No Woman Left Behind
A Journey of Hope to Heal Every Woman Injured in Childbirth
“Part personal memoir, part global health crusade, and all heart” ~Literary Titan
Foreword by Abraham Verghese
100% of author proceeds fund free surgeries for women.
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USA Today Bestseller – Achieved national bestseller status on USA Today’s list
International Book Awards Winner – Recognizes literary excellence with global judging
Pencraft Awards, A Best Book Winner, Summer 2025 – Celebrates outstanding writing craft and storytelling
Readers’ Favorite Book Award Winner – Awarded for exceptional books across genres
Living Now Book Gold Medal in World Peace – “For contributing to positive global change”
Page Turner Awards, 2025 Book Award Finalist – Recognizes engaging, hard-to-put-down books
Readers’ Choice Book Award Finalist – Selected by reader voting for audience favorites
On a visit to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, in the Ethiopian capital, Kate Grant found work that spoke to her heart. Bed after bed contained young women suffering from obstetric fistula, a childbirth injury that when left untreated leaves women incontinent and too often relegated to live as modern-day lepers. The only cure: surgery.
Grant’s work with Fistula Foundation has enabled more than 100,000 life-transforming surgeries for women injured in childbirth. Through vivid firsthand accounts of surgeons toiling in remote corners of Africa and Asia, Grant takes readers inside the fight to restore hope to some of the world’s most vulnerable women.
No Woman Left Behind is the unlikely story of how one woman left Madison Avenue to tackle the global maternal health crisis head on.
Read the reviews
Foreword by Abraham Verghese
“The time has never been more right for Kate to tell the story of the women who have suffered too long in the shadows, and that of the many people who work tirelessly to help them get life-transforming care.”
—Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone and The Covenant of Water
Endorsed by global leaders
“Grant’s book is a call to action for compassionate advocates, and a stunning tale of how deeds triumph over platitudes. No Woman Left Behind is a powerful plea to be our sister’s keeper, and a guide-book to change the world, one woman at a time.”
—Dr. Denis Mukwege, Founder, Panzi Hospital, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
“… Inspirations and insights for anyone determined to make a difference”
— Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Watch the virtual book tour events
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Peter Singer
Professor Emeritus, Princeton University & cofounder, The Life You Can Save
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Brooke Gladstone
Host of public radio's On the Media
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Nicholas Kristof
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, The New York Times
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Dr. Iftikher Mahmood
Founder of Hope Foundation, Bangladesh
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Dr. Denis Mukwege
Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Panzi Hospital
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Frances Longley
CEO of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)
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Edna Adan
Founder of the Edna Adan Hospital
Listen to featured podcats
Choose No Woman Left Behind for your book club
Looking to spark meaningful conversation and connection? Host your own No Woman Left Behind event. Selected as one of Bookclub’s August Recommended Readings, No Woman Left Behind is the perfect book to bring people together.
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If you’re interested in hosting a book club, Kate or a senior member of Fistula Foundation’s team would be happy to call in for a 30-minute discussion with your group. Please email nowomanleftbehind@fistulafoundation.org to arrange a time for the call.
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A generous donor will donate 10 copies to qualifying book clubs. Please send the following information to nowomanleftbehind@fistulafoundation.org
Your book club name and location
Social media links and/or your book club website
If you're willing to send photos of your book club reading No Woman Left Behind
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Here are some topics and questions for discussion:
The book opens with Kate’s trip around the world in her twenties. How did it impact her? Have you had an experience that changed the course of your life?
Kate’s parents were “first gen”—the first in their families to graduate from college. How did their experience and values shape her career aspirations? How did your upbringing impact your career choices?
David Foster Wallace is quoted: “There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” What was Kate worshipping while working on Madison Avenue? How did she change over time? Have your goals and values ever shifted?
Kate realized that she had let a relationship impede her ability to find a more fulfilling career path. Have you had a similar experience?
Kate said she experienced “imposter syndrome” while working in political jobs in Washington, DC. Have you ever had a similar experience? If so, how did you manage it?
Women with fistula are often clinically depressed before they are treated. Their psychological healing starts with sharing their experience with others. Why do you think that’s important? Have you had a similar experience?
Kate came to see diversity of thoughts, perspectives, and backgrounds in a team as a force for better decision-making. Has that been your experience?
When the Foundation adopted its global mission, they chose to focus on one measurable outcome: surgeries—becoming “the Smile Train of Vaginas.” How did that choice impact the Foundation’s growth and effectiveness? Was that narrow strategy a smart move?
Kate pushed hard for an “invitation only” selection of hospital partners. Why was this so important to her? Do you think it was the right decision? Why or why not?
Kate recounted several incidents of sexism. What does that reveal about the challenges of being a female leader? Have you faced similar situations? If so, how did you handle them?
Writer Ariel Levy is quoted: “This thinking you can have every single thing you want in life is not the thinking of a feminist. It’s the thinking of a toddler.” Why do you think she chose that quote? How does it apply to Kate’s life choices? Is it relevant to yours?
Fistula Foundation has grown at a rate much faster than most U.S. charities. What do you attribute that to? What did the Foundation do differently that enabled it to become so successful?
How did Kate’s relationship with her mother evolve over time? How does that compare with your experience with your parents?
Kate described empathy as the “rocket fuel” that drives the Foundation forward. What does she mean by that? How has empathy helped the Foundation thrive? What role does empathy play in your life and charitable giving?
Kate underscored the vast difference between maternal deaths and injuries in the poorest countries versus the U.S. Why do you think this gap is so wide? What would be necessary for this situation to change?
Trust is a core value at Fistula Foundation and informs how they work with hospitals and doctors. Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott also indicated that she trusted the Foundation and other organizations she’s chosen to support. How does trust benefit both Fistula Foundation and the hospitals doing surgeries?
One of the themes of the book is Kate’s increasing awareness of the privileges and advantages she had taken for granted. Does that resonate with you? Are there elements of your life that you take as a given, while others struggle to obtain them?
About the author
Kate Grant is the founding CEO of Fistula Foundation, the global nonprofit leader dedicated to treating childbirth injuries.
A passionate advocate for maternal health, she has expanded critical fistula care across 35 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. No Woman Left Behind is her deeply personal account of the journey to bring healing to women suffering in silence. Grant joined the Foundation as its first chief executive in 2005 and has led its expansion from supporting one hospital in one country, Ethiopia, to its current position as the world leader in fistula treatment. She graduated from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, earned an MPA from Princeton University and was named the American Marketing Association’s Nonprofit Marketer of the Year.
Press and other inquiries: contact nowomanleftbehind@fistulafoundation.org
