringe, and awaits her next patient. Within days, Mabalo is dead. Soon, others are falling ill. Less than three weeks later, the virus claims Sister Lucie’s life as well. Panic erupts, but as the villagers attempt to flee, all roads leading out of Yambuku are closed off, the dying forced back. And as the single radio connecting the mission to the outside world brings only bad news, the valiant nuns and medical personnel left behind have no choice but to pray, and Will they survive long enough for help to arrive?
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First published January 1, 1991
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January 4, 2024
The author of this book was an American physician who worked in Congo, or Zaire as it was called for a time, from 1960 to 1977, and who was involved in trying to combat the first ever recorded outbreak of Ebola virus, which took place in north-west Zaire in 1976. This book is packaged as a novel but apparently it closely follows the events of the outbreak, so it is one of those novels where the author hasn’t had to invent a plot.
As an aside, before picking up the book I hadn’t realised the author was the father of the well-known actress Glenn Close.
The novel really focuses on the lives of a group of Flemish nuns who run a medical mission in the village of Yambuku, the centre of the outbreak. Initially five in number, the nuns are later joined by a sixth colleague. Five of the six are trained nurses, the other being their Mother Superior. The “hospital” they operate has no doctor, though there are several Zairean medical assistants, who form part of a large cast of supporting characters. The novel conveys the confusion and fear generated by the sudden appearance of this new and deadly disease. One of the main themes of the novel is the rivalry between the nurses and the traditional healers within the African villages. For the nuns, trained in western medicine, diseases are caused by microbes, whereas the traditional healers see them as the action of malevolent spirits. As a doctor himself, the author might be expected to identify with the scientific method, but he is noticeably respectful towards the traditional African healers. The novel also features two Belgian priests also based in Yambuku. One believes the epidemic is a punishment from God, whilst the other performs an exorcism within the hospital. Their views might therefore be described as closer to those of the traditional healers than those of the nuns.
Since the novel is a simple re-telling of events, there isn’t a great deal of character development, though gradually the novel focuses on one of the nuns in particular. There is a fair amount of tension of the “Who’s going to get ill and die next?” variety. On the whole I found it quite a decent read.
These days, most Europeans probably view the idea of nuns going to Africa to undertake missionary work as quaint, even eccentric. That would be the case in secular Britain anyway. It’s clear though, that Dr Close had the greatest respect for the nuns he met in Yambuku, and saw them as both hugely courageous and as people who had sacrificed their own lives for the benefit of others. However, even for those who survived the outbreak, living through an epidemic of Ebola fever took a terrible psychological toll.
As an aside, before picking up the book I hadn’t realised the author was the father of the well-known actress Glenn Close.
The novel really focuses on the lives of a group of Flemish nuns who run a medical mission in the village of Yambuku, the centre of the outbreak. Initially five in number, the nuns are later joined by a sixth colleague. Five of the six are trained nurses, the other being their Mother Superior. The “hospital” they operate has no doctor, though there are several Zairean medical assistants, who form part of a large cast of supporting characters. The novel conveys the confusion and fear generated by the sudden appearance of this new and deadly disease. One of the main themes of the novel is the rivalry between the nurses and the traditional healers within the African villages. For the nuns, trained in western medicine, diseases are caused by microbes, whereas the traditional healers see them as the action of malevolent spirits. As a doctor himself, the author might be expected to identify with the scientific method, but he is noticeably respectful towards the traditional African healers. The novel also features two Belgian priests also based in Yambuku. One believes the epidemic is a punishment from God, whilst the other performs an exorcism within the hospital. Their views might therefore be described as closer to those of the traditional healers than those of the nuns.
Since the novel is a simple re-telling of events, there isn’t a great deal of character development, though gradually the novel focuses on one of the nuns in particular. There is a fair amount of tension of the “Who’s going to get ill and die next?” variety. On the whole I found it quite a decent read.
These days, most Europeans probably view the idea of nuns going to Africa to undertake missionary work as quaint, even eccentric. That would be the case in secular Britain anyway. It’s clear though, that Dr Close had the greatest respect for the nuns he met in Yambuku, and saw them as both hugely courageous and as people who had sacrificed their own lives for the benefit of others. However, even for those who survived the outbreak, living through an epidemic of Ebola fever took a terrible psychological toll.
