The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman
(Format used for this book: print–paperback)
This was a random find from my fave used bookstore in VA called McKays.
It has been sitting on my shelf for months.
I forgot I had it (as I do with many books LOL) and was excited when I “found” it to start reading last week.
Here is the summary:
“Midwife Patience Murphy has a gift: a talent for escorting mothers through the challenges of bringing children into the world. Working in the hardscrabble conditions of Appalachia during the Depression, Patience takes the jobs that no one else wants, helping those most in need—and least likely to pay. She knows a successful midwifery practice must be built on a foundation of openness and trust—but the secrets Patience is keeping are far too intimate and fragile for her to ever let anyone in.
Honest, moving, and beautifully detailed, Patricia Harman’s The Midwife of Hope River rings with authenticity as Patience faces nearly insurmountable difficulties. From the dangerous mines of West Virginia to the terrifying attentions of the Ku Klux Klan, Patience must strive to bring new light and life into an otherwise hard world.”
I picked this book up when I was binge watching a couple seasons of “Call The Midwife”.
This book has a lot of what I ❤️ about that show…
It shows the beauty and pain of childbirth, the strength and tenacity of women, the power our support and love for each other can have in difficult and scary situations.
The individual stories of the various births the midwives deliver was the best part of this book for me…
The rest of it I wasn’t crazy for.
The author does pull you in with her writing style and character development…
BUT I do think some of the plot was predictable.
I won’t give any spoilers but I figured things out pretty quickly as I’m sure you will too.
This novel does tries to take on the issue of race but I will say it is from a VERY white lens and actually reinforces inaccurate stereotypes.
And oh my WORD….the “white savior” complex shows up in this book… so that is a HUUUUGE NOPE from me.
This is book one in a series but I will pass on the other two.
I will stick to Netflix for my midwife story fix.