Saturday Is for Funerals

by Unity Dow, Max Essex

In the year 2000 the World Health Organization estimated that 85 percent of fifteen-year-olds in Botswana would eventually die of AIDS. In Saturday Is for Funerals we learn why that won't happen.

Unity Dow and Max Essex tell the true story of lives ravaged by AIDS of orphans, bereaved parents, and widows; of families who devote most Saturdays to the burial of relatives and friends. We witness the actions of community leaders, medical professionals, research scientists, and educators of all types to see how an unprecedented epidemic of death and destruction is being stopped in its tracks.

This book describes how a country responded in a time of crisis. In the true-life stories of loss and quiet heroism, activism and scientific initiatives, we learn of new techniques that dramatically reduce rates of transmission from mother to child, new therapies that can save lives of many infected with AIDS, and intricate knowledge about the spread of HIV, as well as issues of confidentiality, distributive justice, and human rights. The experiences of Botswana offer practical lessons along with the critical element of hope.

Genres: Nonfiction, Africa, Botswana, History, Science, Health, Medicine

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2010

Reviews

[Maggie]

This is a book about Botswana, AIDS, and how far this small African country has come since starting the fight against the horrors of that deadly virus. I thought the book was informative and not nearly as depressing or sad as one would expect.

Its two authors tell different parts of the story. Unity Dow, a Judge in Botswana's legal system, gives us the case stories of its some of its citizens (whom she personally knew) and how they've responded to the virus in all its complexity. Max Essex is a doctor who gives the reader the medical background (and sometimes the political or economic issues) for the case stories. It is apparent that Botswana is, indeed, the country that "got it right" with regard to AIDS, but still has battles it must wage to win the war.

I appreciated the unusual way this book was structured. However, there were frequent repetitions in the medical information which, in such a short book, I felt were unnecessary. Also, although Mr. Essex writes well enough, his delivery was dry (even allowing for the fact that he was giving us medical/scientific material).

All in all, this was an interesting update on the fight against AIDS in Botswana.

[Grace]

Around the World Reading Challenge: BOTSWANA
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While I'm familiar with HIV and AIDs, most of my knowledge is in regards to the impact in the United States, so I was curious to learn a bit more about its impact in Africa. This focuses on Botswana, and the format here was really interesting, with each chapter focuses on a different type of "impact" (blood transfusions, diagnosis, HIV + other illness such as TB, etc) and beginning with a personal story from Dow giving a specific personal example of that impact on a real person, followed by a more technical breakdown providing analysis of the issue at hand, and even some scientific information. I thought it was a really effective way to personalize the epidemic and break the issue down in ways that are easier to understand. Overall I thought this was a really solid book and one I'm glad to have picked up!

[Lily Wieland]

Very sad but interesting history of HIV/AIDS in Botswana, though impressive handling of it there!

[Paige Johnson]

This books tells the devastating affects of HIV on Botswana. Unity Dow is a wonderful story teller of the people she encountered or worked with while a judge in Botswana. As someone who worked there, it is very sad how this disease has devastated Africa and how fear and taboos still keep it under wraps. I didn't care for the medical commentary at the end if each chapter, but as a nurse practitioner who has worked in HIV that was pretty basic knowledge. I would have preferred more stories by Ms Dow. But, it is still a good book worthy of your time.

[Eve Smith]

Fantastic. This book. 4.5

Told from the perspectives of Unity Dow - incredible person! The amount of people she helped in the book is a small snapshot of what she's actually done and that is beyond inspiring - and Dr. Max Essex. Plenty of people have commented on the style of writing so I won't go too far into that. Dow's stories were fascinating. I loved seeing the world from her perspective as a cultural informant, advocate, and tough love caretaker. The stories that she tells are heartbreaking and hopeful making this book not as hard to read as I expected. I still had to take it in doses which were about a chapter every night or two. Essex's parts were the scientific bits and, as other people have noted, a bit repetitive. They were still very interesting to read and learn from.

The authors outline the scope of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Botswana during the 90s and early 2000s. While quite dated in 2022, the book shows what is possible when governments take a proactive approach to disease management. Really good book.

[Harley Elson]

Initially, I grudged reading this book as I despised it's writing style; however, after getting used to it, it got bearable. However, this book has really insightful information about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Botswana and, as someone who was born after the peak of the epidemic, it really gave me an insight about the stigma it had across the world. Despite this, though, I can't give it more than 3 stars due to the writing style not being my taste, however it's entirely objective!

