Mission Chechnya

Book Title: Mission Chechnya

Book Author: Therese Zink

Publication Information: Zenterram Press (self-published), 2017, 285 pp., $15, paperback

Many are drawn to global health by the allure of making a big impact in a place that truly needs it. The realities, of course, are far more nuanced and rarely as attractive as imagined. Mission Chechnya continues the global health journeys of the fictional Dr Ann McLannly as she grows listless and once again leaves her Midwest home to pursue dreams of making an impact, this time, in Chechnya.

Since her time in Rwanda, detailed in the first Ann McLannly book, Mission Rwanda, Ann has tried unsuccessfully to reacclimate to life at home. It is only in trying to reconnect with Edward, her love interest from Rwanda, that she lands herself with the opportunity to be the medical director of a mission in Chechnya. Ann has learned from her previous experiences and finds herself better able to navigate the complexities of relationship building. She prioritizes getting to know the local team on a personal level, which allows her not only to find joy in the difficulties of daily life, but also to strategically position herself for success. As Ann describes, “Here was joy and laughter among the ruins” (p 43).

This attitude serves her well as several complicating issues arise to take this adventure beyond just health care, as is often the case in global health. Ann finds her team caught between the Chechen and Russian governments, trying to work toward humanitarian goals, but finding the politics difficult to navigate. In investigating an explosion site, the team finds the grenade that may have caused the incident, and decide to carry it with them so they can send it for further analysis. Ann is filled with anxiety at concealing and transporting this evidence through various searches and checkpoints, but often finds herself the primary caretaker of their contraband, given her unassuming status as a young American woman. Romance also stirs the pot, as Ann begins to have feelings for her new mission director, Jeffrey, just as Edward joins the mission. The love triangle is given little time to simmer as Jeffrey is pulled from consideration, kidnapped by unknown forces. Even worse, Jeffrey suffers from often-discussed asthma, and even if he is unharmed by his captors, his life may be in danger without his inhalers. The focus of the mission quickly shifts to achieving his safe return, with continued frustration with the lack of progress toward the original goals of the mission. Ann’s frustration is palpable as her mission ends unsatisfyingly, with no clear answers to many of the concerns raised throughout her time in Chechnya.

As with any subsequent book in a series, it is a bit difficult to jump into Ann’s life story without understanding her motivations. The various allusions to her previous significant experiences leave the reader wanting to know more about how these events have led Ann to this point. While readers of the first book would likely enjoy the lack of repetition, new readers should consider reading Mission Rwanda before embarking on this second mission.

Nevertheless, Mission Chechnya paints a portrait of daily life, not just for health workers but also for the people who live the realities of a war-torn nation. Beyond the descriptions of sacrificed first-world comforts, such as consistent light and internet access, Zink also highlights the lesser known adjustments, such as Ann having to search her room for spy devices and worry about the very real possibility of spies and double agents. Zink also takes the reader inside the more abstract struggles of each character trying to live up to expectations of family, country, and personal moral compass. For example, one young woman serves as a translator for the mission, but a dimension is added when she finds herself struggling against an arranged marriage her parents have proposed. In the setting of destruction and devastation, of struggle and death, she still manages to find light in the situation and highlight it with optimisim. As Ann says, “In a place with so little, where people suffered such misery, had such limited options, they gave so much” (p 205).

This piece of historical fiction will be a quick read for anyone interested in Ann’s life after Mission Rwanda. It emphasizes the theme that while global health work can have satisfying moments, it is largely overshadowed by mysteries that may never find clear answers, and frustration at solutions that are stalled due to political strife. Overall, Mission Chechnya provides a realistic view into life as a global health worker in Chechnya and the many systems which complicate the delivery of medical care for all.