In 2007, several Warao children in the Venezuelan jungle unexpectedly died in a terrifying fashion. Those who fell ill appeared to be healthy, but hours before dying they became listless, burned with fever, and started convulsing; some of the conscious or semiconscious screamed that monsters were taking them away. Ultimately they all died. Soon adults started to die as well. This book is part medical mystery (what was causing these horrible deaths?) and part condemnation of a health-care system that permits the death of the indigenous poor without medical or societal accountability. Varied voices (academics, indigenous healers, physicians, and local people) seamlessly come together to create a powerful narrative that illustrates how those living in the fringes of society struggle for visibility, especially in times of medical emergency.
This newest collaboration of the well-known and respected team of medical anthropologist Charles Briggs and physician Clara Mantini-Briggs is a gripping book...