September 25, 2009
It takes a very good author to blend history, viral biology, fiction and social commentary. And William Close isn't quite that good.
An interesting read for the bus, but rather sloppy and mismatched.
Could have used the word breasts less often. I know they're a normal body part, and may well come up when describing an adult female human, but he didn't need to mention the breasts of every female character, from nuns to doctors to secretaries to women dying of fever.
An interesting read for the bus, but rather sloppy and mismatched.
Could have used the word breasts less often. I know they're a normal body part, and may well come up when describing an adult female human, but he didn't need to mention the breasts of every female character, from nuns to doctors to secretaries to women dying of fever.
January 8, 2013
The book is a mononotonous list of events. Then this one got the fever, then this other one, then the next day they were worse. The nuns were frightened, the doctors came, the doctors leave, then the outbreak slows down and burns itself out.
You really dont learn much about Ebola, how it spreads, the medical precautions they could have taken, or what they knew back in 1976 about the spread of disease and precautions that were taken in the hospitals in cities as opposied to the bush. There is no context for any of it. Some of the healthcare workers are careful, sometimes they are not, and there doesnt seem to be any rhyme or reason to it, and you dont know if they are acting on reasonable medical standards of the time, or if it is shortages or if they're wingin' it in the bush. The doctors come, and they go, but there is no explanation of what their purpose was. It appears they just came out to have a look at the symptoms described to them. It seems really strange to me that the mission workers are trying to send one of the nurses, who is sick with this terrible disease that's so far killed EVERYONE who's gotten it so far back to Antwerp on a commercial airline flight, WHAT?
I feel like the author just didnt have the skill to tell what could have been a very exiciting story. Its a lot like reading the police report of the Ebola outbreak. He does build up some sense of tension when he describes people who have been exposed to the virus traveling, but I think that was my mind considering the outcome had it left the congo more than the author's skill at building tension. Most of it is just blah. I find it neither informative, nor exciting. Its more a list of who gets sick on which day.
You really dont learn much about Ebola, how it spreads, the medical precautions they could have taken, or what they knew back in 1976 about the spread of disease and precautions that were taken in the hospitals in cities as opposied to the bush. There is no context for any of it. Some of the healthcare workers are careful, sometimes they are not, and there doesnt seem to be any rhyme or reason to it, and you dont know if they are acting on reasonable medical standards of the time, or if it is shortages or if they're wingin' it in the bush. The doctors come, and they go, but there is no explanation of what their purpose was. It appears they just came out to have a look at the symptoms described to them. It seems really strange to me that the mission workers are trying to send one of the nurses, who is sick with this terrible disease that's so far killed EVERYONE who's gotten it so far back to Antwerp on a commercial airline flight, WHAT?
I feel like the author just didnt have the skill to tell what could have been a very exiciting story. Its a lot like reading the police report of the Ebola outbreak. He does build up some sense of tension when he describes people who have been exposed to the virus traveling, but I think that was my mind considering the outcome had it left the congo more than the author's skill at building tension. Most of it is just blah. I find it neither informative, nor exciting. Its more a list of who gets sick on which day.
January 8, 2018
The author, a medical Doctor Who served in Africa for many years, wrote this book to try to help those of us who live in the west understand the outbreak of Ebola and how it impacted one community. The outbreak covered here is that of 1976, and the people and places are real. The author fictionalized the book so he could create dialogue surrounding events to help us get the full impact of what was going on. He said he wanted to open hearts to what had happened and what might still happen with a bola, and he wanted us to know of those who he had loved, admired, and lost to this disease.
I believe he met all of those goals ably and with generous spirit. Unlike other authors whose work I have read, he presented the reactions of the African people to this disease with respect, understanding, and wise compassion. He underscored the point that people act on the knowledge they have coupled with the experience of their family and themselves. What seems irrational to us might seem very rational to someone with different experiences and different knowledge.
