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    The Midwife of Hope River: A Novel of an American Midwife
    The Midwife of Hope River: A Novel of an American Midwife
    The Midwife of Hope River: A Novel of an American Midwife
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Midwife of Hope River: A Novel of an American Midwife

    Written by Patricia Harman

    Narrated by Anne Wittman

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateFeb 12, 2013
    ISBN9780062280947
    Author

    Patricia Harman

    Patricia Harman, CNM, got her start as a lay midwife on rural communes and went on to become a nurse-midwife on the faculties of Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University, and West Virginia University. She is the author of two acclaimed memoirs and three novels: the bestselling The Midwife of Hope River, The Reluctant Midwife and The Runaway Midwife. She has three sons and lives near Morgantown, West Virginia.

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    Reviews for The Midwife of Hope River

    4.5/5

    98 ratings52 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Great book, thoroughly enjoyed it , well worth the time.
    • 5/5
      So much human warmth and courage! Not happy, but brave lives.
    • 4/5
      The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Hartman: 4/5 stars. An engrossing and fascinating picture of a resilient midwife in the Appalachians during the Great Depression. Enjoyable structure to the writing, deep relationships portrayed, and nuanced storytelling. Recommended!
    • 4/5
      Coal mining West Virginia during the 1930’s is the setting for Patricia Harman’s engaging debut novel THE MIDWIFE OF HOPE RIVER. Patience Murphy is making a new life caring for pregnant women in Appalachia, as she reconciles her past with her new surroundings. With the heart of Sandra Dallas, the intensity of Gay Courter and a nod to Barbara Wood the author integrates historical notes (the Great Depression, Appalachian coal mining, unions for miners and lack thereof, Emma Goldman the anarchist, Mother Jones, the Ku Klux Klan) into a seamless story about womanhood and the inherent risks of childbirth. She writes of a world where poverty, malnutrition and unequal access to quality healthcare can mean the difference between life and death. And while Patience’s story is the story of her female clients and their children’s births it is also her story.Harman weaves Patience’s personal tale with gentleness and sudden details that leave the reader wondering how she can escape her own sadness to help her patients. Can the town vet be counted on as an ally for Patience? Can Patience reconcile her own past and move forward to be the midwife Hope River needs? Can she face the challenges for both her poorest and wealthiest of her clients? Can she train an apprentice? An excellent book about the fragility of life, the miracle of birth, the community of neighbors, the Great Depression, love and healing and a woman’s journey to find her place in the world. Beautifully written and a joy to read.
    • 3/5
      I liked it. I listened to it via hoopla... I think I would have enjoyed it more if the darn thing didn't keep losing my place. Good story. Nice historical background (but not enough).
    • 4/5
      The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman is a beautifully crafted tale of one woman’s struggles in life, as she helps bring new life into the world. Patience Murphy’s gift as a midwife, as readers will discover, enables her to bring life into the world by assisting indigent mothers with childbirth. Set during the Great Depression, Harman uses much symbolism as readers are transported back to this difficult time when money is scarce, working conditions poor, and bigotry is surfacing amidst the peaceful backdrop of the Appalachians. This is a tale of hardship, love, perseverance, sacrifice and hope, characteristics all well developed through the plot that centers around Patience and her daily struggles, blessings, and victories. Though this is a tale of one woman’s life, in many ways, it is a very profound commentary on the social issues of the 1930s in the United States and by example; the story demonstrates the type of people that brought the country back into more prosperous times. I highly recommend The Midwife of Hope River to all historical fiction fans.
    • 3/5
      What is it about a midwife's story??? This was a very lovely book. I engaged with the characters, enjoyed the heroine's tales of hardship, kindness in difficult circumstances, perseverence and devotion to doing what was right.
    • 4/5
      The Midwife of Hope River is an interesting tale of hard times, women’s roles, and midwifery in Appalachia. Patricia Harman peopled her work with well written characters, and her Appalachia has a strong sense of place.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book! A lot of the reviews below make mention of an unbelievable plot, weak characters, and etc. Set in the 1930's midwife Patience Murphy has had a lot of things happen in her life, but those were hard times, so I found this believable, and maybe the author used these happenings simply to insert a lot of historical information into the novel? I found this made the story more interesting because it covered some things I was unaware of, like the depiction of life in the coal mining towns and the forming of unions. It also was a reminder of the continued subjugation of blacks during that period in the south. Like most other reviewers, I found the birthing stories fascinating. I plan to find the 2 books Ms. Harman has written about her own experience as a midwife and read those too. Great effort for a first time novelist. I would recommend to anyone interested in that period of history or in the history of midwifery.
