by Jodi Daynard
I love books about midwives, because they play such a key and dramatic role in women’s lives. Jodi Daynard’s THE MIDWIFE'S REVOLT is no exception and highlights how the profession literally saves the life of her main character, the spirited Lizzie Boylston, during the American Revolution.
Lizzie is young bride who lives on a small farm outside of Cambridge, MA, when she learns her husband, a soldier for The Cause, has been killed in battle shortly after America declares independence. That leaves Lizzie in a strange community on land she has to work alone except for a lazy farmhand.
Her skill as a midwife, however, provides her with three things necessary for survival: a profession in which she receives barter payment of food and other goods; trust and status of her new community; and the chance to network with other women, including Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, who helped craft the Declaration of Independence and negotiate with the French for the aid necessary to end the war.
Through her female network, Lizzie helps root out Loyalist spies in her community and help her fellow women survive wartime deprivations.
The book is so well researched and written, you feel like you’re actually sitting in Lizzie’s cottage by the sea, a blazing fire in the hearth, a cup of tea in hand and oat cakes ready to eat.
___
For updates about Martha’s forthcoming books, news and giveaways, subscribe to her website: MarthaEngber.com.
SCATTERED LIGHT, a novel, sequel to WINTER LIGHT (Nov. 2025)
THE FALCON, THE WOLF AND THE HUMMINGBIRD a historical novel
BLISS ROAD, a memoir
WINTER LIGHT, a novel
THE WIND THIEF, a novel
GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS, a resource for writers
#books #historicalfiction #read #novel #revolutionarywar #women #womensfiction #booksbywomen #midwife
Comentarios