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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 04/26/24.Stock No: WW379357
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GazpachoHarrison, MIAge: 55-65Gender: Female4 Stars Out Of 5This is not a bonnets book, but contemporary workJuly 17, 2014GazpachoHarrison, MIAge: 55-65Gender: FemaleQuality: 4Value: 4Meets Expectations: 4When you read this book, be prepared for an unusual chronology. The prologue is a glimpse into the future, mysterious and puzzling. It does not prepare you for what's to come, but rather sets the tone for the book.
In the opening chapters we are introduced to Beth Winslow, a graduate student assigned to Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick. To assist in the completion of her Master's degree, she has agreed to become the gestational surrogate for the doctor and his wife, Meredith. It's 1995 and soon Beth will be faced with a life changing dilemma.
At first, I found the shifting chronology to be annoying and confusing. It appeared aimless to me until some of the puzzle pieces fell into place. What kept me motivated to read was the desire to make sense of the opening story. Looking back, I can better appreciate the chronology presented since it was the timing of revealed factors that added to the suspense and urgency. I'm still not a fan of this approach, but in this story it serves to increase expectations. I just couldn't put the book down.
What genre is this book written in? I can tell you better what it is not than what it is. For example, it is not a typical romance although there is a satisfying conclusion and the presence of some romance. It is not a boy meets girl kind of story. Many of the characters are not who they claim to be. Yet this is a story that does not easily fit into the mystery, suspense, or thriller genres. There is some mystery, some suspense, but those are not the driving force. It has more character development than action, so it is not a thriller or an action and adventure book. This is not even a "bonnets" story, even though the midwife, Rhoda, is Mennonite, wears a cape dress, apron, and a prayer kapp. Being Mennonite is pretty much incidental because the central issues revolve around identity, acceptance, pain, loss, hiding, finding love, and resolution. In essence, it is a contemporary tale that deals with some hard-hitting issues at the core. The thought provoking problems seem to have come out of the author's "what if" file, assuming she has one. I don't think you can pin a particular genre to this book. As I read, the thing uppermost in my mind was a big question mark.
The segment I found most heartwarming was the friendship Rhoda found in Fanny Graber, the head midwife of Hopen Haus when Rhoda first arrived there pregnant and frightened. A special friendship developed between the elderly Mennonite and the young girl. Rhoda met the Lord because of Fanny. It was the first time she felt completely accepted, wanted and loved. Eventually, Fanny taught her to be a midwife. It was a task Rhoda adopted as her own mission--to care for the girls who came for assistance--even after Fanny had passed on.
There are parts of the book that will grip you and emotionally wring you dry. Most of the accounts are told in the first person, so that the point of view becomes personal to the reader. Toward the end, the resolution includes some twists in the plot that, in spite of a few clues, will still surprise the reader. That said, I still found more satisfaction from the second reading of the book. Once I had more of the pieces in place in my mind, it was easier for me to follow.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." -
CurledUpWithaBookThe MaritimesAge: Over 65Gender: female4 Stars Out Of 5The MidwifeJune 6, 2019CurledUpWithaBookThe MaritimesAge: Over 65Gender: femaleQuality: 4Value: 4Meets Expectations: 3This review was written for The Midwife - eBook.This was a great book though I did find it somewhat confusing jumping back and forth between characters.
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Edye4 Stars Out Of 5Come right to the point.January 15, 2018EdyeQuality: 4Value: 4Meets Expectations: 4Never saw the end coming.. kept interest alway to the end. Forgiveness and love.
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Danielle Hull4 Stars Out Of 5Guaranteed to make you cry!June 24, 2015Danielle HullQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 4Petersheim did a great job interweaving these characters lives. Each chapter or section is labeled with the character and year, so we know the setting and whose perspective were getting. The setting varied between the 1970s and current day and between a Mennonite community and Boston.
Ultimately, this book is encouraging. It shares many life experiences of the characters, thus teaching many life lessons. Many serious topics are discussed in Petersheims The Midwife. I would allow my 17-year-old daughter to read it if we discussed it, but I think she is going to pass. I caution that if you've ever been pregnant, the ladies' stories in this novel will rip your heart out and you will bawl!
I have two issues with The Midwife that kept me from giving it 5 stars: I can handle one No way! coincidence in a true-to-life story, but when the 2nd one happened it annoyed me. Also, as the book was dying down, there was an added suspenseful part that wasnt necessary and kept me from getting to the goal: the end of the story. -
CassandraMaineAge: 18-24Gender: female4 Stars Out Of 5good bookMay 19, 2015CassandraMaineAge: 18-24Gender: femaleQuality: 0Value: 0Meets Expectations: 0
I liked this book even if I predicted what the end would be like long before I got there. It was about forgiveness, love, and God's grace.
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