The Heart of the Midwife

Midwifery fascinates me! Barbour Publishing's new book The Heart of the Midwife, tells of young Christian midwives in the late 1800s attempting to improve the health and well being of the pregnant and birthing women in their care. They faced an uphill battle to prove their worth. When physicians believed them to be only a little better than prostitutes, they were not respected. And it was thought that being as young as they were, they could be of no benefit.

As a nurse, I found the stories immensely enjoyable. I especially liked Marilyn Turks' story Between Two Worlds as midwife Camille battles not only the usual biasses against midwives but is confronted by the evils of voodoo in historical New Orleans.

This collection of novellas will appeal to nurses and women interested in this period of history and in midwifery itself. My thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC for this, my honest review.

Love Charm by Cynthia Hickey.
I loved this story back to back. The characters were wonderful. The story line absolutely amazing. I admired Phoebe's heart and tenacity. She was strong, kind and hardworking. Luke's care and protection over Phoebe was swoon-worthy. I loved how the both of them took their jobs seriously taking care and influencing change to the people of Possum Bottom.

Love Rebirth by Darlene Franklin
Women like Maia are one of the reasons I read; strong, kind, determined, surviving and thriving in a world that is always against her. I loved her heart for people, I loved how much she choose to take care of people others didn't want to have anything to do with. She was a great plus to Vaughan and I loved how he valued her.

If Not For Grace by Patty Smith Hall.
Fiends turned lovers with a common goal of helping the outcasts of society. I loved this story filled with love and sacrifice. A very beautiful one. Grace and Patrick's story was simply heartwarming.

Between Two Worlds by Marilyn Tuck
Partners in both profession and love. Camille and Julian! I loved how they worked together. I admired Camille's tenacity despite the opposite against her, and her courage. She wasn't a woman that scared easily. I liked how they both took care of their patients and found love.


This book was a beautiful collection of courageous young midwives who thrived and found love despite the opposition against them.


I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
1 like

This is a wonderful collection of novellas. I enjoyed all of the stories in this book. They are the perfect length for when you don't have time to read a long book. All of the stories are well written and hold's your attention. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own. This book was a joy to read.

This book is a collection of four novellas about midwives in varied settings of America.
In 1868 Phoebe Hudson heads to Possum Bottom, MO from Boston where she faces both culture shock and opposition.
It’s 1871 in Auraria, CO when Dr. Vaughn Strahan comes to work with widow MC Brownstone, turning her world upside down.
Grace Sullivan goes from being a New York City heiress to working in the poorest tenements in the city in 1885. While Camille Duval contends with voodoo in New Orleans as she stresses hygiene and a healthy diet to the consternation and opposition of Madame La Fleur .

I enjoyed each of these stories and appreciated learning a bit of factual history from different regions of the USA.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Barbour through NetGalley.

This book contains four different stories about courageous midwives. I personally like that it included multiple stories it adds a different element to the whole book. I would recommend this book to anyone, but I especially would recommend this if you’re in the maternal specialty of nursing or midwifery.

I did not know what to expect with this selection of novellas. Birth holds both good and bad memories for me and I have heard the horror stories of birthing in the far past. I was pleasantly surprised by each story. I even could stomach the final story that had Voodoo elements.
I cannot summarize each story adequately but each has a young woman who is fighting against societal norms to provide care to pregnant women when doctors of that time often did not. Whether a teacher, a doctor, or politician, the male protagonists play a strong part in the journey of the midwives, who are quote strong and stubborn on their own.

The writing styles were wonderful and I almost wouldn't know each one was written by someone different. The styles flowed so well. I would definitely recommend this collection.

I received an ARC via Netgalley but i freely gove my honest review.

The Heart of the Midwife is four stories in one book authored by Darlene Franklin, Patty Smith Hall, Cynthia Hickey and Marilyn Turk depicting life for midwives and the struggles they face, especially if they are single. The midwives are all distrusted in some way in each story. Can they redeem themselves and their profession? Will they all find love along the way?
I enjoyed this book very much. All of the stories are new and unique to their individual author. The characters feel like real people and the stories seem like they could really happen and not just a fictional work. I give this book 5 of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this anthology of four entertaining, heartwarming stories featuring four courageous, devoted midwives in the late 1800s all with a common goal—to practice and preserve their profession in spite of prejudice, danger, personal struggles, social injustice, greed, and superstition. In each story, there is also a hero advocating and/or protecting the midwife and lending a sweet romantic element to the narrative. Each story is unique reflecting the distinct style of each gifted storyteller. The characters in all the stories are well-crafted and believable. Inspiring spiritual truths are sprinkled throughout each story. The settings are diverse aptly mirroring the society in which the characters live. I am a big fan of anthologies, and this is one of the best I have ever read, and I highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book in e-book form from the publisher via netgalley but was under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

