Midwives: A Novel

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Summary: A moving tribute to the power of ordinary people.
Review: To call this book compelling would be a vast understatement. I read it when it first was published and found it breathtaking, both immensely complex and starkly simple. There is such emotion in Bohjalian's writing. That he writes as a girl describing the experiences of her mother is just short of miraculous, in that it works. There is such economy in his phrasing and narrative, yet never stinginess. There is not one wasted feeling,not one misspent thought. While I loved Sibyl and Connie, I also was able to feel the pain and longing of Asa and his doomed wife. Read this book and you will remember why you were so excited at learning to read in the first place.

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Summary: Poor writing hampers interesting plot
Review: I'm very surrised that Oprah selected Midwives for her book club. I read this book last year on my mother's recommendation, and while the premise was interesting enough, the author's style was often awkward and meandering, giving way to weak, melodramatic passages. The narrator was unreliable, as well as annoying--everytime one of her introductions rolled around, I found myself cringing. I finished the book out of a sense of obligation, but by the end I didn't care what the outcome of the trial was. I wish Oprah would exercise more care in choosing the books for her club--after all, most women in America only read something if she endorses it.

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Summary: EXCELLENT MORAL/LEGAL DILEMA
Review: IF I HADN'T SEEN CHRIS' PICTURE AT THE FRONT OF THIS BOOK I WOULD HAVE BELIEVED IT WAS WRITTEN BY A FEMALE AUTHOR. HIS INSIGHT INTO THE FEMALE REALITY OF LABOR AND DELIVERY IS EXCELLENT. CHRIS MANAGES TO WRITE THE BOOK IN MANY FEMALE PERSPECTIVES; A MIDWIFES' VIEW, HER DAUGHTERS' VIEW AND DOCTORS/LAWYERS POINTS OF VIEW. BEING IN THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSION AND FEMALE I ENJOYED THIS BOOK THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH!

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Summary: Didn't insult my intelligence--I loved it
Review: This was a great read!!! I've always been interested in midwifery and this sated my curiosity...and more. The story was well developed and I couldn't put it down. It was also impressive that a man wrote it (well) from a teen-age girl's perspective.

Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I read this book by accident. I was on my way home from a conference and had nothing to read during my 7 hour trip home so I bought a book in the airport. I chose this book because it looked more interesting than the others, not because I'd heard anything about it or because it sounded especially interesting. I loved it. I didn't expect much when I purchased it but I'm sure glad that I did. I would recommend it highly.

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Summary: Hard to put down
Review: I don't like all of Oprah's recommended books but this one was great. It is compellingly written from the standpoint of an adult reflecting back on events when she was a teenager. The author's style is gripping and pulled me in emotionally and kept me there 'til the very end.

Rating:
Summary: Worth the read
Review: This was not a book that I couldn't put down. The labor room scenes were too taxing to take a lot of...I'm sure the mother's would have put them on hold if they could. But I found the charactors to be real...I wondered where the counter-culture 60's people had gone. Connie was perfect as the eavesdropping teen. Watch any conversation you have if there is a teen with in twenty miles. I would like to read more from this writer.

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Summary: Very good....worth $13....
Review: This book is cool. I love it! It is every bit worth the thirteen bucks it set me back. ANd the cover is cute too....

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Summary: The ending will make you question what you think you know.
Review: Originally from Burlington, VT, I enjoyed the setting and description in Midwives, especially after reading Bohjalian's newspaper columns for years. While I think the book delves too deeply into the courtroom drama, guiding the reader to conclusions about medical and moral ethics rather than letting them reach them for themselves, the ending truly makes up for any dullness the courtroom chapters add to the book. The characters were well-rounded, with the exception of the daughter's young yet unrealistically mature boyfriend, and draw the reader into their lives, so much so that one can't help but confront his or her own thoughts and feelings on the moral issues at hand, and wonder what he or she would do in the same situation.

Rating:
Summary: This is a keeper.
Review: Don't waste your time reading reviews. Go get this book, get comfortable, and read. You won't regret a second. Then go buy copies for your friends. It's one of the best in a long time.