Six Months in Sudan: A Young Doctor in a War-torn Village

By Dr. James Maskalyk

“People are hungry to be brought closer to the world, even its hard parts. I went to Sudan, and am writing about it again, because I believe that which separates action from inaction is the same thing that separates my friends from Sudan. It is not indifference. It is distance. May it fall away.”

In 2007 James Maskalyk set out for the contested border town of Abyei, Sudan, as a doctor newly recruited by Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). Equipped with his experience as an emergency physician in a downtown hospital and drawn to the hardest parts of the world, Maskalyk spent his days treating malnourished children, coping with a measles epidemic and watching for war. Worn thin by the struggle to meet overwhelming needs with few resources, he returned home six months later more affected by the experience, the people and the place than he had anticipated.

Six Months in Sudan began as a blog that Maskalyk wrote from his hut in Sudan in an attempt to bring his family and friends closer to his hot, hot days. It is the story of the doctors, nurses and countless volunteers who leave their homes behind to ease the suffering of others, and it is the story of the people of Abyei who suffer its hardship because it is the only home they have. With great hope and insight, Maskalyk illuminates a distant place and chronicles the toll of war on one community, one man, and the cost of it to all of us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 16, 2009
• ISBN: 9780307372147

Reviews for Six Months in Sudan

[jcambridge_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As someone with a long-time interest in Africa and the turmoil that plagues so many nations on that continent, I found this memoir inspiring as well as troubling. Individuals who take on the challenges in places like the Sudan are heroes in my eyes -- I wish I had the courage to do more than just provide financial support for their efforts.

[mary311 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was very engrossing, heart-breaking, and disturbing. I read this book because I was interested in knowing more about Doctors Without Borders. My knowledge bank has been sated after reading this book. I'm glad I did, because, as Dr. James said, now you've been in someone else's moment. And believe me, their moments stick with you. This book was so thought provoking and raw, the people involved are in my thoughts a lot. I have the website bookmarked now, so I can continue to follow the author.