Rating: 
Summary: A Pleasant Page Turner!
Review: This book was a pleasant surprise for me. I had never read anything by Bohjalian before and just picked it up on the way to the airport for a long flight. This book made that flight seem like a 5 minute trip to the 7-11!The book is written from the point of view of Connie, a 13 year old whose mother, Sybil, is a midwife. Sybil performs a birth that has major complications which land her in court. This book looks at the human side of the story, while still keeping the legalities of the trial part of the plot. It makes for an interesting read. I HIGHLY recommend this book. I read it for the first time a few years ago, and I'm presently enjoying it for a second time! I believe it would be a great beach read, too!
Rating:
Summary: Sensational
Review: I loved this book. I listened to the audio version and the narration was excellent. Bohjalian's prose drew me in from the start, painting vibrant pictures of Sybil, Connie and all the characters in the book. I learned a lot about midwifery and realized how dangerous it can be; this story completely changed my mind about having a child at home. I was surprised and shocked at the ending. It was disappointing to learn but it also illustrated the flaws that all we humans are capable of.
Rating: 
Summary: Captivating...
Review: Midwives chronicles the story of Sybil Danforth, a Vermont lay-midwife. While Sybil has had years of experience "catching" babies, one cold and icy night in Vermont, something goes tragically wrong and she is forced to perform an emergency cesarian section with a kitchen knife in the home of one of her patients, saving the baby but losing it's mother. The book, told from the point of view of Sybil's then teenage daughter Connie, follows the investigation and court trial which ensues after the tragic event occurs.
Although I found Midwives to be a little slow at the start, Chris Bohjalian develops all of the novel's characters quite well and I found myself becoming more and more emotionally involved with both Sybil and Connie and the novel progressed. I also enjoyed how the author interjected excerpts from Sybil's diary throughout the story, adding another perspective for the reader. Right down to literally the very last word of the very last page, Midwives will keep the reader guessing and hanging on for the next chapter. Not only did I find this novel entertaining, but also quite informative from both a medical and legal standpoint. A great find!
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Summary: Mysterious Truths, Truthful Mysteries
Review: The heart of this novel is the sometimes-shocking, sometimes-loving story of Sibyl, an experienced midwife who tragically loses a patient during childbirth while saving the life of the baby. A trial ensues, the details of which are told mostly in flashbacks from the point-of-view of Sibyl's then-teenage daughter, and the tension builds with each chapter (the verdict is not revealed until very near the end). This is not just a mystery whodunit, however, as much as a coming-of-age story---not just for the teenage girl, but also for Sibyl, her husband, and others. Chapters begin with excerpts from Sibyl's diaries, and in the contrast between these entries and the main narrative we begin to glimpse the subtlety of truth---how it varies from person to person and situation to situation. As in Bohjalaian's previous novel, the excellent Water Witches, the Vermont countryside is lovingly evoked. the landscape almost becomes a character with moods and impulses---the icy roads of winter, the sudden onset of a thunderstorm, the blazing red of autumn trees, the tiny villages, and the large lake that seems to mirror Subyl's humors. Midwives offers much to ponder---highly recommended.
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Summary: A controversial Book
Review: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian Here is a controversial story about a woman that considered herself an experienced midwife who finds herself the center of a murder trial. The story is told from the viewpoint of Connie Danforth, the midwife's 14-year old daughter, and told in both the past and present tenses. Interestingly enough, Connie grows up to be an obstetrician and the viewpoint we see is one from Connie as a doctor, and one from Connie as a young girl. Sibyl Danforth had been a successful midwife, bringing babies into the world in the comforts of her patients' homes, instead of in a cold heartless building surrounded by modern machinery. Sibyl never professed she had a medical degree, but she did say that she knew enough to safely help pregnant women give birth in their homes. If Sibyl knew her patient's pregnancy would be difficult, she would always be sure she had a doctor on hand to help. However, at the birth of Charlotte Bedford's baby, something goes terribly wrong. In an effort to save the baby, Sibyl does an emergency c-section without the presence of a doctor or double checking whether her patient is alive.
What follows keeps the reader in suspense until the end of the book. The grieving husband, Minister Asa Bedford, starts a lawsuit against Sibyl, and soon the entire town is involved in the case. Sibyl has the midwife associations on her side but so many others are against her. As Connie continues to narrate the story, the reader will question whether Sibyl did the right thing or not. Did Sibyl make a mistake? Or did Charlotte truly have a stroke before she gave birth to her baby? The conclusion will either cause you to nod your head in agreement, or shock the hell out of you. I finished the book feeling angry, and was not sure I would read another novel written by Bohjalian again. Enough time has passed however, that I have decided I will read one more novel by him before I pass judgement. He is a wonderful writer, but seems to enjoy manipulating his readers' feelings.
Rating:
Summary: Great book.
Review: I enjoyed learning so much about midwifery and being thouroughly entertained at the same time. It is a gripping tale that sticks with you long after you lay the book down.
Rating:
Summary: Great ending
Review: This is a wonderful book that brings up lots of questions . . . but leaves them unanswered. The verdict totally shocked me. I felt like I had been tricked, like in the movie "The Sting," with the false scene. I felt compelled to go back and reread, but what I found was no trick- my interpretation of Connie's thoughts was simply off base. And then, the last diary entry- wow! What a clever idea to save that for the end, and again, what a surprise (although during my reread, I did see that it had been foreshadowed during the trial.) This entire book is very enjoyable (and a fairly easy read), but the ending is what makes the difference.
Rating:
Summary: Midwives: A Novel
Review: Completely engrossing!!! Very correct factually!! Awesome twist ending!! This is one of those books that one never forgets!!! I can't say enough good things!!!
Rating:
Summary: An exquisitely told tale
Review: Thank you, Chris Bohjalian. I loved this book and truly had trouble putting it down. Your writing captured the written thoughts and feelings of the mother and daughter exquisitely as well as the wonderment of the birthing process. You kept me in suspense until the last page and I can hardly wait to read more of your writing.
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Summary: Glad I Tried It Again!
Review: This was a book that I was unable to "get into" when it was first published and I put it aside to read at some other time. Well, I finally got to it and am glad that I gave it another try. I was originally put off by the flashback device, not a favorite of mine, but I was able to overcome my dislike of that and get through the book. I always feel like an author is trying to "hook" readers by using this device....like dangling a carrot and then pulling it away out of sight! I thought this was a good story and a very thorough exploration of certain thorny moral, ethical, and legal issues. I knew that, no matter what the outcome, the lives of Sibyl and her family would never be the same. Bohjalian did a really wonderful job of conveying the feelings and emotions of all the characters. His character development was first-rate, as I think it always is in his books.
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