[Tutankhamun18]

This book published in 2009 looks at the AIDS epidemic in Botswana. Each chapter is told in two parts, first Judge Unity Dow shares her personal experiences and the experiences of people who contact her for support and help and then the second half is by Max Porter, who explains the medical basis behind the experiences. Together this creates a very good impression of how Botswana experienced AIDS across different demographics.

[Pogue]

I thought that this was going to be a very dark book. It is sad and depressing but it is full of hope as well. The chapters are divided by the author who wrote them. The first part of a chapter is a personal story from someone that Ms. Dow knows. The second half of the chapter is by Professor Essex and is based more on the science of what the person in the first part of the chapter went through.

[Audrey]

This book is so completely absorbing. It has taken me back top my childhood. Where indeed Saturdays were for funerals & they still continue to be. The HIV/AIDS global fact sheet, also just reveals the scaring rates or percentages of the deaths due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Over-all, the book is very informative!

[Haley Kamikawa]

3.5
I liked the topic and thought the different contributions from both authors (personal and academic) was really interesting. I just feel like I left wanting more information or more integration of the topic. Quick read, important, and again, super interesting

[Mike Sachse]

Informative about African culture and the AIDS epidemic. But it could use some reorganization and editing to make it more coherent

[Cara]

Saturday is for Funerals describes the HIV/AIDS crisis in Botswana, from personal, historical, medical, and scientific viewpoints. Each chapter begins with a personal story of a relative, friend, or co-worker of Dow who was affected by HIV/AIDS. The second part of the chapter links the anecdote with the larger context of AIDS in Botswana, both scientifically and statistically. I really liked the parallel of the personal stories and the more scientifically-oriented descriptions.

The title, Saturday is for Funerals, refers to the fact that Saturday is the traditional day funerals are held in Botswana, but in the mid-2000s, with so many people dying of AIDS, most people in the country were attending a funeral every single Saturday, if not even more often throughout the week. Dow mentions other shocking statistics in this book, including the fact that in the year 2000, the World Health Organization estimated that 85% of 15 year-olds in Botswana would eventually die from AIDS and that life expectancy would fall to just 29 years. Thankfully, due to government action and treatment measures, these figures were not realized. However, AIDS has still left a devastating effect on the country. As Dow makes especially clear in her book, not everyone is infected with HIV, but every single person in Botswana is in some way affected by AIDS.

[Sue]

I came across this title a few years ago as I was working on project compiling books about various African nations. I thought it sounded interesting, and it proved to be just that. The book is co-authored by Unity Dow, herself from Botswana with work experience as a judge seeing numerous AIDS situations, and Max Essex, a Harvard Professor who has been involved with AIDS research since 1982. Each chapter begins with Unity recounting stories of individuals in Botswana and their specific situation relating to HIV / AIDS. The second portion of the chapter is by Max and is written more as a case analysis medically explaining the story that had been shared. There are portions of his writing which get technical, but for the most part, that is kept at a minimum. What is interesting to read and learn is all the work that is being done in Botswana to control HIV / AIDS and enable those who are infected to lead productive lives. The title comes from the tradition that funerals are held on Saturday. The first story shared, in fact, tells how the epidemic was so ravaging the nation that not a Saturday would go by but there would be several funerals taking place. The work has been a success because, as the last sentence states, "Saturdays have been reclaimed!"

[AJ Payne]

I've wanted to read this one for quite some time now, and was finally able to find it at a used book shop in Pretoria last year. I love used book shops.

This was a decent introductory style book to HIV/AIDS in Botswana. It was written with a human element and then a health/scientific element for each chapter. Unity Dow provided stories from her life in Botswana and her family's dealing with HIV and many stories from people she worked with and came across. Then Max Essex provided health, research, and scientific input to the stories in the second half of each story. So this structure means that it was engaging and readable, with a human factor, but also very educational on HIV in general and the HIV situation in Botswana specifically.

But man, Unity Dow sure did get heavily and personally involved in a lot of people's lives, which seems like a lot for a sitting judge to do. Props to her, but when did she ever sleep??

[Lorraine]

This book holds a special place in my heart. It was the Wormers' 1st book.

It's a collection of short stories on a community in Botswana affected by HIV/AIDS and how their Saturdays were spent going from one funeral to the next. The book describes the destruction left buy AIDS related deaths: children raised by grandparents, parents burying their children and most especially the stigma attached to diagnosis and ultimately disclosure.

