The Irish Midwife takes us into the life of what was known as “handywomen.” These women were considered illegal midwives. What they did was very much needed in their communities.
Peggy Cassidy has always helped her Aunt with the care of expecting mums. She feels this is what she is meant to do. When her Aunt is on her death bed, she makes Peggy promise to go to Dublin to the Midwifery training course. But, if Peggy does this, she cannot let anyone know she has been a handywomen.
Peggy meets Daniel Sheridan who is studying to be a doctor. They feel a connection to each other. But, he comes from a society Peggy is not welcome in.
The history aspect of what “lower class” women had to go through with childbirth compared to “rich” women was very compelling to read about.
The Irish Midwife is an emotional story….beautifully written by author Seana Tinley.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I requested this book specifically because it gave me Call the Midwife TV show vibes and this book exceeded all expectations. I loved how the story develops and wraps up beautifully at the end. While the intrig of having the secret is good at first and adds to the stakes, it does get a bit frustrating towards the end when that lack of communication gets in the way of the main character's happiness and confidence. Great book and I look forward to book 2

If you have watched and enjoyed Call the Midwife, you may already be familiar with the activities that pre-dated the NHS. There was a time when medical interventions came at an often-unaffordable price, and possibly placed the welfare of both mother and baby in grave danger. The Irish Midwife introduces us to the Handywomen, a group of early midwives who were trained on the job and relied on instinct rather than formal medical knowledge. Although they provided an essential service, they were frowned upon and slowly outlawed in favour of trained midwives.

The Irish Midwife is centred around the experiences of Peggy Cassidy, a part-time ‘Milly’ or Mill worker and trainee Handywoman. Her aunt had been training Peggy until her sudden death, which left a bad taste in Peggy’s mouth and prompted her to distrust the doctors who were associated with the events leading up to her death.

After her Aunt’s death, Peggy receives the funding to travel to Dublin and enrol for Midwifery training, something that was only made possible due to her Aunt’s tragic demise. On arriving in Dublin, it soon became clear that her background should not be discussed for fear of any implications for her future. What would happen if she were discovered to have been a handywoman?
Of course, as you can imagine, there’s a love interest in the book, but not one that Peggy feels she can pursue, as he is the son of the doctor who practically wrote her Aunt’s death sentence. Despite this, they develop a friendship that evolves into strong feelings.

I loved this book and found myself turning the pages into the wee small hours. Seána kept my attention, and I was eager to discover how Peggy would handle the implications of her burgeoning romance and bridge the gap between their shared family values and their differing social status.

There’s a fabulous cast of characters who each contributed to this informative and compelling story, which created a window into the history of an essential part of life. Throughout this book, I was aware of a real sense of community, and I loved the details which brought the story to life.

Bravo! I’m already excited to learn more about Peggy’s future in Belfast.

I have always loved stories from the war years and thereabouts, so this was a no-brainer read for me.
I've never visited Ireland before, but I feel an affinity for it. I think many Indians do, as the Irish have many similarities to us in so many ways... plus, my uncle, who is a doctor, lives in Belfast. But I digress... on with the review!
Peggy is a young woman training to be a handywoman under the guidance of her very experienced aunt. Unfortunately, being a handywoman, which is akin to being an unqualified midwife, and much more, is illegal. Through a tragic twist of fate, Peggy's aunt passes away, leaving her with a small inheritance. Her aunt's wish is that she uses the funds to train as a proper midwife.
Peggy is from what many may call the wrong side of just about everything: a working-class family, known as a milly, as she works part-time in the mills, living in a small two-up, two-down with her large family, including her Catholic faith, and as a trainee handywoman.
But she finds herself at the prestigious Rotunda in Dublin to complete that training, and finds herself face to face with a handsome trainee doctor, who seems to have a hand in a tragic part of her past.
Dan Sheridan, or Daniel as his mother insists on calling him, is determined to do good as a medical man, like his own father, yet cannot get the midwifery student, Peggy, out of his head.
The details of childbirth, complications and celebrations, were so real, and sensitively written, and the settings were described with a depth that I could immerse myself completely in the story.
Both the main characters, Peggy and Dan, as well as the others, were written to perfection, giving the reader a genuine sense of emotion as they read the story, willing it to go one way and getting emotional when it doesn't quite unfold as planned.
A beautifully written story, and I cannot wait to read the next one!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC.

