I went back and forth with this book. At times I thought it was quite a good read and then other times I was bored for several pages before we got back on topic. Told through the 14 year old daughter's point of view, this is a story about a midwife on trial for manslaughter after performing an "emergency" c-section on what we are to presume is a dead woman. There was a huge sense of mystery in the story of course and at the end a huge lead up to the final jury decision. Was she guilty of performing a c-section on a woman still alive. Alas, the verdict is not that surprising however one missing page from her journal does take us by surprise.

...
This "surprise" last chapter somewhat ruined the book for me. If we are to believe that the midwife thought for a moment that the mother was indeed alive when she began the c-section, seriously, shouldn't she have stopped cutting and went in another direction? I have no idea what but I'm not a doctor. But then again, I guess that's the whole point of the story then isn't it? Bottom line IMHO: she should have had the woman go the hospital when the reports of bad weather were out. They live in Vermont. It snows. The roads get icy. Driving in it is dangerous. Why take that chance (of not being able to get to the hospital in an emergency)? So actually, maybe the last chapter didn't ruin it. The whole thing could have been avoided (yes, I realize, no book then) and the woman would probably still been alive.

I read this when I was a young mother. My births were not without incident and where I absolutely understand the desire to have that experience with a midwife at home, I couldn't make that choice. So knowing that is my baseline, reading this book was a very emotional journey. I thought the descriptions and situations were very relatable. I may not have agreed with all of the choices by the characters but I was definitely invested.

I so expected to like this more. The writing was good, but I felt that it kind of plodded along for me between the death of the mother giving birth and the trial of the midwife. Then I expected that the trial would be more exciting and it wasn't what I expected. I certainly can understand why others enjoyed it. It just wasn't a favorite for me.

I took my time reading this book (kept it on the nightstand in my bedroom and that’s where I read it) and loved it so so much. And most certainly I got teary eyed at the end. Such a remarkable story. Highly recommend.

Sorry, what was this book about? Because if the author stuck to what I believe to be the original idea, a courtroom drama-esque debate of ethics and assumptions surrounding homebirth and modern medicine, it would have kept my interest. These are certainly things that interest me. Well, there is that, but this book is also littered with totally irrelevant tangents, dead-end storylines, rambling emotions and love-life details of a 14 year old, and weird wavering between timelines.

It also drove me crazy how the author never explained how the main character, a hippy midwife with "no medical training" but this wise, experienced caregiver, trained or learned her craft. How did she become qualified to do what she did? He made it seem like she just loved wombs and babies so much it made her a natural midwife...it really discredited the character and drove me crazy. It was so central to the story, but never addressed. Boo.

This wasn’t my favorite book by this author. I just couldn’t get into this book until the very end. I thought there would be a dramatic court room scene. I have loved some of his other more current books.

I didn't read this book because it was an Oprah read...I don't think I even knew this was one until today. I found it at a little independent bookstore in Monterey years ago. This was one of those books I couldn't put down but... because of the intense emotional content of the book I ended up stepping away from the book a couple of times. I was amazed by the authors ability to write about such an emotional subject(home childbirth gone wrong)and had to remind myself numerous times that it was written by a man, he really seemed to be able to capture the labor and childbirth from a woman's point of view. For me it reminded me that decisions we make in life really do count on so many levels. A REALLY good read.

At first I gave this book four stars, but decided to dock it a star after some consideration. It’s an engaging novel and a fast read, but uses pretty simplistic plot devices in the form of the midwife in question’s journal entries. The author also just dropped some minor issues without any resolution like the protagonist’s leg pain while running cross country leaving me to wonder If she endured any long-lasting injuries. Overall, I’d file this under “not bad for a free Little Library book.”

