Sally Hepworth recs some novels that feature midwives

Sally Hepworth, author of The Secrets of Midwives (out this week!), highlights some novels that feature midwifery.

Sally: As a mother of two young children, it isn't a hard sell to get me to read a book about midwives. In fact, ever since I was pregnant with my first child, I've considered myself something of a birth-junkie. Now, even though I've (most likely) birthed my last child, books about birth and midwives still regularly find their way onto my bedside table. Why? Maybe it's the fact a book about midwifery is likely to be an empowering read for women? Maybe it's the fact the profession is ripe for secrets and stripping oneself bare? Maybe there's just something soothing about the people who dedicate their lives to advocating for women? Whatever it is, when it comes to a novel about midwifery … you had me at "hello."

In Chris Bohjalian's Midwives, Sibyl, a home-birthing midwife, takes drastic measures to save a baby's life after its mother dies during childbirth — by performing a home C-section with a kitchen knife. But when the coroners find the mother may not have been dead when the C-section was performed, Sibyl starts to wonder — did she save a life, or take one? In this largely courtroom-set novel, the reader is taken on the not so clear-cut journey of Sibyl — forcing us to weigh her obvious strengths as a midwife against her just-as-obvious limitations as a human being.

Ami McKay also knows how to write convincingly about birth. In her novel The Birth House, she tells the tale of Dora Rare, a trainee midwife living in an isolated village in Nova Scotia in the early 1900s. Dora helps the local women navigate the world of birth in the face of new medical developments and questionable practices, and shows the reader that sometimes all a woman needs is someone to believe in them. This novel is captivating, thought-provoking and beautifully told, with many poignant birth scenes to boot.

The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain combines my love of midwifery with one of my other favorite things — mystery. In this wonderful novel, the two best friends of midwife Noelle are forced to delve into her personal life after her death in order to uncover the mysteries of her life. Narrated by three women, including the now-dead midwife, this novel will keep you turning pages well into the night.

And of course, with my love of all things birth, it was a given that my own novel would be about none other than … midwifery. The Secrets of Midwives tells the story of three generations of women devoted to delivering new life into the world—and the secrets they keep that threaten to change their own lives forever. The youngest midwife, Neva, is determined to keep the details surrounding her pregnancy hidden for as long as possible. Her mother, Grace, finds it impossible to let this secret rest. For her grandmother, Floss, a retired midwife, Neva's secret thrusts her back sixty years in time, to a secret that, if discovered, will have life-changing consequences for them all.

So, whether you are pregnant, a new mother, or (like me) just have an insatiable interest in the wonderful world of midwifery — there is a book out there for you. Pick one up today!

Find out more about Sally and her books at www.sallyhepworthauthor.com.