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Summary: A fabulous book! A fictional "Spiritual Midwifery"by Ina May
Review: As a student of midwifery and a mother of 3, I found it a wonderful depiction of homebirth. Two of my children were born at home, but as the third birth was very long (36 hours), I was taken to the hospital. Due to my experiences, I completely related with the characters in the book and their circumstances. I was completely surprised that the writer was a man, because there was such accurate representation of herbs and techniques used during a birth without the aid of the hospital "intervention" and the way the medical system feels about lay midwifes. I felt it an accurate depiction of the midwife. Rarely do I purchase a fiction book, as I do not usually read a fiction book more than once, but I feel this one is really special!
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Summary: Good controversial, but important topic
Review: This book got me thinking about all sorts of things - how the medical profession handles patients to how I, how I want to give birth to my own children, etc. Many of these things are things I hadn't even thought of before. I enjoyed how the other wrote, and how many different perspectives he gave us (the father, the midwife, the daughter at different ages, etc.) I was eager to find out how it would end because I don't know how I would have voted if I had been on that jury. This is our next book club discussion and I am eagerly looking forward to it.
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Summary: This book is horrible
Review: This is one of the worst books I have ever read. The author has a stereotype for everyone instead of creative thoughts of his own. The midwife clearly killed her patient but the midwife and her daughter showed absolutely no moral fiber when they both tried to deliberately conceal this fact. It amazes me that the author would treat this fact so casually.As fas as the plot goes, there was no suspence throughout the book. It was like reading a newspaper article at times. The author reveals 90% of the book in the first chapter so I could have saved myself considerable time by just reading the 1st and last chapters of this book. The journal entries to start each chapter were horrible. It seemed too obvious that they were written by a man trying to write like a woman. Come on, I need something that important to have some credibility. Oprah, you could have done better. A good book to discuss, perhaps, but not a good read.
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Summary: Midwives is a powerful, must-read book!
Review: Reading Midwives was a captivating experience! Being a nursing student in Virginia, I feel that all students should be required to read this book!
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Summary: Found this book to be an eye-opener, of what could go wrong
Review: This has been one of the best "real" books I've read, it becomes an eye-opener to those of us caring for women. It should be required reading in all midwifery programs, open for discussion and how the situation was handled. A great book
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Summary: Hard to put down!!
Review: This book is captivating and beautifully written. A must-read
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Summary: I am finding it extremely difficult to complete this book.
Review: The title of this book is what intrigued me to purchase it. What a disappointment. The characters in this book must be the most boring and mundane people I have ever read about. There is no glimpse at all into what the main character, Sybil, is thinking except for her journal entries at the beginning of each chapter. What a waste of my time and my money.
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Summary: A High-Minded Legal Thriller
Review: Chris Bohjalian is a very talented writer, but not in an obvious or flashy way. I was most impressed by his seamless handling of time-shifts in this complex narrative. He also did an excellent job at creating suspense. I suspect, though, that he meant for the book to be more a 'novel of ideas' than a novel of suspense. In that respect, I found it similar to "Snow Falling On Cedars": great storytelling, but not great literature.
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Summary: Gripping story, stays with you for a long time
Review: I enjoyed this book but occasionally found it hard to read -- it is a powerfully told story, very emotionally exhausting. Connie, the teenage daughter from whose point of view the story unfolds, never came alive for me. I found myself looking forward to the chapter introductions when we could "hear" Sibyl's (the midwife's) voice -- she was by far the most vibrant character, and I wish the author had given us more of her. As it is, the few indirect glimpses we see are enough to make us sympathize with her and want her to be the moral victor in the case. Overall, I rate this book very highly, but it is, as I say, a haunting story and occasionally, I found myself wincing as I read on.
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Summary: One book you can't but down till you finish!
Review: This book was proboabaly one of the best books Oprah has choosen to date. Truly a must read. The characters are very compelling and his words are well choosen. A good court drama. It causes the reader to look deeply into thier morals. An overall good book.
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