With the new PBS series, "Call The Midwife," the profession of midwifery is
garnering
newfound attention and there
has been an influx of books with midwifes as the main
characters. One of the best of these books that I've run
across lately is THE MIDWIFE OF HOPE RIVER by Patricia
Harman.
Patience was at one time known as Elizabeth Snyder -- a
showgirl, a social activist, a wife, and a mother-to-be.
Now she is Patience Murphy, a midwife in Appalachia in the
1930's during the Depression in a little community called
Hope River.
Patience attends the births of both rich and poor families
but is rarely paid in cash for her services. Usually she's
paid nothing at all or a bag of flour, a few potatoes, or
some other form of food. Times are tough for everyone, but
Patience gets by with a little help from her friends in the
community. When she is alone, Patience worries constantly
about the day her past will catch up with her and is always
on guard wondering if the people coming up her driveway are
in need of her services or if it's the Sheriff coming to
arrest her for murder.
The novel opens with Patience attending one of the
influential white residents' wife who is expected to have a
stillbirth, but, to Patience's amazement, the baby is born
alive. Patience has not yet had a lot of experience at
being a midwife, having been just barely trained before her
mentor passed away, but she is the only choice for a lot of
folks since Dr. Blum, the county's white doctor refuses to
birth any babies for people who cannot afford to pay him
and Mrs. Potts, the negro midwife, is ill and able to
attend her patients any longer.
Patience keeps a record book of all the births she attends,
recording the name of the family, the baby's name and
weight, who was in attendance and if there were any
complications during the birth. The births she attends are
as different from one another as night and day and drive
this story from beginning to end. There are many obstacles
that Patience must face, including opposition from certain
members of the community for her services to the African
Americans, but she overcomes these trials with grace and
dignity.
Patricia Harman shows an adept talent for storytelling in
this debut novel. Her characters are fascinating, the time-
period and the social atmosphere in which the story is set
is intriguing, and the tale she weaves is fast-moving,
suspenseful and satisfying. THE MIDWIFE OF HOPE RIVER is a historical
novel
that will remain with readers long after the final page
is turned.
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.
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