    • 5/5
      What an amazing read. I love the way this author writes. She writes about women, and their weaknesses and their joys. Mostly Patricia Harman writes about their strengths. This is a story of a woman who became a midwife more by accident than by design. Patience was a woman who had lost her parents at an early age, walked away from an orphanage and into the first of many adventures she was to experience. She lost a lover and a child, and eventually became a widow due to a terrible accident. Yet she found a way to survive. She landed in small, very poor town in West Virginia. The mines nearby provided work for some, but The Depression found its way into town and many of the richer inhabitants became poor and the poor became destitute. But life has a way of going on, and babies will be born, and so she made her living as a midwife, which she had learned from her great and beloved friend Mrs. Kelly during the years they shared a home and a way of life. Even though she had spent much of her life in cities like Pittsburgh and Chicago, she took to rural living like one who was born to it, and was finally living a life she enjoyed and was a respected member of the community. But even country life had its pitfalls, and she still had a challenge or two ahead of her. A self described warrior, she made her way, and eventually found more than a life she was content with, she found a way to be happy.
    • 4/5
      Patience Murphy is a midwife working in rural West Virginia. This book details the path that brought her there, as well as her current practice and life in West Virginia. The plot is interesting, and the births are all detailed and interesting in ways that would uniquely appeal to lay people as well as midwives. Harman brings to bear her considerable life experience to this work of fiction and has created an interesting narrative of one woman's experience living in this time and place. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.
    • 4/5
      I found the novel interesting as it pertains to midwifery in the US (West Virginia, Appalachia) during the Great Depression. Interwoven between the different births that we are invited too, are stories birthed by racial conflict, and the myriad of socioeconomic problems arisen due to the market crash that highlighted that period of history. The author does a good job of covering a wide range of issues from that time including unemployment, severe poverty, unsafe mining conditions, the defeat of unions , revitalization of the KKK, domestic abuse, murder, and suicide. Through the eyes of the midwife, the author shares how fragile life can be. Nothing is kept from us, not the stillborn premature babe nor the young wife who life ebbs away because her husband is too proud to ask for help on credit. Great storyline with good main character development. I want to know more about this midwife and the plans for her practice. Certainly a book that I’d recommend for those who enjoy novels with strife, hardship, but also love and friendship. If you enjoy books with a medical theme and/or historical events, this one will certainly be a worthwhile read for you.
    • 4/5
      The Great Depression, racial tensions, and mining conflicts combine to make Patience live a quiet life in Virginia. She records her thoughts, along with the details of the births she attends in her diary. An interesting look at the 1930s and great characters.
    • 4/5
      This is a marvelous novel, not only for the character of Patience, but for the many layers of history it covers. The great depression, the mines in West Virginia, Mother Jones and the formation of the unions with the ensuing strikes, protesting the unsafe and long work hours required to be a mine worker, Patience has many secrets and these are revealed in flashbacks and so the reader comes to know Patience really well. The vet is also a character that I liked and I liked the comparison between Veterinarian medicine and midwifery. But the favorite part of this for me was reading about all the childbirths in many different circumstances and of woman through many walks of life. Wonderful story.
    • 4/5
      A beginning midwife tries to outrun her past but instead becomes aware of the racial inequalities of where she now lives . A very entertaining read. I believe readers who enjoy Alice Hoffman's writing would enjoy this story as well.
    • 3/5
      The Midwife of Hope River was somewhat interesting, but not a book I would suggest to a friend. I liked hearing about the deliveries, but thought some of the story was awkward and unbelieveable. Especially the ending.