The Heart Of The Midwife is a delightful collection of four Christian novellas that will warm your heart. They are all set at the end of the nineteenth century.
The themes are all similar as young women attempt to bring babies into the world. They meet various opposition from pompous men to aging women practicing voodoo. The love for the poor shines through as the young women become the eyes and ears, the hands and feet of Jesus. Faith is strong as God is able to guide us and protect us from our fears.
This is a positively charming quartet of tales.
Love’s Charm by Cynthia Hickey is an absolutely charming tale. I found the setting very reminiscent of Walnut Grove in Little House On The Prairie. The community pulls together and is warm and welcoming. There is some match making as the new midwife enters the small community, as well as some opposition for a young, unmarried midwife. The whole story is light-hearted and positively delightful.
Love’s Rebirth by Darlene Franklin is a powerful tale about our faithful God and about taking care of widows and orphans. The midwife in the tale has a heart for the working girls who fall pregnant. She oversees their care when others frown on them. There are battles to be fought that seem impossible and can only be overcome by prayer. The battle is not ours but The Lord’s. We are also reminded that we are all adopted into His family.
If Not For Grace by Patty Smith Hall is set among the slums of New York City following a couple of caring midwives. They set aside their safety and their wealth to become Jesus to a hurting world as they tend to the marginalised in society. The midwives are frowned upon by those in power but they are brave and dedicated as they try to not only save lives but lift the vulnerable out of poverty. The characters are warm and welcoming with their love and hearts for others.
Between Two Worlds by Marilyn Turk is a delightful tale set in New Orleans. Here, a new midwife finds herself up against a traditional midwife who practices voodoo. God’s love conquers all. Faith in Him to protect and to guide is strong. All the characters are wonderfully drawn. They are warm and welcoming. The leading lady is a breath of fresh air with her kind heart and her no nonsense attitude.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Midwifery was borne out of the necessity of poor women to still have care when birthing. The first midwives were often local women determined to take care of the women in their communities. These women faced opposition from doctors and hospitals but still managed to give care where it was desperately needed.

The authors of THE HEART OF THE MIDWIFE have written short novellas that provide excellent examples of the hardships faced in the early 1800's by midwives and their patients. The stories are heartwarming and include romantic settings that will satisfy the most emotional among us. I rated each story a 5 star "sigh" for the feelings I had at the end of each. A really great read that I'd recommend to any reader, no matter the genre.

Four capturing novellas involving the life of being a midwife in the 19th century was awesome to me! I not only learned some new to me details of midwifery but also more about the lifestyles and adventures in that time period. Each story is unique and original.
I highly recommend this to women of any age.

The Heart of the Midwife
4 Historical Stories
by Darlene Franklin; Patty Smith Hall; Cynthia Hickey; Marilyn Turk
Barbour Publishing, Inc.
You Like Them
Barbour Books
Christian | Romance
Pub Date 01 Oct 2020 | Archive Date 01 Dec 2020

I liked each of the stories very much. I usually do not read short stories but this was quite the treat. When you don't have time to read much it felt relaxing to just read one story. Thanks to Barbour and NetGalley for the ARC. I really liked this Christian Romance.

5 star

I loved each of these stories. These midwives were strong characters who advocated for women. There was romance as well. The stories we’re heartwarming and sometimes emotional.
Many thanks to Barbour Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a delightful book of four novellas set in the late 1800’s. It is about four women and their lives as midwives. Along the way, they each encounter struggles to be accepted by the community. From working with the hill people in Missouri, to the city slums, to meeting up with socialites and voo doo believers, there are many obstacles that come their way.

Along the way, they find special help that makes a big difference in their lives.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

What a lovely way to spend a few hours! Four wonderful stories set in the 1800’s, all featuring the call of women to help women. In those days, trained doctors knew very little if anything about childbirth, making the midwife a vital part of the birth process as well as in the care for the new mother and infant.

In the west where life is so different, or is it .... to the city where poverty and even a voodoo queen, life forces these trained midwives to stretch themselves to be ready to help those in need. From a one room cabin where charms are believed to help in the birth, to the single mother there to help anyone who is in need, their mission doesn’t change, even for those who work in the oldest profession known to women.

I thoroughly enjoyed all four of these novellas. These heroines were strong, stood up for themselves and their patients and brought change into the lives of those around them. This ARC was received through Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. The impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.