Women's History

The history of the illness is linked to the history of suffering and pain. Every historical period, every human event has been characterized by the explicit expression of ever new "pathologies" which over time have diversified and multiplied. Illness and suffering are not an "exasperation of sensations", but tell the story of a body and a mind that together go through a multitude of experiences and try to reconstruct the meaning of a human story condemned by illness and, perhaps, to death. The meaning of the illness pass primarily through the "word" and there are many narrative strategies used to tell the painful experience that becomes a shared emotional experience. The female narrative is examined here as a research paradigm and the inner and emotional dynamics are highlighted. Self-care through storytelling.

In Healing Narratives, Gay Wilentz explores the relationship between culture and health. In close reading of works by five women writers - Toni Cade Bambara, Erna Broder, Leslie Marmon Silko, Keri Hulme, and Jo Sinclair-she traces the narrative and structural similarities of a main character moving form a state of mental or physical disease toward wellness through reconnection with her cultural traditions. Whether due to the history of diaspora, colonial oppression, or the subversion of traditional culture by modernity, illness can only be overcome when the cultural construction of disease is recognized and a link to the indigenous is restored. Wilentz's cross-cultural approach-African American, Jamaican, Native American, Maori, and Jewish stories-offers a rich context from which the basis of cultural illness can be examined.

Creates a new framework for approaching Black women's wellness, by merging theory and practice with both personal narratives and public policy.

Meet 21 determined women who have dedicated their lives to healing others. Packed with photos and informative sidebars and including source notes and a bibliography, Bold Women of Medicine is an invaluable addition to any student's or aspiring doctor or nurse's bookshelf.

In these dynamic essays, thirteen wise women review their lives for meaning and purpose, striving to integrate both head and heart. They consider how their spiritual paradigms have shaped their vocationsas teachers, scholars, guides, mentors, and advocates and how these roles have been integral to their life's work, not merely to their work life. With courageous and insightful testimonies they narrate the intersectingrelationships of work, family, students, patients, and colleagues, weaving them together rather than compartmentalizing them. Challenges inside and outside the academy and other professional settings are revealed, to tell of suffering and transformation, to tally hardearnedlife lessons and to share wisdom achieved., Lives and words are gathered and generously shared, allowing these women to make sense of their own lives while mentoring a wider circle of younger and older readers alike. These "travel tales" of journeys through knowledge and self-knowledge will inform, challenge, surprise, entertain, and inspire.