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Book Review of Midwives

Midwives
Midwives
Author: Chris Bohjalian
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
AZmom875 avatar reviewed on + 624 more book reviews


This book took me 4 LONG days to read. It seemed like 8 days. It was excruciatingly boring and tedious, and sometimes redundant. All the reviews here on PBS are glowing, but check out 42 bad reviews on amazon. I am just being honest so you dont waste your time reading a book.

I read To Kill a Mockingbird, and never did that book bored me. I was bored, but I finished it. I had to. I couldnt flip to the back and cheat. I had to make sure I didnt miss something important. The last 100 pages did fly faster than the first 270.

The main character who is writing the story is Connie the accused Midswife's daughter. She is 14 when this trial occurs in her life. She is not likeable. She is stoned often on Pot or drunk. None of the characters are ones you bond with or root for. The book is set in the 80s and there is NO 80s feel to it at all unless bland is the 80s in Vermont.


I should add that I had a C section while alive. Yes, I was not dead when A c section was performed on me. IN fact 3 times that has occurred in my life. (yes, I had anesthesia) but the premise in this story is that the midwife performed a C section on a live but passed out woman with out anesthesia and that killed her. The midwife claims the woman was dead and she was trying to save the baby. Which she does. Then you get all the long trial details and the author will flip back and forth in the time line. Sometimes that got confusing. I am sure it was there to make the story less linear and more interesting.

I cant recommend this book.

One good point: It is set in Vermont and you really do get a good feel for Vermont weather.