Mary and Martha

Affluent American homemaker Mary Morgan decides to withdraw her son George from school to educate him at home, which includes a journey to Southern Africa. During their stay in Mozambique, George is bitten by a mosquito that enters through a gap in his net, leading to his death from malaria. After his funeral back home, Mary feels compelled to return to Africa, where she encounters Martha O’Connell, an Englishwoman whose 24-year-old son Ben, a volunteer teacher, also succumbed to malaria. Ben had given his mosquito net to a student, mistakenly believing that adults are immune to the disease. The two women are appalled by the high mortality rate from malaria. While Martha remains in Africa to volunteer, Mary campaigns for the American government to take action. Martha unexpectedly visits Mary, and with the assistance of Mary’s former diplomat father, they present their case to a senate committee on health expenditure, urging them to increase efforts against malaria. They achieve some success, although an epilogue notes that much more remains to be done.