Maigaelle Moulene
Author of the Midwife of Saigon
Maigaelle Moulene is a French-Vietnamese doctor-turned-writer, author of The Midwife of Saigon. She has a liberal arts degree from Columbia University, which included creative writing classes, and a medical and surgical degree from St. George’s, University of London, where she delivered babies, looked after dementia patients, and everyone in between. She trained at St. Mary’s Hospital and worked at Imperial College as a GP Registrar.
Previously, she worked for Medecins Sans Frontieres in New York, raising public awareness of refugee camps, and has also volunteered at International Medical Corps in London, where she researched and helped write a chapter of the Sphere Humanitarian Handbook.
She spent a lot of time in Vietnam in her 20s, volunteering in cerebral palsy orphanages and doing a medical elective at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon).
She is a Faber Academy and a Golddust graduate. Her writing has appeared in the Saturday Times Magazine, the Times, Female First, MyBaba Magazine, Corner Magazine and more. She wrote her first novel, The Beta Mum, Adventures in Alpha-Land, after she stopped working as a doctor and became a mother. This is her first historical novel. When she isn’t researching or writing her novels, she writes for a travel and wellness website. She lives in London with her husband and her two daughters.
'The Midwife of Saigon is a historical fiction novel inspired by my grandmother's life and other real stories, about a woman's life story spanning 75 years during Vietnam's most recent tumultuous history, the sacrifices she has to make, the obstacles she faces, and her survival against all odds
It is a powerful story of love and loss, duty and sacrifice, courage and determination, hope and resilience, and finally finding peace through adversity.'
Meet Maigaelle Moulene
Maigaelle Moulene is a historical fiction writer of 'The Midwife of Saigon.' Inspired by real events and her family's history, she invites readers to explore Vietnam's history through her meticulously crafted novel.
'These are stories that need to be remembered.
'From my main character's point of view, Anh, it weaves a personal life story with detailed historical events of the multiple Vietnam wars: the Indochina War, the war between the South and the North and the 'American War.'
'I wanted to honor my family's history, but also so many other families' stories during the wars. My family lost everything to these wars: land, wealth, status and their home country; they all had to leave. I wanted to capture what so many endured, but also show that there is always hope, no matter how hard things seem.
'It is still fiction, and I added a subplot of romance, because, who doesn't love romance! And also because everyone deserves the chance to feel those feelings and I wanted love to be an important theme of my novel.'
'My family is now spread across the US, UK, Canada, France, and even Norway, but two generations later, we are rebuilding successfully. The key to rebuilding? Opportunity and education.'
'I regularly visit Vietnam and can't believe how different it is today from my family's experience. Vietnam's post-war era is a symbol of a country's success when the focus is on the future generations, rather than its violent, fraught past. The country is thriving, the economy booming and there is peace, unlike so many other post-war communist countries.
It should be a blueprint for other countries in conflict, to show that countries can work together for a brighter future.'
'Stunning novel'
A.B.
AUTHOR Q&A
Why did you write this book?
I wanted to honor my family's history and also so many other families' past. Their sacrifices allowed me to live the life I lead today. I am grateful for everything they did to give their children all the opportunities they could get. I also wanted my children to know about their family's past, and the story developed from there.
What was your inspiration?
My grandmother's life was truly remarkable. She was an inspirational woman for her time, but she never got a chance to tell me all her stories. She sacrificed everything for her children. I would call her a unsung hero. I only found out about her life after she died, and my mother started telling me stories about her life that I never knew before.
How long did it take you to write the book?
Almost 8 years! I started in 2019, and had the goal to be published by 2025, but then covid hit and I had to pause my writing to home-school my kids, then I developed long covid, which gave me headaches whenever I wrote. It took months of recovery and I am still recovering. So, I also have had my writing obstacles, but that's another story for another day!'
For Author Events contact drmaigaellemoulene@gmail.com
Connect with Maigaelle
Contact Details
I would love to hear from you! Whether you have questions about my work or wish to collaborate, feel free to reach out. Engaging with readers is one of my greatest joys.
