Birth Road

by Michelle Wamboldt

Told in startling vignettes and with bold, impeccable prose, Birth Road is a story of love, lost innocence, and the secrets that so often haunt small places.

Set in early twentieth-century Nova Scotia, our story follows the naive but curious Helen, as she recalls the relationships and significant moments that have led to the birth of her child. Born in the grip of poverty to a cruel mother and a gentle but absent father, Helen’s life follows a surprising path as she is moved from one place to another, constantly leaving the people she cares about behind. The love she has for her best friend Madge and her husband Edgar are tested as her journey is overshadowed by rumours and secrecy. Her loving Aunt Gertie, whose voice is like the summer rain, guides her with humour and wisdom as she grows into a woman.

Throughout it all, Helen takes in the world around her, but with an innocence that lets it break her heart over and over again. Why is Madge’s family so sad? Why does her brother hate their mother? Why have the details of her parents’ marriage been kept a secret? As Helen grows, she slowly unravels family secrets, and finds the life she’s been building is one she never expected. Moving from the woodlands of rural Nova Scotia to the city streets of Boston and back again, Birth Road is the powerful story of a woman desperate to live life on her own terms.

Genres: Canada, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adult Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

Published April 19, 2022

About the author

Michelle briefly worked as a journalist after University and then spent many years working in communications for the government of Canada. Her first novel, Birth Road, was published in April 2022. Her short fiction has appeared in The Dalhousie Review and Moose House Publication's 2022 Short Story Collection, Blink and You'll Miss It.

​

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michelle Wamboldt has a mystery writer's uncanny knack for revealing just enough information, at just the right time, to build and maintain maximum tension throughout her story. In her case, the mystery is as intriguingly uncertain for her naive young protagonist, an early 20th-century woman yearning for autonomy--as it is for her readers. The result is a compelling page turner from a narrator we long to see find love and acceptance from the same people controlling her life with secrets. Every setback hurts, and every success thrills.

[Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Birth Road is historical fiction based on a true story. It is the story of the author’s grandmother Helen and covers the years from 1921 to 1946. It covers Helen’s struggles through poverty of the depression and then a husband that goes off to fight in WWII. The chapters are short but worked extremely well in the telling of Helen’s story.

Michelle Wamboldt did a masterful job in the retelling of her grandmother’s story. She gives you just enough to keep you wanting for more with each chapter.

Thank you to #netgalley and #nimbuspublishing for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

[Sue Slade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birth Road by Michelle Wamboldt is a remarkable, page-turning historical fiction novel depicting the life journey of Helen from 1921 to 1946 and set mostly in Nova Scotia, with a short period of time spent in Boston. Despite the fact that this is a historical fiction novel, I felt that it realistically portrayed life in Nova Scotia during this time period. I really enjoyed hearing of skates coming from Starr Manufacturing and the people taking on jobs at Stanfield’s in Truro. People who love local history will enjoy this novel.

[Tim Covell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The theme and structure reminded me of Alice Munro's Lives of Girls and Women, and I suspect this will be just a memorable. The structure, a series of short episodes in the main character's life from childhood to the birth of her first child, does a great job of economically advancing the story while encouraging the reader to see what happens next. Most of the story is set in rural and small-town Nova Scotia, against a backdrop of infidelities, poverty, and alcoholism, but Helen manages to thrive and find peace of a sort in the chaos around her. Her detachment and understatement seems naïve, but it's hard not to admire her perseverance, growing strength, and capacity to forgive.
I appreciated the local historical details, such as working at Stanfields. The period setting includes WWII and its impact on small Canadian towns, but the way it is portrayed in this story is both unexpected and wonderfully integrated into the plot.

[Donna Alward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a curl-up-with-a-blanket, read-in-one-sitting kind of book! We first meet Helen when she's six, living in the woods with her family while her father and brother work at the nearby lumber camp. What follows is a story that is sadly familiar, at times tragic, yet with a backbone of optimism and resilience that keeps the story from being bogged down. The author's voice never falters, even as she writes about Helen at different ages. Jumps in time are seamless, and the prose is so beautifully accessible. It's a coming-of-age tale inspired by the author's own family, and it's also a debut novel. If this is what Wamboldt produces for a debut, I can't wait to see what's coming next.

[Digitally Lit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire M.- I read Birth Road in one day, and I’m glad I got the chance to read it. It was a shorter novel than what I typically read, but it made for a good afternoon of reading.

The plot of the novel was quite depressing, which is not what I was expecting. There are a few happy moments, a few moments where Helen’s true happiness can be seen, but the happiness is more often than not overshadowed by heartbreak or pain. I appreciated the storyline, but it was a bit too disheartening for me. I believe that the character Helen is based on the author’s grandmother, and knowing that information makes it even more heartbreaking and real.

