And with Midwives, by Chris Bohjalian, I finally get what all the hoopla is about this author. This is the story of Sibyl, a midwife in the late 70’s and the C-Section she performs on Charlotte, who she believed to be dead at the time of the first incision. Whether or not she was is the subject of the trial spread throughout the story.
The story is told through the eyes of Sibyl’s daughter. At 14 years of age, she was already an incredibly knowledgeable young woman with several home births already witnessed. Through her, we follow how the story has affected her mother, her father and the community around them.
What I loved throughout the book is the portrayal of midwives. My mother had 5 births at home with a midwife and Bohjalian really did his research well. He did a fantastic job of showing both sides of the story with equal fairness and never once did I feel as if he was preaching on the matter with his own agenda. Fascinating, incredible look at what can happen when things go wrong. The pace was great, the ending was pretty perfect. Recommended for those who enjoy really good court drama.
Lydia- I love how you give every book a full-circle view without giving too much away. There are a few books that I now want to read that I otherwise would have just passed by. I’m a bit picky in my book choices and I have all sorts of crazy criteria that must be met. lol
Hope you have a happy weekend. I’ll be watching for more of your excellent reviews.
Thank you, Karen! I hope you have a great weekend too.
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