The Heart of the Midwife Book Review
About the book
Four Women Fight for the Right to Life and Love
Love Charm by Cynthia Hickey
Ozark Mountains, 1868
Bound by a common bond of wanting to help the Missouri hill people they’ve grown to love, Phoebe Hudson, socialite-turned-midwife, and Luke Morris, the schoolteacher, find themselves mediators in a family feud.
Love’s Rebirth by Darlene Franklin
Denver, 1871
Dr. Vaughan Strahan, a war veteran, wants to work with expectant mothers so others don’t die like his wife and child, but there is already a midwife working in the old mining district whose approval he is determined to win.
If Not For Grace by Patty Smith Hall
New York City, 1889
After her friend’s death in childbirth, Grace Sullivan converts her family home into a haven for immigrant families preparing for the birth of a child. But when the city threatens to close her down, her only hope is to ask for help from an unlikely source—her former fiancé, Patrick O’Leary.
Between Two Worlds by Marilyn Turk
New Orleans, 1890
Camille Duval confronts Madam Lafleur, the local voodoo queen, when she attends one of her first births since moving to New Orleans. How can Camille convince the young mother to trust her instead of voodoo for the health of her baby? Can Camille enlist the support of the young family physician, Julian Charbonnet who doesn’t seem interested in “women’s affairs”?
My Thoughts
This was an entertaining set of four novellas written by established Christian fiction authors. My favorite story of the bunch was the first one written by Cynthia Hickey. In fact, reading that one story as a full length novel instead of a novella would have been even more enjoyable, I’m sure.
I also enjoyed the last story written by Marilyn Turk as it was set in New Orleans with snippets of superstitious folklore. While I personally don’t believe in superstitions, it was interesting to read the things that people believed would keep evil spirits away.
3 Stars
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.