I read this a very long time ago so I’m not able to review it. I know I liked it but again it was a long time ago. Would I still like it today? I’m not sure. We do change and grow over time so something that tugs on heartstrings may not any longer when an older version of one’s self. And something that intrigued in my 20’s might fall flat now that I am rapidly approaching 50. I also believe for myself, personally, when I was younger and had not yet experienced much, I delved into emotional and touchy subject books. Now with may years, some heartbreak, lots of experience.... I tend to want to escape the emotional heartbreaking stuff when I read. So no review just wanted to take note that this one, I know I read.

my mom insisted i read this book for years. now it's on the oprah book club so i feel lame saying i read it, because i find oprah's book club to be lame and i find the 'oprah book club' logo on a books front cover detrimental. But it was an interesting book. I liked it; a quick read. It follow the court case of a midwife in vermont who delivers a baby via an emergency c-section in which the mother dies and then they discover that the mother wasn't actually dead before the c-section occured. it's an interesting premise. go ahead and read it, it takes about a day.

*Spoiler alert*

The plot is good: a midwife who does home delivery gets stuck in a blizzard and is forced to deliver a baby via c-section after the mother dies trying to give birth. She is then accused of manslaughter.

So this is both a gripping medical thriller and a courtroom drama. Which are fine plot devices, but I was just plain overwhelmed by the sadness of the story and its people. In the course of telling the story, it seemed like the mother died over and over again, with the same agonizing pain for the rest of the characters. There is one twist, but it actually makes the story more harrowing.

Bohjalian is a wonderful writer. His characters, plot and dialogue are all beautifully done (as is his description of northern Vermont). But this is the second of his books that I've read that left me unsatisfied with the ending.

It was very well-written, but I read it with mixed feelings. When I was done I had to say that I didn't like it. The author says many positive things about midwifery but in the final analysis it really is an indictment of lay midwifery and home birth. I gave birth to 5 children at home: 1 with an old-time doctor and 4 with a lay midwife. I had 3 at the hospital: 1 without drugs, 1 with an epidural, and 1 with a C/S. So I feel qualified by experience to at least comment. My home births were by far my better birthing experiences, especially those with the lay midwife, and all of those children were born whole and healthy, thank G-d. Home is private and sacred and if your midwife is competent and you are in good health with a normal fetus and pregnancy then I am all for home birth. I'll try not to bore you with birth details but I have had a couple of bad experiences in the hospital: 1. doctor yelling "what the hell are you doing?!!" at me when I rolled onto my side during labor rather than staying flat on my back. That child was not in danger btw and was born healthy shortly thereafter. 2. nearly losing the C/S child because the hospital delivery staff didn't believe the lay midwife who said the child had to be born by C/S and thereby making us go through trial of labor before rushing me into a emerg C/S delivery like a Monty Python skit. My C/S child lived and there is no doubt that both of us would have died if not for the C/S as he was a PWS baby with very low muscle tone and he was a face presentation as well. Basically he was like a limp noodle in utero with his face against the cervix and he wasn't going to be born without surgical intervention. BUT the midwife knew he was face presentation at 8 months and suspected an anomaly as stress tests showed his heart rate was too flat. The hospital paid her no heed and my child's heart was slowing down and then stopping in 2nd stage labor in the hospital setting managed by hospital staff, hence the EMERGENCY C/S, which could have been performed without the emergency part if the doctors had listened to the midwife or me. Now how is this mis-judgment on the part of the hospital staff so different from the mis-judgements made on the part of the lay midwife in this book? She actually did pretty well, saving the life of the child. I guess what the author wants you to recognize is that if the hospital makes mistakes they have everything right there, surgical suites and all, to correct their error. But you know what? Hospital staff make mistakes all the time but they are better protected against the consequences of their mistakes. If lay midwifery were supported in this country with certification for midwives to deliver at home with a support system of doctors, hospitals and emergency transportation then we could have women deliver at home with less risk. ALL birth entails risk. There is an attempt in this book to link home birth with hippies and all that that lifestyle might entail. I really resent the idea that home birth is less hygienic than hospital birth when the fact is hospitals are home to a plethora of the very worst germs around. It is, as I said, a well-written indictment and no amount of story-telling and fictionalizing and choice of narrator changes that.