Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian

I’m sure we all have lists of books that we’ve been meaning to get to for years.  I’m a fan of Bohjalian’s newer books, and because of that I have always wanted to read this one.  Finally I have, and I wasn’t disappointed.
This is the story of a birth attended by an experienced midwife going tragically wrong.  The story revolves around the incident, the trial, and the immediate aftermath.  This is definitely a “moral story” where a series of decisions can be considered from many different angles and the lines between right and wrong are extremely blurry.

I enjoyed the point of view of the story – all is told by the daughter of the midwife.  She is especially nosy, which is a wonderful thing for us, because we know all that she knows, and she knows quite a lot. 

If you are a fan of Bohjalian, Picoult or any other writers in which moral choices are the focus of the tale, this is one not to be missed.