    • 5/5
      The Midwife of Hope River is an engaging and touching novel of human frailties and triumphs. Patience Murphy inherits the role of the midwife of Hope River, a small rural community in West Virgina, when her mentor and friend, Mrs Kelly dies. Patience is no stranger to loss, orphaned at a young age she has since buried a fiance, a husband and a child. Mrs Kelly was her last link to her secret past and without her support Patience is apprehensive about managing on her own.The Midwife of Hope River is told in the first person detailing Patience's experiences delivering babies in the community against the everyday challenges of life in Hope River. It opens with a harrowing delivery for one of the town's wealthy, white residents expecting a stillbirth, only for the child to be born alive. While Patience is relieved, she questions her own ability to be a midwife with such little training and experience. However with Dr Blum, the county's white doctor refusing to provide care for any one who cannot afford his services and the 'negro' midwife, Mrs Potts elderly and infirm, Patience is the only resource for the majority of the women.The birth stories Patience shares are surprisingly riveting, not only for the circumstances of the delivery, but also for what is revealed about the individuals, families and the community. Slowly Patience is drawn into the fabric of Hope River, befriending Bitsy, a young black woman, who becomes her lodger, assistant and friend, and sparking a romance with the new vet, Dr Daniel Hester.While the characters in The Midwife of Hope River are fascinating, Harman sets her novel against a time period of significant social angst in America. The story references the coal miner union riots of the early 1920's, racial segregation and the activities of the Ku Klux Klan and the Wall Street market crash leading to the Great Depression in 1929. The small rural Appalachian community in West Virgina Patience lives in is affected by these larger issues despite it's insular nature. Patience is paid in firewood or flour, if at all, as the Depression worsens, a family passing through in search of work abandons a new baby they cannot afford to feed to Patience's care, a husband turns on his wife as his fortune dwindles and racist attitudes are inflamed.The Midwife of Hope River is a story of struggle, loss, love, survival and a celebration of life. A wonderful tale and an impressive fiction debut from Patricia Harman, herself a practicing midwife. I very much enjoyed this novel and happily recommend it.
    • 4/5
      I was reading another book when this came in the mail. I thought I would read the first few pages to see if I liked the authors style of writing- I did't put the book down! This s a sweet little story that flows like a slow stream and I was drifting along enmeshed totally in rural West Virginia during the 1920's. I am always so thrilled when I find a story I like as much as this- I recommend this highly.
    • 5/5
      A beautifully written account of a year in the life of novice midwife Patience Murphy,living in rural West Virginia. Author Paticia Harmon creates a wonderful sense of time and place. Patience is trying to live and work in near seclusion, as she is afraid she may be pursued for some crimes in her past. The Great Depression, racial tension, poor conditions for coal mine workers, and prohibition all have a role to play in making 1929 a year Patience will never forget. Some of the book's language is so beautiful, that I found myself copying down sections so I can rearead them again and again. Highly recommended for fans of historic fiction and for readers who enjoy novels with a strong female progtragonist.
    • 5/5
      Set at the base of Hope Mountain on a farm during the onset of the Great Depression, Patricia Harman begins one of the most beautiful novels I have ever read. Harmam describes the landscape in such a way that you feel the seasons change. She draws you in so deep that you forget you are reading a work of fiction. "I've played too many roles in too short a time; had too many names, lived too many places." -Patience MurphyElizabeth Snyder Gordesky is on the run when her friend and midwife mentor, Ms. Kelly, brings her to West Virginia. Ms. Kelly dies of a broken heart and Elizabeth has a new role to play. Of all the roles Elizabeth has played being the midwife, Patience Murphy, is her most redemptive. Bringing new lives into the world slowly heals her heart of all the loss she has suffered in her past. "To be a midwife was never my goal." -Patience MurphyWith each baby that Patience brings into the world there is a unique experience and an equally unique family. Times are hard for everyone. Patience's expertise is needed regardless of color, class, or economic status and she gives herself relentlessly. When Patience acquired an apprentice, Bitsy, who was threatened with homelessness a beautiful friendship blossoms. Bitsy being a young black woman brought a new dynamic to Patience's life and work. No matter how the community embraced Patience, she did not feel comfortable revealing who she really was. The communities surrounding Hope River was clearly divided. Whites and Blacks. Patience being from Pittsburgh often crossed the lines. She was determined not to be boxed in. She faced racism head on. It must be said that Harman includes themes such as social justice, domestic violence, labor organizing, women's rights, and violent racism in a novel whose main theme is midwifery in an extraordinary way. Just when you thought the story could not melt your heart anymore Harman moves us by including two women with disabilities whose strength is astonding. There were so many small details of this book that really made me smile. I fell in love with Patience's love and affection for her animals. The dogs Emma and Sasha who were named for radical anarchists. The cow Moonlight with her calf Sunny. Patience nursed a lame horse, Star, back to health. She often delivered babies where her only payment was food or nothing at all. The different reactions to birth by each family will make you laugh and cry. I literally pondered over this review for days because I knew no matter what I wrote it would not express how much I enjoyed reading this book. Over the course of the novel, Patience reflects on her own past little by little. She heals gradually. Throughout Harman gives a balance of life and death. By the end a new life and a new love is blossoming and Patience's past is finally put to rest. The Midwife of Hope River is one of those books I will never forget.
