Rating: 
Summary: What a filling book!
Review: While reading this book, I felt as though I had eaten a thanksgiving dinner after each chapter. You need to bookmark the page and let everything digest before you continue again. The story is so well written, that I placed myself in that house that night! I really never wanted the story to end, but yet wanted to find out what happens to Sybil and her daughters' future. Its a must read in my opinion!
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Summary: A Good Solid Read
Review: Midwives is an engaging, solid read. It's court room, suspense novel, told in an interesting, and realistic way. One of the problems I have with a lot of legal thrillers is that they are completely unrealistic, but this one is completely believable, well-written. Bohjalian has you wondering right up until the end as to what the verdict is going to be--was she guilty of murder, of anything? The story of Sybil, a midwife accused of murder when a homebirth goes horribly, horribly wrong is told from the vantage point of her daughter who was a young girl at the time, but is now a practicing Obstetrician. This is the sort of novel that's best if you can just zip right through it--perfect reading for a vacation, or a weekend away. The characters are interesting and believable and certain things happen at the end that will surprise you. It's definitely one of the better Oprah picks.
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Summary: EXQUISITELY WRITTEN AND ABSORBING...A NOVEL TO REMEMBER
Review: This beautifully crafted novel is set in 1981 when a midwife, leading an otherwise uncomplicated and simple life with her husband and daughter in rural Vermont, is thrust into a legal, moral, political, and ethical nightmare. It evolves around a split second decision made in a life and death situation and the aftermath of that decision. An experienced and respected midwife, Sibyl Danforth, attends a woman during a home birth. When she realizes that dangerous complications have set in, she tries to call for help in vain, as a severe ice storm has knocked out the phone lines. An attempt to drive the expectant mother to a hospital only results in the car being wedged into an icy snowbank, as travel conditions were impossible. Trapped in this isolated home with a physically fragile, expectant mother in the throes of a labor that will not bear fruit, Sybil struggles to do the best that she can. Unfortunately, her best is just not good enough, given the complications that had set in, and the expectant mother appears to succumb to the ravages of a laborious childbirth. Under the belief that the expectant mother had died, Sibyl performs an emergency caesarean section in an effort to save the unborn child. She successfully does so, presenting the stricken husband with an infant son. Yet, the next day, her assistant, Anne, who had been present throughout the ordeal, denounces Sibyl to the authorities, claiming that the expectant mother had, in fact, been alive, when Sibyl had commenced the caesarean. Consequently, Sibyl is charged with manslaughter, and the political winds blown by the traditional medical establishment, as well as that of the legal system, threaten to tear asunder all that she holds dear. The story of this event, its aftermath, and the impact it had on many lives, is told through the eyes of Sibyl's daughter who had been a young teenager at the time of the incident, and through the pages of Sibyl's journal. The book takes the reader through a number of moral dilemmas for Sibyl, as well as for her daughter who is forced to come of age during this time of trial and tribulation for her family. Absorbing and often surprising, this sensitively wrought novel is a well nuanced literary gem from a gifted writer.
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Summary: Big story in a short book
Review: I enjoyed this book so much -- it seemed like it was hardly long enough to hold an entire story, but it more than succeeds. Even at the end, when you think you know all the circumstances surrounding the main tragedy, this book still manages to surprise.
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Summary: A Midwife's Dilemma!
Review: A very interesting book to read. The story is told by Connnie, an OB/GYN Doctor and daughter of Sibyl Danforth, the midwife who is on trial. The event was to be a normal home birth of Charlotte bedford's second child. Events in the birth process changed for the worst, and Sibyl, unable to get to the hospital due to a snow storm did an emergency cesarean section to save Charlotte's baby. Charlotte's husband a church minister and Sibyl's inexperienced assistant were present during the unfortunate incident. The court must now decide if Sibyl Danforth performed the cesarean section while Charlotte was alive contributing to Charlotte's death. Mr. Bohjalian showed the love, friendship and togetherness between the Danforth family and their friends throughout the trial. As for the ending; you have got to read the book. I recommend this book.
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Summary: Taut fine writing about a family in crisis.
