The tale of a midwife put on trial when she loses a mother during child birth. It's told from the perspective of her daughter looking back (she was a teenager at the time) and from the diaries of the midwife.

It's intense and thought provoking. The author does an excellent job of presenting all sides of the ordeal. You see it from the perspective of the midwife, the daughter, the widower, the midwife's apprentice, the lawyers, the medical establishment, and the midwife community. You are kept in suspense until the very end. An excellent book!

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This book was very well-written and hard to put down. It did have the undesirable effect of really terrifying me about ever having kids (though I was afraid before I had even read this.)

Aside from the childbirthing aspect of this book, there is a very captivating coming-of-age story of a teenage girl, I agree with the description that it really compares to To Kill A Mockingbird.

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Very captivating tale. I din't think I'd be interested in all the childbirth descriptions, but the plot was so interesting, it really held my attention.

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I was skeptical about this book at first, but ended up loving it. The birth stories were more meaningful after I had my daughter. I probably wouldn't read it while pregnant though.

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i've waited a long time to read this book as i am a nurse and know what tragedies can happen in home care. this book is this author's best effort, in my opinion. the story of a vermont midwife who on a regular delivery of a baby everything goes terribly wrong. this book floows the family,the friends,the society and the trial to it's conclusion. a very good read!

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Sibyl Danforth is a midwife. She is very good at her profession. One stormy night, she is attending to the birth of Charlotte Bedford. Charlotte's husband, Pastor Asa Bedford and Sibyl's apprentice, Anne, are in attendance. Things start going wrong and Sibyl has always had a history of getting someone to a hospital if things turn that way.
Unfortunately, the weather prevents her from getting Charlotte to a hospital. Sibyl performs a surgery that she has never done before and her life then becomes a complete mess.
We are taken through all of the turmoil that Sibyl and her family experience after this happens. Her daughter takes us through the trial and after.

This was well-written and had you wondering throughout the story about what was actually the case.

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Another great book from one of my favorite authors. Midwifery has been something that fascinates me long before I read this book. The possibility of something going wrong is so overwhelming in such a delicate situation. This book captures the event as well as the process the people involved go through following this tragedy.

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Great story, well written

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I am a Labor and Delivery nurse and also a nursing professor in that area of expertise. I always approach books on the subject with a little nervousness. Does the writer have a good grasp of the facts? Does the writer have an agenda? This book was a real page turner for me. I was really shocked by how accurate most of his medical descriptions were. I was also very pleased that the book remained a story about the people involved and didn't turn into an indictment of midwifery. I have since read more of his work and have noticed that his journalism roots seem to draw him to a theme that may be controversial or worthy of some in-depth reporting and then he instead does a book about real people dealing with that theme on a human level. I highly recommend the book and the author.

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This was my forst Chris Bohjalian book, and it left me wanting to read more of his books. Midwives is very well-written, and well-researched. It almost had a Jodi Picoult feel to it, with the twist at the end. I like how two points of view are used to tell the story - the 14 year old daughter of the midwife is the narrator, and the midwife's journal entries at the beginning of each chapter also provide bits and pieces, bringing the story together.

I think that Bohjalian does a great job of showing both sides of midwifery - the supporters and the non-supporters.

Overall, this is a great read and I look foraward to reading more of this author.

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This was a good book. My daughter had her baby at home and everything went well. I had to read this book for that reason. A good read!!

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A bit disappointed with the outcome. Really don't see why it was one of Oprah's Book Club selection.

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"The courtroom settings provide ample suspense, but Bohjalian is equally adept at rendering quieter, individual drama ... A writer of unusual heart." --- BOSTON GLOBE

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Most of the members of my book club loved this courtroom drama about a midwife who questions whether or not her actions caused the death of a woman during the delivery of her child, from the viewpoint of her teenage daughter. Well-written, I found the book lacking in suspense, but interesting nonetheless.

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Great novel about how terribly wrong a labor and delivery by midwife can go. Strong characters and great description of scenery and winter makes this read perfect for a rainy afternoon.

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Very realistic

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An 'Oprah' book. Nice story.

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