I did like that some of the loose ends were tied up at the end of the book. I was able to predict some of them, but knowing that I was right was very satisfying to me. I wish that some of the questions that got answered at the end of the novel were answered a little sooner, as I felt that the end of the novel was a little rushed.

Overall, I did like this book. I’m a sucker for good historical fiction, and this definitely delivered in the historically accurate division. I will say that it can be a bit depressing, but pushing past that reveals a good, solid storyline that speaks to the hardships that women in the mid 20th century faced with courage.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Carrie Chiasson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The length of time it took me to finish this book, was my own fault not the book!
This book, set in 1930/40s in Nova Scotia was remarkably written.
I felt like I was reading my own Grandma's story!! It seems so long ago, yet as a fellow Nova Scotian you can feel the depth of the entire story like you are walking to Madge's house, or working at Stanfields.
5/5 would recommend this book to anyone!

[Aren Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this early 20th century historical fiction. From the way the protagonist’s (Helen) life story is told in vignettes to the immersive locations of Truro and Amherst in rural Nova Scotia all the way to busy streets of Boston. It is a sad story of family secrets, the disappointment of adulthood and the strength required to find joy. It reminded me of my own family’s stories from that time period and the remarkable strength of the human spirit to keep on going. A great read!

[Pamela Perrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book felt like I was having a conversation with my grandmother. It's been a long time since I've had something grab my attention like this book has. Once I started, I couldn't stop. A definite must-read

[Lisaluvs2read · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Meg Oickle Linloff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so intrigued by Helen’s story. I couldn’t wait to turn the page to see what else happened. A great read

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t remember the last time I finished a book in one day… couldn’t put this down. It was so good, heartbreaking and frustrating at times in such a believable and devastating way. Inspired by Wamboldt’s familial history and told in strikingly vivid beautifully written chapters, I was fully immersed and invested from the very first page. Love that this was local as well.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the true coming of age tale of the author’s grandmother, Helen, who was born in the 1920s and lived in small towns I. Nova Scotia and for a period of time in the city of Boston. Helen grows up in a broken home with a drunk and absent father, and a mother she doesn’t really get along with. She struggles with inevitable life events during this time period including poverty during the depression and her husband fighting in WWII. The story is written in short chapters, hush I think supports the desire to keep reading and find out what is going to happen next. I wasn’t sure while I was reading if it was a true story or complete fiction, but after reading the author’s note I was pleasantly surprised that it was based on a true story of her grandmother. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for people who enjoy historical fiction, as well as books set in Canada.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this great book!

[Chantal · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s been a few days and I just had to come back and change my review. So many plot holes and missing conclusions. I realized the only real conclusions found in the book are with characters that died. All I have are questions.

Why did the book take so long to start yet be too quick to finish. The first few chapters the author went into painful details simple actions like walking to school yet in the later chapters everything was too quickly skipped over. Felt like the author realized she had to end the book with only two pages left and crammed everything in.

Why start the book from the perspective of an aged woman to never return to her again? Why bother?

Either Helen hated herself or the author hated Helen.

Helen ran away from everything in her life and allowed the abuse from her mom and husband.

The author either chose to write a terrible life story or fictionalize a relative in a terrible way. I can’t decide which.

Why did Russel hate his mom?
Why did Madge never write to Helen?
Why did we never hear from the family in Boston or her aunt?
Why was her dad by the train that night?
Why was it never said that her husband was in the car with Madge that night?
Why with her type of upbringing was she no naive, submissive and a coward?
Why with a tough mother that stood up to everyone and made her own decisions could she not learn to do the same as an adult?

I have countless more questions like this.

Helen has no voice.

[Sarah Butland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow start to a magnificent and powerful story. Throughout the tale of romance, heartbreak and family, the rawness of truth unwound and the ball was found. To then learn it was based on a real Helen, with fiction to offer hoe, made it even sweeter of a story for me.

The story took place over several years, following Helen as she discovered who she was, wanted to be, and who she became. With characters to help her along the way, and familiar settings within Nova Scotia to tie it altogether, my heart broke several times in the reading of this tale. It was also flooded with hope, forgiveness, and understanding when some mysteries unfolded before our eyes and Helen's.

A historical fiction with lots of truths, this novel is one that convinces me to read more of Wamboldt's writing. The way she mastered time, foreshadowing and forgiveness made for a great, highly recommended read.

