Footprints in the Dust: Nursing, Survival, Compassion, and Hope with Refugees Around the World

by Roberta Gately, TBD

Overview

Roberta Gately is a nurse and humanitarian aid worker who has aided refugees in war zones ranging from Sudan and Iraq to Kosovo and Afghanistan. Just the word refugee sparks conversation and fuels emotion. But who are these people? Images filter into our consciousness via dramatic photographs—but these photos only offer a glimpse into their stories. Footprints in the Dust aims to share the real stories of refugees around the world in hopes of revealing the truth about their experience.

As a young ER nurse in Boston, Roberta was stopped cold by stark images in the news of big-bellied babies with empty, haunting stares. Within two months, she was on her way to Afghanistan, but it was only the beginning. Roberta would soon learn that the world into which millions of children are born is fraught with unspeakable horrors. The only certainties for so many of these children were, and remain to this day, hunger, disease, and devastating injury.

But there is hope, courage, and inspiration, too. Footprints in the Dust reveals the humanity behind the headlines, beginning where the newscasters end their reports. The people we meet within Gately’s riveting book are neither all saints nor all sinners—but they are impossible to forget.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643133485
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	03/10/2020
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	354
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.74(d)

About the Author

A nurse, humanitarian aid worker, and writer, Roberta Gately has served in war zones around the world. She has written on the subject of refugees for the Journal of Emergency Nursing and the BBC World News Online. She speaks regularly on the plight of the world’s refugees and displaced and now lives near Boston, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Prologue: Iraq 2003 xiii

I AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN 1986–1988 1

First Steps 3

Thal

Summer 1986 10

Winter 1987 17

Summer 1987 22

Chitral: Fall 1988 27

Intervening Years 37

II AFRICA 2001 41

A War-Torn Continent 43

Grace’s Story 48

Passing Time 56

The Children of Kakuma 58

The Lost Boys 63

Interval 69

III THE BALKANS 2001–2002 73

A European War 75

A Comfortable Post 77

Roza and the Refugees of Kososvo 79

The Albanians 84

Waiting 89

IV AFGHANISTAN 2002 91

Bamiyan Village 93

The People of Bamiyan 97

Early Days 101

The Children 110

Hamid’s Story 116

Amir and the Distant Clinics 126

The Tragedy of Land Mines 136

The Women of Bamiyan 141

Last Days 147

The Time Between 153

V IRAQ 2003 157

Preparations For War 159

Deployment 161

Waiting 166

Nasiriyah 173

Karbala 178

The Trip to Najaf 191

Najaf 202

An Emergency 209

A Night of Terror 217

Final Days 224

Homecoming 231

VI DARFUR 2004 233

A Secret War 235

Back to Africa 239

Mayo 242

Meetings 246

A Place to Call Home 250

Hawa and the Terrors of the Janjaweed 257

Tawila 262

Disease and Disaster 266

Halima—Dignity and Desperation 270

Abu-Shok 274

The Continuing Genocide 277

Return to Darfur 281

Kalma Camp 284

The Janjaweed 288

The Women of Darfur 293

The Children of Darfur 298

The Truth of Darfur 301

Death in Darfur 304

A Return To Abu-Shok 307

Final Thoughts 311

Glossary 315

References 317

Acknowledgments 321

Editorial Reviews

“Roberta Gately calls herself nurse, a humanitarian aid worker, and a writer. To that list I would add hero. Her willingness to step outside herself, to see and feel the pain of others is as inspiring as it is admirable. Gately nimbly uses tools of a novelist to tell this story, and as a result, the people she writes about spring fully to life in our imaginations. Here is a book filled with compassion, wisdom and yes, grace. Read it and weep.” —Yona Zeldis McDonough, author of The House on Primrose Pond

