Dear God, From Your Poached Egg Breast

When Alice Mpofu-Coles, a former Zimbabwean diplomat, was diagnosed with breast cancer, the news came as a blow. Having experienced the deaths of her parents, four brothers, and husband in the twelve years prior to diagnosis, left alone to battle her illness while caring for two small daughters, she turned to God.

When Alice Mpofu-Coles, a former Zimbabwean diplomat, was diagnosed with breast cancer, the news came as a blow. Having experienced the deaths of her parents, four brothers, and husband in the twelve years prior to diagnosis, left alone to battle her illness while caring for two small daughters, she turned to God. Many might react with surprise at the thought that someone would be grateful for a cancer diagnosis. But within the pages of Dear God From Your Poached Egg Breast, Alice Mpofu-Coles triumphs over her hardship. Living in the UK as a refugee, answers were difficult to find, so she turned to herself and found strength she never knew she had—strength to live, strength to love, and strength to survive. Intimate and organic, her story illustrates one woman's battle to understand why cancer chose her and how she coped while caring for her children and even furthering her education. Infused with African innuendos and humour, her conversations with God will make readers laugh, cry, and face their own mortality with grace.

Born in Mpopoma, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe into a family of four boys, Alice Mpofu-Coles distinguished herself by working as a Zimbabwean 3rd Secretary Diplomat, carrying out postings in Mozambique and the former Yugoslavia. After winning a writing competition, she was presented with an award by then-president of Mozambique Joaquim Chissano. After leaving her diplomatic posting she moved to the UK with her daughters, where she worked as a sandwich-maker in a UK factory before beginning a new career as a social worker. She has served as Chairperson of the Reading Refugee Support Group and continues to challenge prejudice, stereotypes and misconceptions by advocating for a more positive view of refugees. She has featured in BBC TV documentaries and talked on radio shows, at conferences, and at women's organisations about the plight of refugees. She has also written articles about refugees and women in different magazines and local newspapers. She sits on the committees of different communities and women's organisations. In 2014, she was recognised by the OU for her contribution to public services, education and culture and awarded an Honorary Master of the University degree. She is married and lives in Berkshire, UK. She has two grown daughters, Michelle and Tadiwa. She is currently studying for a PhD in Human Geography.