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Jolina PetersheimTyndale House / 2014 / Trade PaperbackOur Price$13.494.2 out of 5 stars for The Midwife. View reviews of this product. 30 Reviews
Retail Price$14.99Save 10% ($1.50)Availability: Expected to ship on or about 04/27/24.Stock No: WW379357
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hannah97Cottonwood, CAAge: Under 18Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5LOVEDAugust 29, 2014hannah97Cottonwood, CAAge: Under 18Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5The Midwife is a truly amazing book written by a extremely talented author. After reading the first book by Jolina I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I wasn't disappointed at all. I only have good things to say about this book. I don't think I could find anything negative to say about The Midwife even if I wanted to (which I don't!). If your looking for a great read then look no further!
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Becky DempseyMichiganAge: 45-54Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5Good storyJune 10, 2014Becky DempseyMichiganAge: 45-54Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5I received a free paperback copy of "The Midwife" by Jolina Petersheim in order for me to read and review it for Tyndaleblognetwork.
I have read both of Jolina's books and enjoyed them both. It takes some getting used to her style of writing where you switch from the viewpoint of different characters in the book. 'The Midwife" follows Beth Winslow in the mid 1990's and Rhoda in 2014.
Beth agrees to be a gestational surrogate for her graduate adviser and his wife. But when there are problems, the parents decide that if the baby isn't "normal" they want to end the pregnancy. Beth "kidnaps" the baby still in her womb and flees to the Dry Creek Community of Old Order Mennonites. She hopes she can start a new life and find someone to love that won't abandon her like her mother had done.
Rhoda resists help from the outside world fearing that with it her past will come to light and shatter the life she has built for herself as head midwife for Hopen Haus in the Dry Creek Community. When her past finds her, will she be able to come to grips with those who've abandoned her and those she's abandoned? Will she be able to trust God to lead her through so she can find her Hope?
The book is set in an Old Order Mennonite Community mostly. Since Hopen Haus is a home for unwed mothers, there has obviously been some past "indiscretion's", although there isn't much elaboration on them. It shows that any person (even "Plain" ones) can fail.
I had a hard time putting the book down and found myself skimming over the words to see what was going to happen sooner. But I didn't want to miss anything, so I'd slow down and read it all! The prologue confused me until I was quite a ways into the the book. I think it would be better to not be there personally.
One time in the book one of the girls has an infection and someone asks if they gave her penicillin. They reply that she is allergic to penicillin so they gave her amoxicillin instead. Being allergic to penicillin myself, I was told that it didn't matter which one it was if it was in the same family, so they couldn't give her amoxicillin, either. I don't think it took away from the story, it was just an observation I had.
I would recommend" The Midwife" to those who enjoy Inspirational or Mennonite/Amish romances. The romance isn't the main story line, but it is there at the end. -
BethAge: 25-34Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5Compelling, Heartfelt and BeautifulJune 6, 2014BethAge: 25-34Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5As the dust from the dirt road settles, and you pull into the drive, you see it: Hopen Haus. A woman in plain clothing and a kapp steps out onto the porch. You walk up the steps and instead of judgment, you receive love; instead of ridicule, you find acceptance. The midwife's strong, quiet voice says, "Come, my girl," and your weary heart knows that you've come to a place of refuge, where hope is restored...
Beth Winslow has agreed to be a surrogate for her professor & his wife; she has given birth before, a son, who she gave up for adoption, and she needs funds to complete graduate school, so this seems to be the perfect option. What Beth doesn't expect is to fall head over heels in love with the child in her womb, a daughter the biological parents decide they don't want after early tests indicate abnormalities. She chooses to flee to Hopen Haus, and that choice colors the rest of her life with events she could never imagine.
The Midwife is a beautiful, heartbreaking story about motherhood, forgiveness and healing. Although at first I found the story to move more slowly, I came to appreciate the way in which it was told. Alternating between the past with Beth and present with Rhoda and Amelia, the scenes build the story, reaching a culmination that is tinged with both the bitter and the sweet that reconciliation can bring. I love entering a story after the choice has been made — the chips have fallen and maybe it's not the way the character wanted things to turn out; it's messy and discordant. Knowing the "what" of the story isn't as important or compelling as knowing the why and how. In The Midwife, although the reader has some foreknowledge that the characters don't have, how the characters choose to react to the path that their life has taken is beautiful and compelling.
The first-person narration is top-notch, and I hope that the author continues to use this style — I felt like I knew these characters as real people. I wanted to know them! Even the secondary characters a layered and come with descriptions that brought them to life. The scenes flow seamlessly one to the next, and although the subject matter is realistic and life-like, I read quickly because I couldn't do otherwise — I was that engrossed in the story.
This is a story about being grateful for the time you have and instead of mourning lost time, rejoicing in what you have now. It's about new life and re-birth and when you finally let go of bitterness, grasping the blessings that can still come from life's messes, no matter how much time has passed, no matter how far out of reach that healing might seem. The ending was perfect — no, everything didn't end perfectly, but it fit the story, bringing things to an end, yet also to a new beginning.
I can't recommend Jolina Petersheim's novels enough. The Midwife is another keeper on my shelf and one I will most likely read again, perhaps when I'm a mother myself and can even further appreciate it. If you want a story of the broken and flawed, yet healed and redeemed, you will find it in these pages. Highly recommended! -
lcjohnson1988IndianaAge: 45-54Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5The MidwifeNovember 16, 2014lcjohnson1988IndianaAge: 45-54Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5As in her first novel, The Outcast, the author is able to draw in the heart of the reader while delving into the story. Sometimes when I look at the stack of books I am blessed with reading, the choice of my next book can be really hard when faced with many wonderful books or unknown authors I want to discover. As is my practice, I wait to see which one the Lord would have me read and then share with you.
I loved Jolinas first novel and when I could, I obtained The Midwife earlier this year. What I knew to expect would be a wonderful tale, but what I didnt know was how I would be impacted by the book. While I have never been a surrogate mother, I have been blessed by having two sons with my husband of over 26 years. Just being a woman would be enough to read this novel, allowing it to touch your heart and hope for the best outcome for the characters.
While I cannot tell you how it ends because I dont want to ruin it for you, what I can say is that it will truly cause your eyes to mist. It will speak to your heart when you read the authors true life experience when she was writing this novel. Both the novel and author are a testament to how the Lord can mend broken hearts in ways we cannot see and bring joy from pain. The novel is truly inspiring, enjoyable, and one to share with your friends or family.
Dont be surprised if you find yourself talking about the The Midwife and perhaps also read The Outcast, which I also think is exceptional! The novels are stand alone books that can be read in any order, but dont miss these wonderful stories! I cannot wait to see what comes next from the pen of Jolina!
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rlighthousePAAge: 25-34Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5A very unique bookAugust 27, 2014rlighthousePAAge: 25-34Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5This is the second book I read by Jolina Petersheim and I wasn't disappointed. The author didn't write a typical Amish romance book, she took a young lady in an unusual situation and wove her into an Amish world. Rhoda, the head midwife at Hopen Haus is forced to remember her past as Beth and the people she knew as one by one they make their way to Hopen Haus. She also has several pregnant young women that require her help that she is not able to devote all her time to dwelling on her past. Finally all the unanswered questions from the prologue are answered and the current problems are resolved allowing Hopen Haus to continue.
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