Seattle Pioneer Midwife: Alice Ada Wood Ellis Midwife, Nurse & Mother to All

by Susan Elaine Fleming

"In 1900 my great-grandmother, Alice Ada Wood Ellis, had one year of nurses’ training, no license, and called herself a nurse. She was a single mother with two small children Myrtle 2 ½ years of age and Marie a 6-month-old baby. She ventured to Seattle on a locomotive steam train. She placed two beds in her front parlor and ran a birthing service, for a fee, in her own home in Green Lake WA. This is her story" Susan E. Fleming

Genres: Health, History

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 9, 2014

Reviews

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tedious

This book is an interesting fairly short but tedious book to read. It wasn't what I expected. I don't recommend it.

[Kathi Toussaint · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular read

This is a wonderful read for any nurse who works on a birthing center and of course for any midwife.
My great grandmother was also a lay mid wife. She lived in very northern Vermont. She herself had 11 children! Some of her stories are similar. I won't say more as I don't want to spoil it for the reader.

[Madison Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account of a family history that highlighted the beginning of and changes in Midwifery and Seattle's history during the early 1900s. A little difficult to read, didn't flow well sometimes but the content and pictures were fascinating.

[Christine Arrowsmith Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an enjoyable book to read. I did not realize that this book would give such an interesting history of Seattle, Washington. Sorry to have finished reading this.... very good book.

[Carrie L. Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I really enjoyed this historical timeline and personal story of this remarkable young woman during her amazing life and times in early Washington State.

[Leigh Hargett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good
Midwife goes with her family to Seattle... 1908 World's Fair

[Syd Cosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully told.

I read this in one setting and will most likely read it again. Thanks so much to the author for sharing with us.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had potential but fell short.

I love the idea of this book. Unfortunately, it reads like a poorly written research paper. The author skips all over the place, and the frequent illustrations are a distraction. With better organization it would probably make for a good read, but as it is I couldn't get through it.

[Anita Elder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because of two interest of mine...history of the Green Lake neighborhood in Seattle (my neighborhood) and my love of midwife stories. The midwife's grand-daughter is the author. The stories are good, but the writing isn't that great. I still found it interesting, especially the glimpses of life in the early 20th century here in Seattle.