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Kathryn

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Midwives

by Chris Bohjalian (Goodreads Author)

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Kathryn said: " Midwives, written by Chris Bohjalian, features multiple themes. The theme most prevalent, though, was uncertainty. Sibyl Danforth, a long time practicing midwife, performs an emergency cesarean section on one of her mother's who she believed had died Midwives, written by Chris Bohjalian, features multiple themes. The theme most prevalent, though, was uncertainty. Sibyl Danforth, a long time practicing midwife, performs an emergency cesarean section on one of her mother's who she believed had died during the home birth. After cutting into the mother, Charlotte Bedford, with a kitchen knife in a hurried attempt to save the fetus, midwife Sibyl Danforth fears that she will be considered the murderer of the dead Mrs. Bedford. There was one quote that truly captured the essence and theme of the entire book. The accused Sibyl Danforth recalled, “But looking back on it now- [the decision to make an emergency cesarean section] a day later, after I’ve gotten some sleep-I just don’t know…” (372)

Chris Bohjalian, the author of the novel, may have written this book to inform the public of what midwifery really is, including the joys and complications a home birth can entail. Midwives undoubtedly expanded my otherwise slim knowledge of what home birthing really is. Midwives is written in first person, and from the perspective of the teenage daughter of the midwife, Sibyl Danforth. The author was able to set a distinct style and voice for the book from the very first page due to the fact that the reader is experiencing the events unfold as if they were Connie Danforth, the daughter, herself. This style allows the reader full access into the private world of the Danforth house, and their conversations as the trial to convict Sibyl Danforth begins to unfold.

Throughout the novel, the author is extremely descriptive in depicting every detail necessary to understand the full story. The vivid descriptions and obvious development of the two main characters was helpful in some aspects. Connie, one of the lead roles, develops over the course of the novel which is obvious since she is the one telling the story. You learn at the end that the book is being told by Connie as an adult, recalling her childhood experience when her mother was put on trial. This sudden knowledge confused me as a reader, and threw off my concept of time that had developed over the novel. At one point Connie was fourteen years old, and a few pages later, you learn that she is in fact an adult. Also, while the descriptiveness of both the characters, and the specific events helped me to understand what was going on, the author was often sidetracked from the main plot of the story, and frequently dragged out scenes that weren't relevant.

The most interesting portion of the entire novel was the conclusion. Although the ending was suspenseful and shocking, it still included numerous full pages of unnecessary information. The ending, while a fairly well written close to the book, could have left an even bigger impact on the reader if the point had been made in fewer words.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys controversial criminal justice cases, although it would not be my pick for a reader looking for pure suspense. ...more "

May 21, 2015 06:38PM · see review