Review: I am always a bit leary of picking up a work of fiction about which I know nothing and I am not familiar with the author. I learned during college the first time around that just because a book is widely recommended or even considered a 'classic' it does not mean that it will be something that appeals to me, or even that it is good writing. I do not watch Oprah, partially because I am deaf and partially because I do not watch daytime TV because I am not home...I am a scientist and educator, and I do not have the time to waste. This book was more than worth the time spent reading it, and I think I read this one in two days (in spite of all the school work I had to do). The story of midwives even now, reflects the efforts of women to make strides into the world of men. Too many times a mistake on a woman's part is made into a big deal, when a mistake on a man's part (especially if they have a degree by their name) is ignored by the public and the media. As someone who has been through medical school for neuroscience, and also a deaf activist, I am very aware of the many 'mistakes' made by male physicians, who endangered the lives of women who trusted them, and babies who had no way to give informed consent. Yet these men continue to practice medicine with no fear of repercussions, or simply move to another state. Their 'mistakes' seem not to bother them at all. The women I know and see in medical and research fields tend to be acutely aware of every little mistake they make. They also feel deeply for the women they care for...not always, but as a rule. The women who I know who are obstetricians or pediatricians are compassionate, whereas the men tended to treat me and other pregnant women as just another body, just another face. I have seen women agonizing over the loss of a baby, and frantically trying to save my life as well as others. I know they "take their work home" and that the impact of doing that on their families must be agonizing. This story would not have had the effect on me that it did without the fine writing by Mr. Bohjalian. His ability to place himself into the emotions of his characters, especially the young daughter who watches her mother disintegrate in the face of false accusations and her own questioning mind, is superb. This ranks as one of the most wonderful books I've read in the last ten years, and for once, it was done without the need to pander to those who enjoy raw language, violence, and sex. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh
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Summary: Bohjalian Touches the Midwife's Heart
Review: As a retired certified nurse-midwife and a published writer, I was prepared NOT to like the premise of this novel. Wow! I was blown away with the author's insight into the heart of a midwife. Having lost my own career due to illness, I know the pain of having to leave a calling that to me and other midwives is almost holy. I cried with Sibyl Danforth. Bravo, Mr. Bohjalian! Three things I can recommend to any reader: 1) an engaging plot, 2) real, three-dimensional characters, and 3) brilliant use of the daughter's voice to tell the story. Also recommended: "The Midwife's Song" by Brenda Ray
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Summary: A thought provoking piece of fiction
Review: Chris Bohjalian gives us an interesting topic and lots of food for thought in this tightly packed little novel. Midwifery, morals, judgement under fire, lives torn asunder- this book is loaded with things to think about and ponder, not the least of which is how this book ends (what do YOU think really happened?) This was a really neat little book. Serious, maybe too serious for some, but one that continues to haunt me. Particularly interesting to women, I would think, although some men might enjoy this. I think any OB/GYN would find this book fascinating, but that's not to exclude the average reader.
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Summary: A pleasant novel
Review: I read this for my high school bookclub. It was suggested because the way of writing seemed a little like She's Come Undone (ie: man writing through the eyes of a girl). Although it wasn't anywhere near to She's Come Undone, it was a very good book. Different. I learned a lot of new things that I did not know, such as midwives and what they do. I actually bought it later on because I liked it so much. :) I do suggest this book to anyone who wants an interesting story and a very good way of presenting it. The story itself is captivating: suspenceful and mysterious without being overly gory or scary.
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Summary: Dead on Arrival? Think Again!
Review: My wife, to my surprise, wanted a midwife for her first pregnancy. The experience was wonderful and, when she became pregnant with our second child while we worked in Europe, she almost demanded we return to Oregon to the same midwife that delivered the first. The result? Two beautiful daughters. In a style reminiscent of "Snow Falling on Cedars," Bohjalian faithfully renders the midwife experience--though I think the title alone tends to alienate many male readers--and I found myself concerned with Sybil's legal trouble, having faced similar prejudices from even close friends during our two pregnancies. Is this book slow-paced or tedious, as some previous reviewers claim? Only if you lack compassion for this well-meaning midwife and her family. Yes, the story is character-driven, but a deceptively simple plot also throbs beneath the surface--like the weak pulse of a person presumed dead. This story has life! The narrator, the midwife's daughter, plays a key role in the unveiling of court and household events, and I found myself racing toward the ending, despite what I thought might be a predictable outcome. If you're willing to put in the labor, this book might take you late into the night, watching the birth of a heart-rending and redeeming tale.
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