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, … 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 friend, 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”?
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Enjoyed this heartwarming collection of historical romances revolving around midwives from different time periods and locations. Each story brought its own unique perspective on the life of a midwife and the myriad of obstacles they faced in their practices including societal judgment and physical resources, among others. I am fascinated by stories detailing medical care in historical times and this anthology was informative, page-turning and inspiring. Well worth your time!
I received a complimentary copy from one of the authors and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Only in the darkness can one truly appreciate the Light.
What a lovely way to spend a few hours! Four wonderful stories set in the 1800’s, all featuring the call of women to help women. In those days, trained doctors knew very little if anything about childbirth, making the midwife a vital part of the birth process as well as in the care for the new mother and infant.
In the west where life is so different, or is it …. to the city where poverty and even a voodoo queen, life forces these trained midwives to stretch themselves to be ready to help those in need. From a one room cabin where charms are believed to help in the birth, to the single mother there to help anyone who is in need, their mission doesn’t change, even for those who work in the oldest profession known to women.
I thoroughly enjoyed all four of these novellas. These heroines were strong, stood up for themselves and their patients and brought change into the lives of those around them. This ARC was received through Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. The impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.
Heart-felt, endearing stories of four women who have felt called to be a mid-wife. All of these ladies come from different backgrounds and deal with a different set of circumstances to get their jobs done. Each must bring awareness to the community, help them get past their prejudices to help the suffering women and the conditions they live in.
All of these mid-wives are willing to fight with all they have to give the women in their care the best, hoping to ensure that mom and baby got the care they need to live through the birthing process. I liked how the men in these stories came aware of the need and are eventually willing to help in the fight.
I liked reading about these strong female leads and their compassionate, leading men. At first, the men do not understand the drive of their lady loves have but then seeing them in action, they get it. I enjoyed learning about how mid-wives are viewed in Ozark Mountains, 1868, 1868 Denver, 1871, N.Y. City, 1889, and New Orleans, 1890 and what these women went through to do their jobs. It was eye opening. We have come a long way to get to what mid-wives offer today.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog http://www.bookfun.org
The Heart of the Midwife was an exceptional read. Each of the four novellas was well-written with developed characters and believable storylines for the time presented. I cannot pick a favorite because I liked them all so well. Love Charm was a unique story with a slightly sassy protagonist that I wanted to yell at at times. Love’s Rebirth was a very sweet love story between midwife and doctor that does not follow a usual course. If Not for Grace had a main character that would have driven me insane if the book was any longer, but overall an enjoyable read. Between Two Worlds used varying points of view well between the two main characters, though the love story progressed a bit unnaturally for me. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book.
Four capturing novellas involving the life of being a midwife in the 19th century was awesome to me! I not only learned some new to me details of midwifery but also more about the lifestyles and adventures in that time period. Each story is unique and original.
I highly recommend this to women of any age.
The Heart Of The Midwife is a delightful collection of four Christian novellas that will warm your heart. They are all set at the end of the nineteenth century.
The themes are all similar as young women attempt to bring babies into the world. They meet various opposition from pompous men to aging women practicing voodoo. The love for the poor shines through as the young women become the eyes and ears, the hands and feet of Jesus. Faith is strong as God is able to guide us and protect us from our fears.
This is a positively charming quartet of tales.
Love’s Charm by Cynthia Hickey is an absolutely charming tale. I found the setting very reminiscent of Walnut Grove in Little House On The Prairie. The community pulls together and is warm and welcoming. There is some match making as the new midwife enters the small community, as well as some opposition for a young, unmarried midwife. The whole story is light-hearted and positively delightful.
Love’s Rebirth by Darlene Franklin is a powerful tale about our faithful God and about taking care of widows and orphans. The midwife in the tale has a heart for the working girls who fall pregnant. She oversees their care when others frown on them. There are battles to be fought that seem impossible and can only be overcome by prayer. The battle is not ours but The Lord’s. We are also reminded that we are all adopted into His family.
If Not For Grace by Patty Smith Hall is set among the slums of New York City following a couple of caring midwives. They set aside their safety and their wealth to become Jesus to a hurting world as they tend to the marginalised in society. The midwives are frowned upon by those in power but they are brave and dedicated as they try to not only save lives but lift the vulnerable out of poverty. The characters are warm and welcoming with their love and hearts for others.
