Heidi’s Reviews > A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 > Status Update

Martha Ballard (1735–1812) was a pioneering Maine midwife and diarist, Clara Barton (1821–1912) was her grandniece and founder of the American Red Cross.

Ballard recorded over 800 births and Barton provided medical aid during the Civil War. Ballard kept a detailed 30-year diary (The Frozen River), Another descendant Mary Hobart, became one of the first female physicians in the US.