Rating: 
Summary: Too thick
Review: Too thick for a light reading. Too serious for an afternoon's pleasure. Too depressing for most days of my life. Could not gather myself to read the book for days after the children were separated, put into foster homes and mocked by their peers as mother went to trial. Ouch. I hope this one is NOT made into a movie. Some topics just are too depressing and too gray for other people's senses.
Rating: 
Summary: An intelligent novel!!
Review: I found Midwives to be an excellent novel. I gave it a 4 instead of 5 because it was good but it became much better at the end instead of the whole way through. You could tell the author did all his research & was very knowledgable on the subject of midwifry. I especially enjoyed how it was narrated by a 13 year old because you got to see the world through her eyes & her aspect on what was going on. I just thought the whole book was very great & it was one that I didn't want to put down & it was a worthwhile choice. I recommend it to you or use it as a gift!! :)
Rating:
Summary: Must read
Review: When I started reading this book, it was a little confusing. The story would keep jumping back and forth. This book is about a midwife who practices in the persons home. She has been a midwife for a very long time. One night, she is at a patients home getting ready to deliver a baby, when something goes wrong. I can't give away the rest of the story, youi just have to read it for yourself. The story takes place up in Burlington, Vermont. I happened to be visiting the place and I was also expecting my first child at the time that I bought it. This is the type of book that you have to be 100% focused on in order to understand it.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't waste your money
Review: I came here and saw all the rave reviews of this book Midwives and so I went and bought the book. I am totally disappointed as the reviews are all so positive. I personally couldn't get past page 45 and this is me "trying really hard to get into it". It was an expensive book and just not up to its pricetag or reviews at all to me. My advice? Don't waste your money. Get it out of the library instead because if you don't get past page 45 you will feel better about it.
:)
Rating: 
Summary: Incredibly Compelling
Review: Sibyl Danforth became a midwife after being truly called at an emergency birth. The ex-hippie suddenly knew that being a lay midwife, helpign mothers have babies at home, comfortable and with their families, was what she was truly meant to do. Sibyl loved her profession, and wrote moving journal entries about her work with pregnant women.However, one stormy Vermont night, things went wrong. After a woman died during labor, Sibyl decided to save the baby by performing a Cesarean section. She is charged with involuntary manslaughter for her act. The state's attorney general takes the trial not just as an indictment of Sibyl, but as a diatribe against the entire home-birth community and lay midwives in general. The entire book is suspenseful, and the end really makes the reader reconsider much of what they have come to believe. Bohjalian writes an incredibly moving story about a deeply personal decision. The reader comes to know the midwives and to understand both the medical and legal debate through this work of fiction. The writing is evocative and beautiful, and the book is very strongly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable narrative, great topic, but slightly disappointing
Review: This was a quick read for me. Many interesting topics are touched upon, particularly the division between homebirth advocates and traditional physicians. A reader with sympathies in either camp would find this book interesting, and would probably have a different take on who the villains are in the story. (Unlike one reviewer, I do not think this book portrays homebirth and midwives badly, and I strongly support both.) The descriptions of Vermont landscape, weather, and culture and beautiful. I was somehow disappointed after finishing the book, and I can't quite place the reason why. The last part of the book seemed a bit haphazard to me, as if the author wanted to hurry to finish the story. The fear of the midwife, that she may have harmed her patient, was not considered thoroughly enough. I wanted to learn more about the narrator's educational experience and current life. OVERALL: A GOOD STORY, WELL-WRITTEN, INTERESTING TOPIC, BUT SLIGHTLY DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE SOME ISSUES WERE NOT ADDRESSED AS DEEPLY AS I WANTED.
Rating:
Summary: Keeps you guessing til the end
Review: This was the first Oprah book I read, and because this was so well written I then went on to other Oprah picks and was slightly disapointed. However, the story is great coming from the eyes of the midwife's child. As an obstetrics nurse, I found myself taking a stand on what was happening in this book. As a "medical" professional, I could see the debate of the MD's and such not liking country midwives practicing with no formal medical or nursing training. But because I am a nurse, and feel as though nurses have a more human aspect to caring (not curing as MD's do), I can see these midwives care as great in compassion and experience. So I was surprised at the ending.... read this!
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking
Review: While it took me longer than usual to finish this one, I was very glad I did. The author did a wonderful job portraying the scene of the pivotal birth, and the method he uses to describe the trial kept me guessing about the verdict. The ending was haunting and made it all worthwhile.
Rating:
Summary: Midwives
Review: The book was well written and organized so it was read quickly. The story held so many beliefs and principals that made me think about what was right and wrong. It showed me that we make our decisions in life based on the facts we have at hand. Under different circumstances (the facts different) we may make an intirely different decision. So, who can say what is RIGHT or WRONG at any given time. The characters were well defined. I felt as if I could draw a picture of the midwife, the pregnant women and of her husband and also the assistant who was present at the birth.
Rating:
Summary: This was good but not great
Review: I enjoyed this book but didn't think it was excellent. Let me rephrase this, I didn't actually enjoy it (in fact, I found it disturbing) but I did want to continue to the end. The first 50 pages I found repetitive which was a theme throughout the book. I would recommend it, but not one of my all time favorites
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