Between Two Worlds by Marilyn Turk is a delightful tale set in New Orleans. Here, a new midwife finds herself up against a traditional midwife who practices voodoo. God’s love conquers all. Faith in Him to protect and to guide is strong. All the characters are wonderfully drawn. They are warm and welcoming. The leading lady is a breath of fresh air with her kind heart and her no nonsense attitude.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
This is a book that contains 4 novellas, each set in the 1800s but each in a different part of the country. The characters in each are generous, compassionate women dealing with the appreciation and suspicions that midwives faced. The authors all researched the area and time period as well as the role of the midwife making the stories very believable. Marilyn Turk’s story is set in New Orleans, which she describes in vivid detail so that you can actually picture what the houses and town looked like in 1890. The other stories are set in the rural mountains of the Ozarks (reminiscent of the book Christie by Catherine Marshall), New York, and Colorado. All are excellent romantic, well-written stories!
Birthin’ Those Babies
The Heart of the Midwife is a collection of four midwive’s stories set in the last four decades of the 19th Century. Each big-hearted lady is dedicated to educating her clients as to proper prenatal care and birthing processes to downtrodden and needy mothers-to-be and dispelling dangerous folklore and customs commonplace in their particular locales, thus delivering healthy babies. Each midwife exhibits strong spiritual faith, and is fully supported by her man of similar faith and dedication.
One story is a stand out in this collection; Marilyn Turk’s Between Two Worlds. She obviously did extensive research into New Orleans history of the 1890’s. Anyone familiar with the Crescent Ciry is familiar with the name and locations vividly described. The plot is centered around voodoo rituals which midwife Camille Duval and Dr. Julian Charbonnet work together to change their patient’s reliance on spells and charms. Mystery, intrigue, and danger abound! You will love this thriller.
I received this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley with no obligation for a favorable review. I recommend this collection because it is a worthy read.
This is a wonderful collection of novellas. I enjoyed all of the stories in this book. They are the perfect length for when you don’t have time to read a long book. All of the stories are well written and hold’s your attention. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own. This book was a joy to read.
I loved this anthology of four entertaining, heartwarming stories featuring four courageous, devoted midwives in the late 1800s all with a common goal—to practice and preserve their profession in spite of prejudice, danger, personal struggles, social injustice, greed, and superstition. In each story, there is also a hero advocating and/or protecting the midwife and lending a sweet romantic element to the narrative. Each story is unique reflecting the distinct style of each gifted storyteller. The characters in all the stories are well-crafted and believable. Inspiring spiritual truths are sprinkled throughout each story. The settings are diverse aptly mirroring the society in which the characters live. I am a big fan of anthologies, and this is one of the best I have ever read, and I highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book in e-book form from the publisher via netgalley but was under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
The Heart of the Midwife
Sep18, 2020
Love Charm by Cynthia Hickey
Sep 18, 2020
5 stars
I enjoyed this story immensely! The superstitions of the hill people crack me up, but the steel determination of this young midwife was something to behold! And the teacher, what a hero!
Love’s Rebirth by Darlene Franklin
Sep 19, 2020
5 stars
Wow, what an awesome service MC has began. Her clinic serves the outcasts of society, and she does it with the biggest heart and love for God! But what happens when the new doctor comes to help at the clinic? This is an exceptional story and admist the chaos of running the clinic and raising her child, hope for a better future is the daily goal for MC, both for her family and her patients!
If Not for Grace by Patty Smith Hall
Sep 20, 2020
5 stars
I loved this story! I loved how the one doctor saw Grace in action and even resolved some of her misunderstandings about his patients! I loved how Grace and Patrick had a past and were able to reconnect all these years later! I also loved their connections with these poor people who were under control of the Irish gang leader, Mr. McCleary. How incredible that Grace was able to even house some of her poorest patients, through her family’s finances.
Between Two Worlds by Marilyn Turk
Sep 21, 2020
5 stars
I enjoyed this story and the slow romance that was built between Julian and Camille! I loved the resolution between the nurse and her nemesis! Similar to the first book, superstitions run high in New Orleans! This midwife is also a nurse like in the second book, but despite these coomon threads, the compassion for women’s health is what truly ties thse stories together. Each midwife is determined and wants to not only help the pregnant woman with delivering the baby but with prenatal and post partum care like is common today! These may be fictional stories, but these are historical truths for this time period. Most doctors neglected the poor, knew very little about women’s health in general, and even less about pregnancy. I’m so glad that times have changed and superstitions and witchcraft, while not eliminated, are not as common as they were! The strangest thing I learned from these books was their connection to the Catholic faith. As the Catholics conquered various areas, they enforced their faith, but allowed it to mix with the location’s previous beliefs!