Ponder Post: The Secrets of Midwives

I picked up this novel on an impulse since it was pasted with NEW and 7 DAY checkout stickers and was displayed prominently on the table near the library entrance, indicators of supposed desirability. I succumbed to the lure and did not need seven days. I read this 300+ page book in one day, it was so engaging. The title caught my eye and its first review on the back cover was by Liane Moriarty, who wrote the Husband's Secret, which I thought was excellent. I gave my opinion about The Husband's Secret in my April 10, 2015 post.

The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth centers around three generations of midwives – youngest midwife daughter Neva who herself is pregnant, mother Grace, and grandmother Floss. In a style than appears to be popular in today's literature, at least in the books I happen to read recently, each chapter is written in the voice and from the point of view of one of these three women. It explores the mother-daughter bond and relationship very well. It has intense scenes of delivering a baby, many different ways. Maybe it appealed to me since Robin is in her final month of pregnancy, but it has other content as well. It has romance but it is not a romance novel. It has suspense but it will not give you nightmares. It has settings in different eras but is not a lesson in history. It has some tongue in cheek humor but it also has human pathos. I felt the male characters were a bit underdeveloped but maybe it just felt that way because they were in contrast to the main three vivid female characters.

It is a relatively new book. The hardcover came out in February 2015. In truth I do not think it would appeal to men, both because of the topic and because of the imbalanced development of the male characters but I am glad I stumbled upon it. It is a good read. If I told you more, I'd be revealing too many secrets!