The author used several letters written by Catholic nuns to show the thoughts and feelings of the sisters as they worked through the outbreak. I felt as if I were watching an oncoming train reading their hopes written back in the 1970s with my knowledge of what happened afterwords with aids, tuberculosis, and malaria in that area. They had no idea of the brutal fighting and chaos that was coming to the country in the 1980s and beyond. In my opinion, Ebola would have claimed many more lives in 1976 without the infrastructure that was still in place at that time.
What I treasure most about this book is the feeling I have of knowing these people, of understanding their motives and feeling their losses, hopes, and fears. This book reminds me in a very real and practical way that we are all connected. With each day we live, we can choose to contaminate the world around us were build it up in some way. We cannot all serve as missionaries, but each of us can do something to make the world a better place. Some of us can teach, others practice medicine, others raise children, and others create new, low cost products that can help the developing world. Each person has a part to play. Who knows? It might be that the child you tutor after school in history might be the person who grows up to become a Doctor Who finds a vaccine for aids or Ebola.
No matter what else we do, we can pray for the people of Africa, for the people themselves as well as for solutions to the many many problems they are facing right now. Finally, we can pray and ask God to show us where we can be of help. I’m glad I read this book. Still, I will encourage you to read it with a box of tissues nearby. I shed many tears as I read.
I believe he met all of those goals ably and with generous spirit. Unlike other authors whose work I have read, he presented the reactions of the African people to this disease with respect, understanding, and wise compassion. He underscored the point that people act on the knowledge they have coupled with the experience of their family and themselves. What seems irrational to us might seem very rational to someone with different experiences and different knowledge.
The author used several letters written by Catholic nuns to show the thoughts and feelings of the sisters as they worked through the outbreak. I felt as if I were watching an oncoming train reading their hopes written back in the 1970s with my knowledge of what happened afterwords with aids, tuberculosis, and malaria in that area. They had no idea of the brutal fighting and chaos that was coming to the country in the 1980s and beyond. In my opinion, Ebola would have claimed many more lives in 1976 without the infrastructure that was still in place at that time.
What I treasure most about this book is the feeling I have of knowing these people, of understanding their motives and feeling their losses, hopes, and fears. This book reminds me in a very real and practical way that we are all connected. With each day we live, we can choose to contaminate the world around us were build it up in some way. We cannot all serve as missionaries, but each of us can do something to make the world a better place. Some of us can teach, others practice medicine, others raise children, and others create new, low cost products that can help the developing world. Each person has a part to play. Who knows? It might be that the child you tutor after school in history might be the person who grows up to become a Doctor Who finds a vaccine for aids or Ebola.
No matter what else we do, we can pray for the people of Africa, for the people themselves as well as for solutions to the many many problems they are facing right now. Finally, we can pray and ask God to show us where we can be of help. I’m glad I read this book. Still, I will encourage you to read it with a box of tissues nearby. I shed many tears as I read.
October 17, 2014
This isn't the real book i'm reading but its the only book that has the title of ebola. Ebola is a disease that has a lot of carriers, but the main ones are batts and monkeys. The way you can carry it from bats is if u eat an animal that had any physical contact with dead animals or touching a person. The disease was discovered until 1976 in Western Africa which in modern days it is the most threatning disease in Western Africa.
Also, the reason how the first person got Ebola is not really known if it came from a monkey or a bat.
Ebola could move from a person to another from the eye, nose , mouth , ears and physical contact. Ebola first starts from high fever and sore throat. Soon some purple buttons start appearing. It is a sickness that still doctors have not seen i cure for it. And it is very hard to survive if you receive it. Also the percentages are very low compared to any sickness apart from cancer. To conclude, take care of yourself before you receieve any sickness!
Also, the reason how the first person got Ebola is not really known if it came from a monkey or a bat.
Ebola could move from a person to another from the eye, nose , mouth , ears and physical contact. Ebola first starts from high fever and sore throat. Soon some purple buttons start appearing. It is a sickness that still doctors have not seen i cure for it. And it is very hard to survive if you receive it. Also the percentages are very low compared to any sickness apart from cancer. To conclude, take care of yourself before you receieve any sickness!
