Midwives: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: This is an Oprah book?
Review: I couldn't get over the fact that the author was writing from a female prospective. It is a well written book but as a man I'm not sure if he was able to grasp what a woman would have felt in the same situation. The ending is what surprised me. Listening to Oprah and the women talk on the show made me feel as though this was a noble look at midwifery as a profession. That's not what I got from the ending. Like I said, it is a well written book but hardly what I was expecting.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating look at a taboo topic
Review: I'm amazed at how well Bohjalian captures the spirit of birth and midwifery. I had to keep looking at his photo to remind myself this is indeed a male author writing so intuitively about a very female process. Loved the transposition of daughter as narrator and mother's diary excerpts.

Rating:
Summary: A moving tale of heroism and tragedy
Review: An icy cold day, a situation every woman can imagine herself in. This was a moving book of love for women and babies marred by a tragedy that kept me turning pages until the end. Sybil served as heroine, perpetrator and victim, all very convincingly. And unexpectedly, there was one last zinger at the end. Don't skip to the last page, you will spoil the mystery!

Rating:
Summary: A worthwhile read
Review: This is one of the best Oprah picks in a long time. I really felt the pain that the daughter went throught and the mother's torment and confusion. My only complaint was that here was a woman who cannot honestly say that didn't kill another woman due to her own mistake and yet returns to her career as a midwife. I think if I knew that I might be responsible for another's death in this way, that I could never go back to my career.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting read
Review: Connie, the main character is intelligent, sensible and compelling. She tells the story of her mothers account as a midwife during an ice storm in Vermont when the birth of a child goes terribly wrong. As the reader you were easily wrapped up in the love of the family and the love between the child and mother. This is not a story for a weak stomach as some of the details are very graphic. It's an easy read and moves quickly. There aren't too many slow spots. It makes you wanting to keep turning the pages. The end of the book ends differently tha one might think.

Rating:
Summary: Gripping and compelling--truly a page-turner.
Review: As a single woman without children, I found this novel intriguing. As a single woman who wants children, I found it a bit frightening. The birthing scenes seemed extremely realistic and therefore, quite beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Every time I caught a glimpse of the author's face when I closed or opened the book, I was surprised because he's male. He captured the teenaged female voice perfectly. Reminded me of Wally Lamb in that sense. Truly a wonderful book. Hats off!

Rating:
Summary: Difficult to put down, great Northeast Kingdom background.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Having had two high-risk pregnancies, home birth could not have been for me, but I found it fascinating. I think Sibyl had no choice but to try to save the baby as she did. As a legal secretary, I always enjoy courtroom drama. My favorite thing, though, is the background. My husband is from St. Johnsbury, Vermont -- the Northeast Kingdom. I've been to many of the places mentioned and felt like I was right there. Home from work and watching the Opray Winfrey book review made me wish I had read it before it was on and then went up there to review it.

Rating:
Summary: interesting story exploring medicine and midwifery
Review: Became interested in reading this book through my wandering through amazon's "bookshelves" After successfully negotiating it as a present for Xmas I have now finished reading it. I found it did cover an area I was aready interested in...the historical context of birth and midwifery which was covered in a book I read recently called "Birth options" by an English couple. The case outlined in the book teased out some of the background to the uneasieness between medicine and midwifery which is possibly the uneasiness between male and female care of the labouring woman. It explored the popular notion of labour as a medical condition...In all however it wan't as "meaty" as I had expected, seeming to explore these topics on a superficial level only...possibly because it is narrated from a 14 year old girl's perspective.

Rating:
Summary: All consuming; well past the turning of the last page.....
Review: The story is believeable; the images are intense and the messages consuming. As a physician, I know the terror of self doubt, the power of truth, the ambiguity of the moment. I felt Sybil's pain.

Rating:
Summary: A great read!
Review: Chris Bohjalian has done it again! I had just finished another of his books- Water Witches- which I also enjoyed. However, Midwives is even better. Mr. Bohjalian has really captured the feel of a small, Vermont town in both books, although I would have liked to have read a little more about how Connie dealt with the pressures from peers and acquaintances due to the death of Charlotte Bedford when giving birth at home, using Connie's mother, Sibyl Danforth, as a midwife. However, I really enjoyed the story, and look forward to reading more books by Bohjalian.