It had a few happy stories, where people after diagnosis, went on antiretrovirals, adopted a healthy lifestyle and went on to live productive lives.

This book filled me with hope and reinforced the notion that as a people we have a deeply rooted fear of the unknown. But when we know, we are then empowered to make informed choices.

Highly recommend it.

[Phoenix]

I would recommend this book to anybody interested in learning more about HIV and AIDS, and it's impact in Africa, specifically in Botswana. This book is not as morbid as the title would suggest, in fact the author is able to combine science with humour in order to make this book both informative and funny. The book also gives an insight into the tribal and cultural issues present in Botswana which have an impact on the understanding of HIV and AIDS and how this hinders research and cures in regard to HIV, but which also provide patients with the strength to see them through treatment. Overall, the book was easy to understand and follow and would be useful to beginners interested in the subject of HIV and AIDS.

[Leanna Ehrlich]

I read this for a seminar this semester, and it was the perfect introduction to global health. As someone interested in healthcare, from a more cultural than medical perspective, 'Saturday is for Funerals' was captivating. Each chapter is a different story about someone in Botswana and their battle against HIV, allowing the reader to learn about affected subgroups and the different methods to combat infection. Children infected by their mothers, orphans, issues surrounding blood transfusion and male circumcision are all a part of this book.

[Heather]

Saturday is for Funerals is about HIV in Botswana. Obviously close to my heart. Each chapter starts with a story by Unity Dow from her personal experience to demonstrate various aspects of the epidemic: orphans, mother-to-child transmission, the role of traditional beakers, etc. The chapters then end with a more scientific explanation by Max Essex. I found it a very enjoyable read and think it would be a great primer for someone interested to learn more about HIV even without a strong Botswana connection. If I was in a book club in the US I would totally make my group read it :)

[Vilo]

This was a very interesting nonfiction book about AIDS in Botswana. If you like McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, you will be interested in hearing about the culture from a native's viewpoint. The chapters alternate between true case stories by native female judge Unity Dow and scientific information about AIDS in Botswana by Max Essex. It is ultimately a hopeful story about how a nation faced the crisis and made the situation much better.

[Pixismiler]

This book was not as good as I was hoping. It's made up of 16 short stories about personal accounts of AIDS and then each story has a medical section explaining the case. The medical pieces were very technical. I did learn a lot though. I had no idea that even to this day there are people in parts of Africa who think AIDS is caused by being bad or cursed and they go see a witch doctor instead of Western medicine.

[Alessa Berg]

I had to read this for an African history class, and I was expecting a boring and dry book filled with facts and statistics I wouldn't remember. Instead, I read an intriguing and well written overview of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, particularly Botswana. Co-written by an African judge and an American medic, it combines research and statistics with true, personal stories for a full picture of how the epidemic affected both Botswana and Africa as a whole. Very quick read.

[Sandy]

This book is phenomenal! Each chapter is a different story about someone dealing with HIV/AIDS in Botswana. After the personal story a scientific explanation behind all of the details is given. They discuss the different types of drugs used in the treatment of the disease and how they work. I found it in the medical section at Barnes and Noble and would highly recommend it!!

[Sila]

This book taught me a lot about AIDS. It started off with the title story where you learn that funerals were so frequent in Botswana that, at some point all Saturdays and even some weekdays were filled with them. But then, among the stories, you also read a number of them with happy-ends which tells us "yes, there is something that can be done to cope with aids!"

[Wealhtheow]

Alternating chapters from Unity Dow (a Kenyan judge) and Max Essex (an AIDS researcher) on the AIDS epidemic in Botswana. I found Dow's chapters far more useful and interesting than Essex's--he seems to just restate Dow's points in more stilted, academic language. This book would be particularly useful if you know a bit about AIDS but not everything.

[Liz]

Really, really interesting stories about people in Botswana whose lives have been drastically affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis. I learned a lot more about the various treatments for it, the problems with treating it, and the cultural stigma surrounding it. I'm really glad I read this before visiting with Batswana women.

[Shira]

Interesting read as a snapshot of progress in managing the HIV/AIDS epidemic over 3 decades. Moreover, it provides an insight into social practices and traditions alongside social mobility in a country undergoing accelerated economic growth.

[Karlin]

An accurate depiction of the AIDS epidemic in Botwana - an African nation that has done relatively well in handling the epidemic as opposed to other African countries

[Kcastro]

A look at HIV/AIDS in Botswana and the cultural impact.