[Linda Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!
This was an unexpected treasure. I bought it just because Michelle Wambolt is a local author and she was scheduled to do a reading and autograph session at The LeHave Bookstore on the south shore of Nova Scotia. A first time author.. “how good could it be” I thought?
My moderate expectations were no where close to the experience.
I was hooked immediately and devoured it in short order.
Set in Truro, with a segment in Boston, it is skillfully written piece of historical fiction based on the life of Wambolt’s grandmother, Helen that will keep you wanting to …just finish one more chapter.
I have recently had a succession of wonderful reads. Birth Road is the best of the best.
Check out Chris’s review… He nailed it.
I Highly recommend this one!
And… https://lahaveriverbooks.ca/

[Bobbi-Jo Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very pleased with this book! The writing was good and the plot well laid out. The best part is that it is based on a real person even though some of the story is fictionalized. I was able to connect with everyone. Actions were not perfectly explained at the time they happened. The author allows the reader to wonder about certain things until later in the novel. Then at the end, everyone's lives are not all summed up perfectly. Which I love. You are left to wonder what happened to certain characters.

Fav Quote:
"You may not believe this now, but life has more than one love for us all. Someday...you'll look up and be surprised to realize you love somebody else, and even more surprised at how easy it is to be happy."

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful story from start to finish. As a lot of other reviews have said as well, I couldn’t put it down. I found myself thinking about Helen when I wasn’t able to read it and I know this story is going to stick with me for a long time. It was heart wrenching with both happy and sad moments. I felt captivated by everything Helen had to say even when it was just mundane. She had so much strength and courage even when she felt like she had given up. As someone who grew up in PEI and Nova Scotia I was so happy to see the Maritimes as the background for such a wonderful story.

I would recommend this book a thousand times over and I know this won’t be the only time I read it.

[Courtney Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic - Helen's story drew me in from the start. Because of the story itself and the way it was told, this was one of the few books recently I started reading and did not put down until I finished later the same day. Unlike many books in the same genre, there was no fakey "happy ending" where everything came up roses, but a realistic, satisfying conclusion, made even more poignant when reading that it was based on a real person and her real story.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a coming of age story of Helen, born in the 1920's to a distant mother and drunken father. Birth Road takes us on a journey of the trials and tribulations of Helen as she finds a life and strength of her own. Trigger warnings for alcoholism and abuse, and the aftermath of war, the characters are both loved and hated. An enjoyable book, I could not put down.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[Ramona Jennex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written tale of the life of a woman, her family and friends in rural Nova Scotia (1920-1940). I admit that once I started reading this book, I could do nothing else until I turned the last page. I was totally captivated!
I went into this book without reading anything about it beforehand and was pleasantly surprised to find that the author based this historical fiction on the actual life story of her grandmother.

What a debut novel! Brava Michelle Wanboldt!

[sunflowerbooknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a book comes into your hand because you need to read it.
Stunning Historical Fiction told with love. Wamboldt unravels the story of her grandmother Helen. From 1921 to 1946 in Truro Nova Scotia. This is Helen's story,growing up in a logging camp to Boston. It's a beautiful story one of naivete as Helen negotiates life. The loss of her father, her marriage which fails and the birth of her daughter which gives her back life.
Beautifully written and captivating

[litost · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated Wamboldt’s recreation of the feeling of small-town Truro in the 1920’s-1946, with Stanfield’s mill, the swimming hole, etc. The use of the first-person limits how much we can learn about the characters and context, so we don’t come to an understanding about why Madge’s brother is evil and Helen’s father & husband alcoholics - it comes across as more of a diary. I did like Kim Danio’s map.

[Laura Frederick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book, it was very well written. I enjoyed that it was local to Nova Scotia. I felt the author was able to capture the ups and downs of the main character Helen’s life without making it wordy or over complicated. I felt like I was able to really understand Helen’s life and what shaped her into the woman she grew up to be. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a wonderfully written life story.

[Lucy Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story. I'm a sucker for a map in a book, so I loved the start before I'd even read a word. I enjoyed the style of the book, and - as another reviewer has pointed out - the fact there wasn't a forced happy ending, but still one which was satisfying.

I loved this book, and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and themes surrounding motherhood.

[caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! I loved the book! Well done, the author made the story absolutely compelling and never let you down! The woods life and lumber mills were such a part of my childhood, so many old memories swirled to the fore, not to mention the alcoholism and poverty that went with it all. A real story teller!

[Carlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written historical fiction. Birth Road

[Tiffany1979 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, especially being from Nova Scotia. Some of the characters are based on real people, they are all thoroughly developed. The book left me wanting to know more of the story. It was a quick read because it was so good!

[Kathleen McRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really thought this was a great book for a number of reasons It was easy to follow and read and it told a very important story. We need these stories told and they show why we must never go back to a time when women are so powerless.

[Kelly Boyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I devoured it. Having been born in Truro, NS, it was fun reading all the landmarks during a time that came before I showed up. The characters were well drawn and the story kept me turning the page. Definitely recommend.