I liked this book from the off, then grew to absolve it as it progressed.
Following hard working mill girl Peggy Cassidy, who also works alongside her aunt Bridget as a “handywoman”. When on her deathbed Aunt Bridget makes Peggy promise that she will use her savings to go to Dublin to train as a midwife, now that “handywomen” are seen as an illegal occupation.
Peggy is reluctant o join her peer group on nights out as she doesn’t have the spare cash they do. When she does decide to join them it’s clear that they are pairing off and Peggy is with a young medical student who comes from her neck of the woods. Problem is Peggy really likes him but she is torn by uncertainties regarding, the class system and close family secrets. Will she let this shape her life?

I really loved this book, Peggy had a special way about her, understanding the women under her care without them having to say. My favourite character was matron who was fair & spoke as she found. Least favourite was Pricilla who had a bit of the green-eyed monster.
The best bit, finding out that there’s to be another.

Peggy Cassidy works in the Belfast linen mills, a job that makes her enough just to get by. But she also works as an illegal midwife and has the opportunity to became a trained and legal midwife in Dublin. Will she make this life changing choice? Can she keep her past secrets a secret, can she change her life for the better?

This is a very interesting and intriguing read and I enjoyed learning about Peggy and her life. I love her story and her courage, her relationship with Doctor Daniel Sheridan. This story brings to life how the people of Ireland lived in the 1930's, the prejudices, the class system and women's rights. This is such a well written book that I read within a couple of days and enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Irish Midwife by Seána Tinley (Hodder & Stoughton, September 2025) is a romantic, heartwarming, and well-written historical romance set just before World War II. I liked Peggy Cassidy; she was smart, empathetic, and strong. I admired her dedication to her community, and her loyalty to and love for her family and neighbors, especially the women she served as a handywoman (an illegal midwife). Dan Sheridan was a wonderful hero; he was respectful, supportive, and never gave up on Peggy despite many complications.
The author did a wonderful job of bringing 1930s Ireland to life and in highlighting what medical care and childbirth were like for pregnant women at that time. I enjoyed the developing friendship/romance between Peggy and Dan. I appreciated the effort to include details of the political situation in Ireland during the time period of the story, but I found them a wee bit overwhelming and difficult to fully comprehend, especially in a relatively short length historical romance. I highly recommend The Irish Midwife, the first book in the author’s new The Irish Midwife series.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in eBook format from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

1930’s, Belfast, Ireland. Peggy Cassidy is a part-time milly, her entire family work at the linen mills and they just manage to keep their heads above water and pay the rent. Peggy has another secret job, with her aunty Bridget, she’s learning to be a handywoman and an illegal midwife, tending to the women of her community as they can’t afford a doctor to deliver their babies nor did they want one and their preference is a home birth.

When Peggy is offered the chance to leave and receive formal midwifery training at Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital, get her badge and certificate, her mam encourages her to grab the opportunity and it will be life changing.

Peggy makes friends with the other trainees who come from middle-class backgrounds and works alongside the doctors studying obstetrics, while she doesn’t know the Latin names or medical terms, she has experience with pregnancy, childbirth and post-natal care and she has to be careful not to reveal her knowledge too soon.

Daniel Sheridan is one of these doctors and comes from Belfast, the right side of the city and Peggy really likes Dan but they come from different worlds, and if anyone finds out about her past she will lose everything and her family have sacrificed so much for.

I received a copy of The Irish Midwife by Seána Tinley from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book in a new historical romance series and it’s much more than that, while it does have romantic elements, it’s full of information about women, childbirth and life in Ireland during the 1930’s.

