Malarial Fevers
A historical novel based on letters and papers written by Harriet Sage Bennett.
“Called to be a missionary in Mozambique!” Her husband’s announcement reverberated in Hattie’s head as she walked to the cemetery where her second son was buried. This being the fifth month of her third pregnancy, climbing the low hill takes longer than usual. Hattie wrestles with John’s commitment to the mission field as she longs for her own unwavering religious experience to reassure her as they make difficult decisions regarding their family’s future. The Bennett family leaves the Kansas prairie en route to Africa soon after the birth of their third baby, another son. The Lincoln family of three and two single women travel with them to Mozambique.
Experiences in Africa include the death of Mrs. Lincoln, life-threatening bouts of a disease of unknown origin called malarial fevers, loss of financial support from their mission board, discovering an extramarital affair between other missionaries, threats of war between the local African king and other chiefs, and wild animal attacks on livestock.
Malarial Fevers gives an account of the early missionary activities in southeast Africa together with the impact of Portuguese colonization that tear the social fabric of African ways. It also reveals the complexity of supporting missionaries and mission programs at a time when communications depended exclusively on letters carried by ship.
Perhaps an unintended outcome of contact with the Americans is the nascent yearning for independence from colonial domination that has begun within at least two African colleagues.