    • 5/5
      This a novel which begins in the 1920's and goes into the Great Depression. It is the story of a young woman, who, through a set of circumstances, loses her husband and then miscarries their child. She ends up being a wet nurse and when she loses that job she flees and takes refuge with a midwife, who becomes her mentor. Eventually, Patience inherits the "job" upon the death of her mentor. This book is about her trials, tribulations, and triumphs. I liked this book because of its broad spectrum. The setting is a small mining town in Appalachian West Virginia. Included in this tale are the struggle of the unions, the hardships of coal mining towns, the KKK, and yes, a bit of romance. Very enjoyable and informative
    • 4/5
      Although rather slow in places, I quite enjoyed "The Midwife of Hope River". Patience Murphy was an interesting character and I felt I was there at each birth she attended - the author certainly went into realistic detail! Patience's life was not an easy one as she struggled to bring babies into the world without the help of a doctor or modern technology. It didn't matter if the women were rich or poor, black or white, she helped them all, but also knew when to step back and allow the mothers-to-be to labour in the way they wanted to, despite conventions. The various birthing stories, whether good or bad were, for me, the highlights of this book.I also enjoyed the depiction of life during the Great Depression, especially for a single woman on her own. Patience found it difficult to survive, often not receiving payment for her work, but I enjoyed learning about how she coped on her property without electricity and other mod cons, her reliance on the seasons, her garden and animals for food, and her battles with social injustice.The growing friendship between Patience and Bitsy, a young Negro woman, was heartwarming as was the blossoming romance between her and Hester, the local vet. Overall, "The Midwife of Hope River" was a gentle, touching story of community, courage, hope and love.
    • 2/5
      I had real trouble finishing this novel. It had many elements that usually I would enjoy - midwifery in a depressed rural/mining community, animals, lovely setting, union organizing etc - and I did enjoy this things, but in the absence of a plot or overall "problem" that the main character was working on it wasn't enough to hold my interest. The book had no structure, no pacing, no plot. Many of the characters were interesting, but they didn't share their feelings - especially our narrator. It was hard to care for them. I did, however, love the love interest Daniel Hester. I wonder why? Hester, like the other characters, didn't talk much and certainly never showed any emotion "on stage." Some of his actions show great emotion, but the reader never sees these actions. We hear about them as he tells Patience, our narrator. Patience doesn't respond strongly to anything. She's felt enough in her life and is afraid to feel. Sigh - I would've preferred the novel if Patience hadn't had quite so much life/backstory so we could've focused on one sad event rather than being asked to pity her for several sad events.
    • 5/5
      I am a midwife and I absolutely loved this book.