At the time only the rich ladies could afford to have their babies delivered in hospital, seventy percent of births were at home and these women used the services of handywomen, who had years of experience and knowledge and the babies came into this world in clean and safe environment and were caught by skilled and caring hands.

A narrative about change, prejudice, preconceived ideas on both sides, family, Ireland’s working class women and men in high places making decisions, being controlling and banning something that had been practiced for centuries and making it a crime.

Five stars from me, I loved everything about this book and the characters are wonderful and diverse, a must read for fans of Call the Midwife or anyone who has an interest in childbirth; women's rights and having a choice over their bodies and I can’t wait for the second novel The Irish Midwife at War due to be released in 2026.

i love reading books like this. when a cover such as this crosses my path i know straight away what type of book it falls into and i also know i want to read it! and this one proved me right once again as it was instantly engaging and the story hooked me from the very first pages. this genre and sub type of books are so unique. they have such a special quality to them and they all fold you deep within the story, characters and history of the time.
this time the book was set in Ireland and i think for me this was a new location. so that also made it fresh and i found it interesting to see even in the same period of time ive read of before, how different it was just across the water.
we get our characters to invest in once again. and this is what makes these books soar. they have such deep and emotional plots and characters. in a different time too, so far away from our own but also somehow not.
i also love how these books are such shout out to woman, especially in these times periods. they are powerhouses or strong in their own way when at this time that must have often felt impossible or in some sad cases not even a passing thought due to the roles and culture of the time. and actually even now some of the problems faced were stark in how similar they STILL are for woman.
this story was an all round heart warming read. Peggy was a great character. what a journey she had to go on to full fill her dream of being a midwife. and along the way could she find love? i cant believe how much could stand in this brilliant womans way when she just wanted to be doing a brilliant job!
another great insight to this time and for mothers and childbirth especially with vastly different resources and living conditions.
the characters were fab in this book. i was engaged in every second i had with this book and im so glad i got to do that.
there needs to be more from this author in my tbr pile please.

I will say that the ploy of this book was very interesting. It is amazing the amount of work they were ablebto do in this time period with so very little resources.

Wonderfully heartwarming tale about Peggy Cassidy and her journey to become a fully qualified midwife and to find her soulmate. I loved all the period detail of 1930s Ireland, also the vivid depiction of what medical care and childbirth were like for pregnant women generations ago.
Definitely a book for fans of Call the Midwife.

Outstanding - the best book I have read this year. I learnt so much from it as well as being engrossed in the storyline. Having visited both Dublin and Belfast I could picture the places being described as the book was so well written. The characters were all likeable and very easy to relate too. I find it sad to think that people who were only trying to help were punished in such a way.

Reading the final part of the book I couldn't put it down and said to my husband I was staying up late to finish it. There were so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming not least Granda's birthday party which reduced me to tears! I was devastated to read the last page but elated to see there was more coming!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publishers and of course the author for writing such a brilliant book and allowing me to read and review an Arc copy.

A page turning historical fiction about midwifery which I find interesting. I was invested in the plot and the characters. I enjoyed the experience of bringing a baby into the world. It is a Irish setting which I haven't read much of so I feel it is unique. The characters are strong women with a hard work ethic.

The Irish midwife, a new author to me and will definitely be reading more books. A great historical read,

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. Although I love midwifery themed books and books set against the backdrop of the 1930s and 1940s, the blurb of this book intrigued me, but didn't grab me. However, I am so pleased I gave it a chance. I read it in a matter of hours. The writing was excellent, with a vivid scene and engaging characters. It was well paced and I was invested in the plot, and the Irish setting added a dimension not often found in this genre. I am excited to read the next in the series.

An excellent story set in my home country! A most interesting insight into the lives and work of midwives throughout the 1930s. Most likeable characters and a great story, I look forward to seeing more by this author.

This was a lovely read. Very interesting and as it was set in Ireland made it different. Gave me an insight into how things worked in this era. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

Family saga, wartime, medical what more can you ask for

A brilliant book that keeps you hooked

A gripping story, I couldn’t put this one down and read it in one day!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc