." . . an important contribution both to studies of women's health and to critiques of development. . . . [Allen's] work among the Sukuma of Shinyanga provides a rich and vivid picture of the circumstances women face from pregnancy through childbirth. . . . Weaving together first-hand observationso with personal stories, and systematically examining the risks associated with childbirth, Allen constructs a very powerful and often-harrowing account of the experiences of childbearing women. . . . Allen's work does much to challenge the assumptions embedded in international development...