
A Woman of Firsts
The midwife who built a hospital and changed the world
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Narrated by:
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Edna Adan Ismail
Winner of the 2023 Templeton Prize
Imprisonment. Mutilation. Persecution.
Edna Adan Ismail endured it all – for the women of Africa.
Imprisonment. Mutilation. Persecution.
‘The Muslim Mother Teresa’ Huffington Post
Edna Adan Ismail endured it all – for the women of Africa.
Edna saw first-hand how poor healthcare, lack of education and ancient superstitions had devastating effects on Somaliland’s people, especially its women. When she suffered the trauma of FGM herself as a young girl at the bidding of her mother, Edna’s determination was set.
The first midwife to practise in Somaliland, Edna became a formidable teacher and campaigner for women’s health. As her country was swept up in its bloody fight for independence, Edna rose to become its First Lady and first female cabinet minister.
She built her own hospital, brick by brick, training future generations in what has been hailed as one of the Horn of Africa’s finest university hospitals
This is Edna’s truly remarkable story.
©2019 Edna Adan Ismail, Wendy Holden (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
"The Muslim Mother Teresa." (The Huffington Post)
"As tough as General Petraeus, as compassionate as the Pope, as tireless as Michael Phelps, as beautiful as Tina Turner, and with a work ethic to rival Bill Gates." (Kirsty Young, Desert Island Discs)
Inspirational
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Author Read and So Moving
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A Phenomenal Life
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Brilliant Woman
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Edna is an amazingly driven woman, and our world has been blessed to have her as a part of it.
Amazing Autobiography
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Such an inspiring life lived…
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Highly Recommend
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