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Summary
Summary
The USA Today bestselling author of The Midwife of Hope River returns with a heartfelt sequel, a novel teeming with life and full of humor and warmth, one that celebrates the human spirit.
The Great Depression has hit West Virginia hard. Men are out of work; women struggle to feed hungry children. Luckily, Nurse Becky Myers has returned to care for them. While she can handle most situations, Becky is still uneasy helping women deliver their babies. For these mothers-to-be, she relies on an experienced midwife, her dear friend Patience Murphy.
Though she is happy to be back in Hope River, time and experience have tempered Becky's cheerfulness-as tragedy has destroyed the vibrant spirit of her former employer Dr Isaac Blum, who has accompanied her. Patience too has changed. Married and expecting a baby herself, she is relying on Becky to keep the mothers of Hope River safe.
But becoming a midwife and ushering precious new life into the world is not Becky's only challenge. Her skills and courage will be tested when a calamitous forest fire blazes through a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. And she must find a way to bring Isaac back to life and rediscover the hope they both need to go on.
Full of humor and compassion, The Reluctant Midwife is a moving tribute to the power of optimism and love to overcome the most trying circumstances and times, and is sure to please fans of the poignant Call the Midwife series.
Author Notes
Patricia Harman has spent over thirty years caring for women as a midwife, first as a lay-midwife, and later as a nurse-midwife in teaching hospitals and a community hospital birthing center. She became an RN as the first step in getting licensed as certified nurse midwife. In 1985 she began her training at the University of Minnesota where she received her MSN in Nurse-Midwifery. She has been a nurse-midwife on the faculty of The Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University and most recently West Virginia University. She also spent several years in private practice, before the rising costs of liability insurance for Obstetrics caused her to give up deliveries.
The change in life style afforded Harman the free time to pursue writing. She has written two memoirs; Arms Wide Open: A Midwife's Journey, and The Blue Cotton Gown: A Midwife's Memoir. She has also written several novels; The Midwife of Hope River and The Reluctant Midwife, which comprise the Hope River Series.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
Booklist Review
The Great Depression has swept across the country, and it seems to have hit small towns especially hard. Becky Myers grew up in Hope River, West Virginia, a town with friendly neighbors and enough work to keep everyone busy. After Becky and her employer are forced to close up their medical practice in Perrysville, Virginia, they move back to Hope River in hopes of finding work. With jobs now few and far between, Becky starts accompanying the local midwife on her rounds. As Becky's nursing skills evolve amid so much unease and turmoil, she discovers the importance of sacrifice, trust, and the power of community. Harman paints a vivid picture of 1930s Appalachia, with men and women out of work and so many hungry mouths at home. The Reluctant Midwife is steeped in medical facts, proof of Harman's firsthand knowledge of nursing and midwifery. This poignant, powerful novel does not shy away from the gruesome facts of life and death. Fans of the BBC's Call the Midwife and Carol Cassella's medically minded novels will enjoy Harman's inspirational and introspective story.--Turza, Stephanie Copyright 2015 Booklist
Library Journal Review
When nurse Becky Meyers moves to Hope River, WV, during the height of the Great Depression, she has her former employer in tow. Dr. Isaac Blum is no longer fully functioning. In fact, he is catatonic, a condition apparently caused by the sudden death of his wife. Work is scarce. When Becky's good friend, midwife Patience Murphy (whom readers met in the author's 2012 title, The Midwife of Hope River), needs assistance, she often asks Becky to help her deliver babies, a medical task Becky finds terrifying. By taking a part-time job at the Civilian Conservation Corps camp, growing vegetables, and bargaining for firewood, Becky is able to support not only herself but Isaac, too. The doctor starts slowly to respond to the challenges of rural survival. Mining accidents, a rampant forest fire, and difficult pregnancies set a lively pace for all concerned. When Isaac begins secretly reading Becky's diary, the novel's layered complexity grows. VERDICT This title is sure to appeal to fans of American historical fiction or anyone else looking for a story with plenty of emotion, spunk, and community spirit.-Keddy Ann Outlaw, Houston (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