August 29, 2014
Ebola is an elusive and deadly disease. This is book deals with the first major outbreak in Africa in 1976. There were some Dutch missionaries and a lot of Africans that died from this disease. Ebola has a 90% fatality rate and is a disease of developing countries. To find more about Ebola and the disease go to http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.ht.... The transmission of this disease is unknown but it was transmitted from animal to human. This book was written in 1995 by William T. Close who died in 2010. One of his children is Glenn Close, the actress. Ebola Hemoragic Fever is named for its source a river of Africa. This book is very timely with the current outbreak in Africa. It is not an easy read but definitely worth it if you want to know more about disease.
September 23, 2007
This is an amazing creative nonfiction rendering of the Ebola outbreak in Africa circa mid-1970s, which was witnessed by Dr Close (by the by, he's Glenn Close's father) during his 16 years of living in Zaire. It not only talks about Ebola and its deadly infectious process, Dr. Close talks about the people he knew and those affected by the virus. It's a well rounded book about a mysterious killer disease and those who braved it to bring help to the helpless.
December 7, 2015
Hmm it wasn't quite what I expected but it was still good. It's a 400-page book and we meet the first Ebola patient on page 20 - I guess I thought there would be more buildup before pandemic time - and the last 100 pages were a very slow denouement. I chose to read it out of an interest in the Ebola virus, but I found the book also taught me a bit about the history of (the country formerly known as) Zaire and Europeans' role in the country's development, for better or worse.
December 17, 2018
Great novel. It is not good to force people to read what you think as tge best book in the world. However, when one finds something good, it is always good to recommend it. When I first picked up this book, I knew it was going to remain on my shelf for quite sometime. Fortunately, that was nit to be. When I started reading this, I could not put it down. Dr. William T. Close did a marvelous job here.
We are in Zaire in the '70s. A man walks up to a mission hospital complaining of having a mild headache. He has been travelling and it will be attributed to fatigue. His sickness progresses and all attempts to medication is futile. His fever increases, pain in his throat, coughing and vomiting blood, blood in his stool. He dies after seven or so days. He is not the only one.
The village of Yambuku has just been struck by an unknown epidemic. Shortly after the man's death, others start complaining of the same symptoms. Is it malaria, typhoid, or yellow fever? The medical staff cannot quite point to it. In the meantime, people continue to die. Soon after, even the medical team start falling sick. Sister Lucie is the first to be struck. She dies shortly afterwards. Sister Femina follows and later sister Matilda. They all suffer and die of the same mysterious symptoms.
Fortunately, it is not all tears and gloom. There are survivors. Mubalo's wife and Sukato. Mubalo was the first man who had died of the disease. Sukato was a medical assistant at the hispital who was cured of the fever supposedly by a traditional healer. This is a great book. It will take you inside the first town to be struck by the virus. You will be afraid, you will be shocked, and you will be encouraged by the efforts of those who tried to assist the people of Yambuku. Risking their lives in the process to contain the virus.
We are in Zaire in the '70s. A man walks up to a mission hospital complaining of having a mild headache. He has been travelling and it will be attributed to fatigue. His sickness progresses and all attempts to medication is futile. His fever increases, pain in his throat, coughing and vomiting blood, blood in his stool. He dies after seven or so days. He is not the only one.
The village of Yambuku has just been struck by an unknown epidemic. Shortly after the man's death, others start complaining of the same symptoms. Is it malaria, typhoid, or yellow fever? The medical staff cannot quite point to it. In the meantime, people continue to die. Soon after, even the medical team start falling sick. Sister Lucie is the first to be struck. She dies shortly afterwards. Sister Femina follows and later sister Matilda. They all suffer and die of the same mysterious symptoms.
Fortunately, it is not all tears and gloom. There are survivors. Mubalo's wife and Sukato. Mubalo was the first man who had died of the disease. Sukato was a medical assistant at the hispital who was cured of the fever supposedly by a traditional healer. This is a great book. It will take you inside the first town to be struck by the virus. You will be afraid, you will be shocked, and you will be encouraged by the efforts of those who tried to assist the people of Yambuku. Risking their lives in the process to contain the virus.
June 21, 2025
This novel tells the story of the outbreak of a disease in Yambuku in 1976 which was eventually identified as the dreaded Ebola Zaire.