“From Afghanistan to Africa, the global plight of refugees springs to life from the pages of Roberta Gately’s latest memoir, Footprints in the Dust. With captivating detail, grace and humility, Gately reminds us all what it means to selflessly love and care for our fellow man.” —Kristen Harnisch, International bestselling author of The Vintner’s Daughter and The California Wife

“In this honest account, Gately introduces the harsh realities of life as an aid worker, along with the disappointment of not being able to help everyone in need. A must-read for anyone concerned with the plight of refugees—and that should be all of us.” —Library Journal

“A powerful memoir. Compassionate, insightful, and honest, Gately's inspiring story is a timely reminder of the bonds we share, those that make us human and far more alike than different.” —Shelf Awareness

From the Publisher

"From Afghanistan to Africa, the global plight of refugees springs to life from the pages of Roberta Gately’s latest memoir, Footprints in the Dust. With captivating detail, grace and humility, Gately reminds us all what it means to selflessly love and care for our fellow man."

Kristen Harnisch

"Roberta Gately’s poignant, gripping memoir is a timely and inspiring tale of a big heart in a broken world. Chronicling her years as a humanitarian aid worker in the most desperate corners of the globe, Footprints in the Dust is an absolute must-read. Gately reminds us of the beauty and importance of a selfless life. Her experiences tending to and befriending the world’s forgotten call us to compassion and significance, and her perspective on the plight of refugees is both exceptional and inspiring."

Nicole Baart

"Roberta Gately's book "Footprints in the Dust" is a powerful and deeply affecting memoir that chronicles her journey as a nurse in war-torn areas like Sudan and Afghanistan. With rich, visual detail Gately brings to life the struggles of refugees and their journey for a better life. Gately is not only a brave and selfless humanitarian, she is also a gifted story-teller. "Footprints in the Dust" is an important and eye-opening read."

Alyson Richman

"Gately tells a great story, so we taste the dust and instant coffee, smell the latrines, and miss the wine and pizza right along with her. And even at the worst of times, we’re reminded of both beauty and humanity; our narrator’s positive warmth and belief in basic goodness always shine through."

Carol Cronin

"A powerful memoir. Compassionate, insightful, and honest, Gately's inspiring story is a timely reminder of the bonds we share, those that make us human and far more alike than different."

Shelf Awareness

"In her exquisite memoir, Gately recalls her many years of providing aid to refugees in Sudan, Afghanistan, and other conflict-ridden areas of the world. Footprints in the Dust is a life-affirming book that opened my eyes to new truths and filled me with hope and joy."

Camille Pagán

"Gately’s story puts you right into the experience of aide workers and refugees, while it opens your eyes to the truth of what is happening in our world. With heart, compassion, and truth, Roberta’s story inspires, uplifts, and shows how one person can be a hero to many in need."

Marci Nault

"Roberta Gately calls herself nurse, a humanitarian aid worker, and a writer. To that list I would add hero. Her willingness to step outside herself, to see and feel the pain of others is as inspiring as it is admirable. Gately nimbly uses tools of a novelist to tell this story, and as a result, the people she writes about spring fully to life in our imaginations. Here is a book filled with compassion, wisdom and yes, grace. Read it and weep."

Yona Zeldis McDonough

"Roberta Gately writes well and from the heart. She has given us a story of compassion, tenderness, and toughness in places that seem far, far away, but where mercy and kindness are timeless."

Evan Thomas

"In her exquisite memoir, Gately recalls her many years of providing aid to refugees in Sudan, Afghanistan, and other conflict-ridden areas of the world. Footprints in the Dust is a life-affirming book that opened my eyes to new truths and filled me with hope and joy."

Camille Pagán

Absorbing and utterly engrossing.

Booklist (Praise for LIPSTICK IN AFGHANISTAN)

Roberta Gately uses her experiences working with refugees and traveling in the Middle East to take readers on a thrilling, highly visual trip into the world of human trafficking in Pakistan. A pleasure from page one, and hard to put down until the very last page.

Jennifer Haupt