Once a Midwife

October 1, 2018
Hope River, West Virginia, has seen more than its fair share of hardship. With the Great Depression still a recent memory and the U.S. about to enter WWII, the entire town is on edge. Normally civil neighbors have taken sides as pacifists or patriots, and unsettling news of Adolf Hitler's atrocities seems to arrive daily. Even with the tumultuous state of the world, midwife Patience Hester must focus on what she does best: helping the expectant mothers who come from miles around for her calm, professional services. An accomplished midwife who has delivered children in a variety of difficult situations, Patience has always lived up to her name?until her husband, Daniel, is imprisoned for refusing to join the draft. Harman continues Patience's personal and professional struggles in the fourth Hope River novel, following The Runaway Midwife (2016). Loyal readers will recognize some of Harman's returning characters, and fans of the BBC's Call the Midwife and Carol Cassella's books will enjoy the ways Harman blends her firsthand medical knowledge with immersive historical details.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

September 15, 2018

In Harmon's third "Hope River" novel (after The Midwife of Hope River and The Reluctant Midwife), America has weathered the Great Depression, but the threat of war looms. Midwife Patience Hester is heartened by the return of her midwife friend Bitsy, and the two quickly fall into step in delivering babies. Bitsy, an African American woman, is now caring for a young white boy who is her ward. While the KKK has moved on, subtle racism is still apparent in Hope River. Then the United States enters World War II, and Patience's veterinarian husband Daniel refuses to register for the draft. A veteran of World War I, he has vowed never to kill again. This puts him at odds with most of the townspeople, his own young son, and even his wife. When Daniel is arrested, Patience must continue her work as midwife while raising four young children in the midst of wartime restrictions. But the mounting deaths of vibrant young men lead her to question her husband's stand. VERDICT Fans of Harmon's series will welcome back these beloved characters and historical fiction devotees will enjoy the period details, emotional insight, and multifaceted protagonists. [See Prepub Alert, 5/21/18.]--Catherine Coyne, Mansfield P.L., MA

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2018

First seen in the New York Times best-selling The Midwife of Hope River, Patience Hester faces trouble during World War II when husband Daniel refuses to fight, having seen too much bloodshed in the first world war. That earns him his neighbors' scorn and a prison sentence, and Hester must support the family.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.