The Midwife of Hope River - by Patricia Harman (Paperback)

About the Book

A debut novel featuring Patience Murphy, an Appalachian midwife in the 1930s struggling against disease, poverty, prejudices, and her own haunting past to bring new light and life into an otherwise cruel world.

Book Synopsis

A remarkable new voice in American fiction enchants readers with a moving and uplifting novel that celebrates the miracle of life. In The Midwife of Hope River, first-time novelist Patricia Harmon transports us to poverty stricken Appalachia during the Great Depression years of the 1930s and introduces us to a truly unforgettable heroine. Patience Murphy, a midwife struggling against disease, poverty, and prejudice--and her own haunting past--is a strong and endearing character that fans of the books of Ami McKay and Diane Chamberlain will take into their hearts, as she courageously attempts to bring new light, and life, into an otherwise cruel world.

From the Back Cover

Midwife Patience Murphy has a gift: a talent for escorting mothers through the challenges of bringing children into the world. Working in the hardscrabble conditions of Appalachia during the Depression, Patience takes the jobs that no one else wants, helping those most in need--and least likely to pay. She knows a successful midwifery practice must be built on a foundation of openness and trust--but the secrets Patience is keeping are far too intimate and fragile for her to ever let anyone in.

Honest, moving, and beautifully detailed, Patricia Harman's The Midwife of Hope River rings with authenticity as Patience faces nearly insurmountable difficulties. From the dangerous mines of West Virginia to the terrifying attentions of the Ku Klux Klan, Patience must strive to bring new light and life into an otherwise hard world.

Review Quotes

"...a deeply moving book that will pleasantly linger in your thoughts long after you've finished reading it. Harman has created such a striking and original heroine that pregnant women everywhere will be wanting Patience Murphy to deliver their babies, while the rest of us would consider ourselves lucky to call her friend." - Theresa Brown, author of Critical Care: A New Nurse Faces Death, Life and Everything in Between, and New York Times Opinion Columnist
"The Midwife of Hope River...is still on my mind days after finishing. From start to satisfying conclusion, it is a beautifully imagined novel, a marvel of a debut, rich with fully realized characters and events. This is one I'll read again, more slowly next time." - Johanna Moran, author of The Wives of Henry Oades
"As always when writing of birth, the bleakest of times can be transformed by the power and beauty of birth...the moments of joy between new parents and their baby, between the mothers and the midwife, and between the midwife and her young assistant, light up the pages. Amen baby!" - Penny Armstrong, CNM, author of A Midwife's Story and A Wise Birth
"I learned, I laughed, I cried, but most of all I was deeply impressed by the artistry of the midwife and her central role in women's lives prior to the advent of commercialized, institutionalized medicine. This novel will live in my heart for years to come." - Amy Hill Hearth, author of Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society: A Novel
"a luminous novel of new beginnings, loss, love...and yes hope! Patricia Harman's all-too-human stories of birth mingle with the harsh realities of rural life in the 1930s...A thoroughly satisfying read by a talented storyteller." - Gay Courter, author of the New York Times bestsellers The Midwife and The Midwife's Advice
"Midwives are warriors in this beautifully sweeping tale." - Kirkus
"...will definitely renew your faith in love, loyalty, forgiveness, understanding and just plain HOPE." - Fran Lewis
"Memoirist Harman (Arms Open Wide; The Blue Cotton Gown), herself a certified nurse-midwife, takes readers back to hardscrabble times and adds plenty of medical drama and a dash of romance, to offer an uncommonly good piece of American historical fiction." - Library Journal