Set in a small Nova Scotian village, during the time of the first World War, this is the story of Dora Rare, the first daughter born to the Rare family in five generations. Dora, close to Miss Babineau, a woman who "catches babies", becomes her apprentice and helps women deliver their children, both in good times and in bad.
The first time she accompanies Miss. B., they deliver a child to a woman, abused by an alcholic husband, who already has 12 children. She doesn't want the new baby boy who is born prematurely and dies soon after he is born, in Dora's arms. Thus begins her journey of midwifery during a time before hospitals and modern medicine were available in rural areas. When Dr. Gilbert Thomas arrives in Scots Bay, touting a new type of painless childbirth, Miss B's methods are questioned. Upon her disappearance, Dora is left to proceed alone, continuing the traditional birthing methods of her ancestors, generations of "women's wisdom" passed down through the ages.
A national best-seller and one of Heather's Picks at Chapters, I am enjoying this intriguing narrative. Mixed with historical details and a bit of mystery, it is captivating for the reader, especially for women who can connect with the experience of childbirth. It also offers an intimate view into the difficult life of the seacoast inhabitants of eastern Canada.
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