Felicia is struggling to breathe, her breathing is heavy and her words barely audible in the small, dark room. Nana is sitting beside her, washing the red, wet cloth and putting it on the head of the older woman’s forehead. She is burning with fever and every once in a while she can be heard coughing painfully, which makes Nana feel dizzy with fear.

She has gone through every concoction imaginable, from fresh vegetables picked from the garden to poultices she thought her mother used to apply ...