Through a series of tragic mishaps and lucky escapes, our heroine Patricia ends up a midwife in West Virginia in the deep depression of the 1930s, but her fight is not over. Prejudice, the Klu Klux Klan, disease and poverty surround her but she is a strong, determined woman on a mission. In fact a beautifully drawn character in a fascinating period with some terrific background detail. A lovely read.
As a midwife working in rural poverty during the Depression, Patience Murphy's only solace is her gift: the chance to escort mothers through the challenges of childbirth. Just beginning, she takes on the jobs no one else wants: those most in need-and least likely to pay. Patience is willing to do what it takes to fulfil her mentor's wishes, but starting a midwife practice means gaining trust, and Patience's secrets won't allow her to let anyone in. The Midwife of Hope River beats with authenticity as Patience faces seemingly insurmountable conditions: disease, poverty, and prejudices threaten at every turn. 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 cruel world.
'From start to satisfying conclusion, it is a beautifully imagined novel, a marvel of a debut, rich with fully realized characters and events. This is one I'll read again, more slowly next time.' - Johanna Moran, author of The Wives of Henry Oades
'The Midwife of Hope River is a rich and deeply moving book that will pleasantly linger in your thoughts long after you've finished reading it. Patricia Harman has created such a striking and original heroine that pregnant women everywhere will be wanting Patience Murphy to deliver their babies.' - Theresa Brown, author of Critical Care: A New Nurse Faces Death, Life and Everything in Between, and New York Times Opinion Columnist
'I learned, I laughed, I cried, but most of all I was deeply impressed by the artistry of the midwife and her central role in women's lives prior to the advent of commercialized, institutionalized medicine. This novel will live in my heart for years to come.' - Amy Hill Hearth, author of Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society: A Novel'
Author
About Patricia Harman
Patricia Harman, CNM, is a regular presenter at national midwifery conferences. Harman got her start as a lay-midwife on the rural communes where she lived in the '60s and '70s, going on to become a nurse-midwife on the faculty of Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University, and West Virginia University. She lives and works near Morgantown, West Virginia, and has three sons. A debut novelist, she has published two acclaimed memoirs.