    • 5/5
      Patricia Harman’s writing is so vivid and authentic that I had to remind myself that the story was only fiction. The Midwife of Hope River is a compelling historical fiction novel that takes place in the 1930s, in the coal mining communities of Union County, West Virginia. Elizabeth Snyder, aka Patience Murphy, is a 36-year-old widowed showgirl; hiding from the law in the rural hills of West Virginia. Patience learns midwifery from Mrs. Kelly and Mrs. Potts, the only two midwives in the County. But when they both died, Patience found herself alone with only her apprentice, Bitsy, a young girl she took into her home and befriended, to assist her. The story pulls at the reader’s heartstrings as it follows these two women into poverty-stricken homes and into the homes of mothers in the midst of labor. The reader will also find their emotions skyrocketing and plummeting as they witness Patience and her assistant struggling to keep both mother and child alive during prolonged and complicated births. Patience Murphy would have loved to have had some assistance from Dr. Blum, the local physician. But Dr. Blum only treated families who had the means to pay for his services. And he refused to go into any of the homes that didn’t have running water and electricity; the very same homes that Patience and Bitsy often found themselves in. Payment was rare from these impoverished families. If they were paid, it was usually in the form of a meal, a chicken, or wood to heat their home. But most of the time it was just a hug and a thank you. Even though slavery no longer existed in West Virginia, prejudice, segregation, and racial hate crimes still did. Patience discovered this first hand when she found white supremacists setting fire to her fence and threatening to rape her along with her black apprentice, Bitsy. Neighbor, good friend and local veterinarian, Daniel Hester, saw the fire in Patience’s yard and gathered forces to combat it and the men dressed as the KKK. Patience held a warm and tender fondness for Daniel Hester, the man who always seemed to be there whenever she needed help. Patience, in turn, would assist him with his veterinarian calls. Although the two were not romantically in love, their bond of friendship was strong and ran deep within each other’s heart.Patience Murphy would eventually find that the care she so freely gave to others would come to her in the form of support and friendship. This friendship would be her saving grace when her troubled past came knocking at her door.I found The Midwife of Hope River to be riveting from the very first page. Patricia Harman draws from her vast experience as a midwife. She paints accurate and vivid pictures of what women experience during normal and complicated deliveries. I had to remind myself that The Midwife of Hope River was only fiction because it read like a true story, with realistic characters, dialogue, and situations. Although the book has a thread of grief and sadness running through it, readers will find themselves smiling at the many humorous situations Patience finds herself in. I would highly recommend reading The Midwife of Hope River. It’s a magnificently written, fascinating, and difficult to put down book. It’s a story that will stay with the reader long after they have finished the last page.~5 out of 5 stars~ Review by Peg Glover
    • 5/5
      Patience Murphy is honest from the get-go, saying "to be a midwife was never my goal." No stranger to loss (she was orphaned young, then widowed young, and lost a baby along with way), Patience suddenly finds herself a guardian of life when her friend and mentor dies and leaves her alone to deliver babies in rural West Virginia. Set in the depths of the Great Depression, this book describes with poignant realism the crippling poverty and despair governing the lives of Patience's patients; at the same time, with each baby she delivers, Patience sees renewed joy and hope for the women she meets. Harman's writing is vivid and her characters are warm and richly developed. Patience's story is woven throughout the novel, her secretive present interspersed with a very different and wilder past; along the way we meet the wildly different people who have influenced her. Nothing about this novel felt overdone - I thought Patience's emotions and experiences leapt off the page with their unapologetic reality, both good and bad. The scene was always alive but never over-imagined. Harman masterfully captured one woman's (and really, her entire community's) experience in a particular time and place - there were moments in the book that made me forget I was reading a work of fiction. I give this novel 5 stars, I highly recommend it!
    • 4/5
      set in West Virginia during the Great Depression, midwife Patience comes up against poverrty, despair, racial tensions all while grappling with her checkered past.
    • 5/5
      Patience Murphy is a midwife in West Virginia in the beginning of the Depression. Patience has many secrets and it is very hard for her to open up to people. During one year's time, she will undergo many changes and become a much bigger part of her community. The author took great care in developing her characters and sharing just enough of Patience's past to keep you wanting to read more. This was a very good first book. I look forward to more from this author.
    • 5/5
      Good read, very new material for me and although the ending left me a little dull I really did enjoy this book, would recommend it ot all my reading friends.
    • 5/5
      This a novel which begins in the 1920's and goes into the Great Depression. It is the story of a young woman, who, through a set of circumstances, loses her husband and then miscarries their child. She ends up being a wet nurse and when she loses that job she flees and takes refuge with a midwife, who becomes her mentor. Eventually, Patience inherits the "job" upon the death of her mentor. This book is about her trials, tribulations, and triumphs. I liked this book because of its broad spectrum. The setting is a small mining town in Appalachian West Virginia. Included in this tale are the struggle of the unions, the hardships of coal mining towns, the KKK, and yes, a bit of romance. Very enjoyable and informative