Ebola's high mortality rate and the nature of how it's reported through the news cycle -- as well as a movie (albeit under a fictionalised name) obscures the nature and stark reality of the outbreak. And I was made aware of this after I finished this novel.
From the first patient's experience with the symptoms, the missionary sisters' efforts to contain the disease with what little is available at the mission hospital till the disease is identified , and the eventual toll of the sickness on the villagers' livelihood and belief, the author -- a doctor who worked in the field during the outbreak -- managed to fuse drama and facts, sans sensationalism.
At 420 pages, this tome would vex casual readers uncurious about epidemiology, religion, superstition and sociology.
Ebola's high mortality rate and the nature of how it's reported through the news cycle -- as well as a movie (albeit under a fictionalised name) obscures the nature and stark reality of the outbreak. And I was made aware of this after I finished this novel.
From the first patient's experience with the symptoms, the missionary sisters' efforts to contain the disease with what little is available at the mission hospital till the disease is identified , and the eventual toll of the sickness on the villagers' livelihood and belief, the author -- a doctor who worked in the field during the outbreak -- managed to fuse drama and facts, sans sensationalism.
At 420 pages, this tome would vex casual readers uncurious about epidemiology, religion, superstition and sociology.
October 11, 2025
The story talks about the first Ebola outbreak in Zaire 1976. I love the story telling in this, makes you feel like you are really there, boots on the ground, classic “shoe leather” epidemiology and emergency response. So sad that they were essentially responding to this blind with no idea at all.
What I am surprised by is they never really revealed or named the disease in the book. There was not that “dun-dun- DUNNNN” moment which I can’t lie if I say I was not expecting that. Kinda wanted that revelation to happen.
Overall it the pacing was well done, I’m not the best with remembering names or characters but these were all notable characters and given good exposition. The one thing I wish could’ve been better is the ending. Ending was a bit rushed, suddenly people are dying, help is on the way and months pass and they are beginning to finally recover from post-outbreak.
Ebola is scary as hell and these poor people didn’t know what hit them. Great novelization of real events.
What I am surprised by is they never really revealed or named the disease in the book. There was not that “dun-dun- DUNNNN” moment which I can’t lie if I say I was not expecting that. Kinda wanted that revelation to happen.
Overall it the pacing was well done, I’m not the best with remembering names or characters but these were all notable characters and given good exposition. The one thing I wish could’ve been better is the ending. Ending was a bit rushed, suddenly people are dying, help is on the way and months pass and they are beginning to finally recover from post-outbreak.
Ebola is scary as hell and these poor people didn’t know what hit them. Great novelization of real events.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2017
het is zeker geen makkelijk boek om te lezen.
het boek is geen fictie, maar eerder een beetje samengestelde non fictie. de auteur heeft zoveel mogelijk naar waarheid geschreven, maar personages zijn soms samengevoegd.
al bij al is dit boek met momenten saai, erg veel voor ons moeilijk namen, maakt dat het moeilijk is om echt goed te kunnen volgen, wie nu wie is in het boek.
Maar het boek is ook erg mooi geschreven, de verschillen in culturen, de angst voor de koorts, en wat dit doet met een mens. Heb met momenten moeten doorzetten om door te lezen, maar als ik nu terugkijk, is het een mooi boek, dat ik met plezier heb gelezen.
het boek is geen fictie, maar eerder een beetje samengestelde non fictie. de auteur heeft zoveel mogelijk naar waarheid geschreven, maar personages zijn soms samengevoegd.
al bij al is dit boek met momenten saai, erg veel voor ons moeilijk namen, maakt dat het moeilijk is om echt goed te kunnen volgen, wie nu wie is in het boek.
Maar het boek is ook erg mooi geschreven, de verschillen in culturen, de angst voor de koorts, en wat dit doet met een mens. Heb met momenten moeten doorzetten om door te lezen, maar als ik nu terugkijk, is het een mooi boek, dat ik met plezier heb gelezen.
