"The Midwife's Tale" by Delia Parr

The Midwife’s Tale (June 2, 2015) by Delia Parr.*

There is something mesmerizing about greeting a newborn, a tiny miracle. That is how midwife Martha Cade (a.k.a. Widow Cade) feels every time she helps deliver a newborn safely and healthily into Western Pennsylvania in 1830. Martha lives in the town of Trinity and has two grown children. She was hopeful her daughter would follow in her footsteps, but that all came to a halt when her daughter ran away with a theater troupe. Three months of searching doesn’t bring Victoria home. Martha is hurting deeply. She “can only feel and react, completely defenseless as anger, resentment, and fear fought bitterly against hope, trust, and faith on the battleground of her soul.” And being away from Trinity for three months has brought some major changes.

            Without Victoria in tow, Martha must deal with the scandal of her daughter’s running off. It is of the utmost embarrassment – “The shame was nearly unbearable” – to Martha that her daughter would do such a thing. But scandal isn’t Martha’s alone. There is also Rosalind Andrews, who, instead of confiding in others, has instead pushed away those she once called friends, even those who would lend a listening ear and not accusing words. On top of scandal, a new doctor has arrived in the town of Trinity. He’s not just any doctor, but a university doctor, and one who seems to think everything about midwifery is primitive and dated. And let’s not forget Mayor Thomas Dillon. She’s carried affection for him in the past (and vice versa), but her calling to midwifery led her down a different path and marriage to a different man. Likewise, Thomas married another. Martha’s been a widow for a decade, and Thomas has been a widower for a year. Could there be …? But no, that wouldn’t … Would it?

            I always enjoy reading a book from an author previously unknown to me and discovering how much I enjoy her/his writing. Once I started reading this story, I flew right through it. I appreciate that Parr writes Martha as a faithful but flawed individual, as we all are, whether or not we want to admit our flaws. Martha is a very vivid character, and when she’s feeling something – whether joy at a new birth, shame at her daughter’s absconding or flutter-feelings at the sight of the mayor – we the readers feel her emotions, too. I especially like that she writes scenes where Martha is struggling. Like us, she also has foolish moments. And, as Aunt Hilda states, “That makes you human. Faith and conviction can’t cure that. They only help you to recognize your failings so you can try to overcome them.” This story is excellently written and appears to be well-researched. I look forward to continuing to hang out in Trinity!

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly 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.”