Pages: 368
Finished: May 2009
Challenges:
** Spring Reading Thing
** A-Z Challenge
** New Authors
** Read and Review
** What's in a Name
First sentence: " My house stands at the edge of the earth."
Last sentence: "They are waiting for the lights to go on in the Bay."
From Booklist
When Dr. Gilbert Thomas, self-proclaimed expert in hygienic, pain-free childbirth, opens a practice in a Nova Scotia coastal village during the World War I years, it sets the stage for a classic conflict between long-held traditions and modern medicine. Seventeen-year-old Dora Rare, the only Rare daughter within five generations, improves her lot in life by becoming the apprentice of Marie Babineau, the independent but caring Acadian midwife who helped bring several generations of Scots Bay residents into the world. The women of the village (not to mention their husbands) grow bitterly divided when Dr. Thomas calls the health and safety of expectant mothers into question. His vengeful actions toward Dora herself--a young woman looking for guidance with her own love life--turn particularly personal as well. McKay has fashioned what she terms a "literary scrapbook," reproducing and re-creating historical news clippings, advertisements, and letters within the text. This sensitively written novel of women's birthing rituals, strengths, and friendships will appeal to readers who enjoy gentle humor and plenty of homespun wisdom.
This book was very warmly written and one that I enjoyed, for the most part. The theme of women taking care of women really touched me and speaks of a time past--There were problems with this story at times: all men (except 1) are portrayed pretty harshly, but I think there is a bit of truth to how women in the backwoods were treated in the 1800's and early part of the 1900's. There were no women's rights and women didn't have a platform to assert themselves. Another problem I saw with the novel was a section towards the end of the book that really wasn't necessary--or maybe was dragged out to help advance another part of the plot, but another option should have been used as this didn' t really help the storyline much.
Like I have already mentioned, the scenes where the women supported each other were great, and a real tribute to the midwife is to be found within the pages. Compared to the early views of women in the *professional, male dominated* medical field, the midwife was the only one who seemed to get women's mental and physical health right!
Harsh depictions of men in a book about birth do not surprise me so much but I always find it interesting how women seem to bond over birth or even stories about birth yet don't support each other as a whole in everyday life.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that is just my opinion and I am probably tainted by my real life experiences so I will stop rambling now. LOL.