February 28, 2018
Fabularyzowana opowieść o wybuchu epidemii wirusa ebola w Zairze w 1976 roku. Próba ukazania ludzkich zachowań w obliczu tak przerażających sytuacji, że aż strach się bać. Niestety całość tej opowieści skupia się bardziej na ludzkich zachowaniach, odruchach i zaniechaniach, niż na jakiejś wiedzy merytorycznej choćby z pogranicza medycyny. Nie ma nic na temat samego wirusa, jego powstania czy sposobów walki z nim, przez co książka, która miała stanowić dla mnie ciekawą literaturę naukową przerodziła się w raczej kiepsko napisaną relację z życia w środku jakby nie było poważnej epidemii. Nie odnalazłem tu nic ciekawego, choć oczekiwania były spore.
February 18, 2017
It takes a very good author to blend history, viral biology, fiction and social commentary. And William Close isn't quite that good.
An interesting read for the bus, but rather sloppy and mismatched.
Could have used the word breasts less often. I know they're a normal body part, and may well come up when describing an adult female human, but he didn't need to mention the breasts of every female character, from nuns to doctors to secretaries to women dying of fever.
An interesting read for the bus, but rather sloppy and mismatched.
Could have used the word breasts less often. I know they're a normal body part, and may well come up when describing an adult female human, but he didn't need to mention the breasts of every female character, from nuns to doctors to secretaries to women dying of fever.
October 23, 2020
This book was an interesting attempt to contextualize the first outbreak of Ebola from the perspective of the community that was hardest hit. I really like how it focused on the political situation in what was then Zaire and its focus on the community impact, making the outbreak more personalized. However, I could've done without the weird descriptions of women's bodies, especially the nuns. Also, it seems like there was some key information left out.
October 18, 2024
This was an interesting read as it was a historical recollection. It tells the story about the first emergence of Ebola in a remote, poor region of Zaire. It took awhile for the disease to take hold, but local burial customs and other beliefs of the locals interfered with the medical professionals who were trying to get on top of the outbreak. The corrupt government of Zaire certainly didn't help.
May 25, 2020
Written by Glenn Close's father about the first major outbreak in Yambuku. Richard Preston retells the story in Crisis in the Red Zone but it's much richer here. This book feels like a real-life Andromeda Strain only with empathy.
February 13, 2021
This was interesting, but not what I'd hoped for. In the midst of the corona pandemic, I was curious how ebola compares.... This book is about the 1976 epidemic in the Congo. It deals mostly with the nuns and priests working in health care there. It's challenging, and they are amazing.
June 7, 2020
Heart pounding, white knuckling the edge of your seat! I have read this book 6 times,and it never gets old! To this this is the father of Glen Close!
December 16, 2021
3 1/2 stars obviously a sad story as it was based on the truth but it was a good read.
Read
July 14, 2022Tells the history of first known Ebola outbreaks, in narrative form. This book, which I read 25 years ago, is what started my obsession with virology, viruses and Ebola, in particular.
August 3, 2011
This was a moving and frightening piece of historical fiction upon the first outbreak of Ebola Zaire in Yambuku Zaire and Sudan. It addressed the misery and fear the accompanied the emergence of this new fever and the political corruption and incompetence of the government and their failure to provide aid or efficiently allow other countries to provide aid. There is a new regime, set up by a revolution of the exploited, which thus far seems more concerned with the people and the country than the previous. However the last regime literally left the country in ruin. There is not infrastructure of any kind. Diseases that had once been under control are returning and while the hospitals are staffed by competent individuals, there isn't any equipment or medicine. The outbreak was not a one time incident as there was a second outbreak in 1995. This novel urges wealthy countries to aid developing countries, if not out of a matter of conscience, then out of a matter of self preservation. The way many large cities are in developing countries, an outbreak of any infectious disease would be catastrophic and if it has an incuation period, with world transportation, the disease could rapidly become a pandemic. It's something to think about.
February 16, 2015
When I picked this book up, I figured it would be another recollection of the Ebola outbreak from a highly scientific perspective, interesting but rather dry. Instead, it was a fascinating story about how the nuns from a Belgian mission handled the effects of the virus taking its toll on the population of the village and the sisters themselves. There were sad times, but also happy times as the virus is contained and some who fell ill do recover. No mention was ever made of how the virus emerged, this book is solely to tell the story of the nuns, and eventually ties in a few storys of the individuals who came to help this specific village.
