My Unexpected Life

An International Memoir of Two Pandemics, HIV, and COVID-19

By: Martina Clark

Narrated by: Martina Clark

At age 28, the doctors told Martina Clark she had HIV and five years to live. With a sense of nothing to lose, she dove into activism. Then, she fell into an international career, starting as the first openly HIV-positive person to work for UNAIDS in 1996.

A mix of personal memoir, travel, humor and an up-close look at the squishy underbelly of the United Nations, My Unexpected Life follows her personal journey—emotional and physical—interwoven with her professional path. From diagnosis to starting treatment, surviving an abusive marriage and fostering a teenage daughter, Martina’s memoir adds an insider’s view to the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, particularly as pertains to women.

Throughout, she draws parallels to other pandemics--–including her own long-haul bout with COVID–reflecting on her experiences as she journeys through life with an incurable illness, a well-stamped passport, and a stubborn determination that keeps her alive to bear witness to the human condition.

©2021 Martina Clark (P)2022 Martina Clark

Heroic

I was drawn in immediately and lived through Martina’s memories as if I was there. I felt like a friend was telling me her story and many times I wanted to reach out and hug her. It’s quite a thing to he a survivor of two epidemics and quite another to tell that story so poignantly.

Inspiring Memoir by Heroic Survivor

Remember when AIDS was a death sentence? Martina Clark defied her doctor's dismal prediction, beat the odds, and paid it forward by educating and helping others survive AIDS in various cultures and countries. You'll be moved and cheer for her as you listen to this beautifully narrated memoir.

Great Book

As a fellow American woman, travel lover & currently living in Tanzania, a country devastated by the effects of HIV & Aids & seeing the accounts first hand, I could really feel the struggles & stories unfold. You are so brave, we need more women like you speaking up about this still so silenced topic.