The book is set in the 1970s, but because it is set in an improvrished village in Zaire, it didn't feel like an 'old' story because, to be honest, I don't know that the situation would be a whole lot different today. There is still political strife preventing the influx of outside help, and so much of the continent is still rural and rustic, so should another contagious virus cross the species barrier, the outcome may be much the same as the story told in this book.
Dr. Close wrote a very enjoyable book, and I would love to read more of his work.
The book is set in the 1970s, but because it is set in an improvrished village in Zaire, it didn't feel like an 'old' story because, to be honest, I don't know that the situation would be a whole lot different today. There is still political strife preventing the influx of outside help, and so much of the continent is still rural and rustic, so should another contagious virus cross the species barrier, the outcome may be much the same as the story told in this book.
Dr. Close wrote a very enjoyable book, and I would love to read more of his work.
January 31, 2014
This book was not exactly what I expected... it was better. I picked up this book because I am oddly fascinated with the Ebola virus in particular as well Marburg and other hemorrhagic fevers.
I expected it to be more of a documentary, but it was also a novel, with a great story surrounding a group of Catholic Nuns and their Mission in Yambuku, Zaire. This was the actual place of the first Ebola outbreak, in 1976.
I became very drawn in to the life of the Nuns and Dubonnet, the Priest. It was a difficult to put down book, because I really wanted to know what happened to them next. And you see the bureaucracy they had to deal with, which ultimately cost lives as I'm sure it still does today.
I expected it to be more of a documentary, but it was also a novel, with a great story surrounding a group of Catholic Nuns and their Mission in Yambuku, Zaire. This was the actual place of the first Ebola outbreak, in 1976.
I became very drawn in to the life of the Nuns and Dubonnet, the Priest. It was a difficult to put down book, because I really wanted to know what happened to them next. And you see the bureaucracy they had to deal with, which ultimately cost lives as I'm sure it still does today.
March 19, 2010
Because this was recommended to me by my father I was expecting a book that would preach some unknown, non mainstream perspective on the ebola breakout in South Africa. I was pleasantly surprised. It was written by Dr. William Close (Glenn Close's father) who worked with the administration during the first outbreak in 1976. He created characters I came to understand and empathize with and offered an interesting inside perspective on what they lived through. This is the way I like to get my history.
July 12, 2016
Wow! We are used to the World Health Organization and the CDC rushing in to save the day. Before the internet, satellite phones, and cell phone videos, people in Zaire had no way of getting the attention of authorities and the world. Politics, corruption, and other challenges led to a disaster in the 1970s. Locals, missionaries and the few medical personnel were waiting for help that didn't arrive. The bravery and creativity of the people in the thick of it is inspiring, and the failures heartbreaking.
August 4, 2007
This is one of my very favorite books. It is written by an American doctor who was in Yambuku, Zaire in 1976 during the first documented Ebola Zaire outbreak. It's a compelling and rather frightening read. Dr. Close does an excellent job of making the reader feel like he or she is actually in Zaire, witnessing the outbreak firsthand, conveying the fear and helplessness that the doctors, nurses, and residents of Yambuku felt during the epidemic.
May 17, 2013
The "doctor who was there" didn't actually show up until the action was all over. That said, it's not a bad book, it's just not that good, either. The book focuses almost entirely on a small flemish clinic, and is written mostly from the accounts of the nuns who worked there. It's a very human story, and focuses on the social repercussions of a viral outbreak. I'd give it a higher rating if it were better written or if the title was less misleading.
July 26, 2009
This book was a little boring considering it's subject matter. He manages to drag out the story in such a way as to give you lots of background of Zaire and very little info about the disease. If you want to read about this kind of thing, I definitely recommend skipping this one and reading The Hot Zone.
December 24, 2011
First read this in junior high. Loved it then, love it now! Factual account of the ebola outbreak in Africa. This book was a fantastic read, very fast, very fun, very scary. What I liked was the narration switched from several people's perspectives. The nun living and working in Africa was the most interesting by far.
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