THE RELUCTANT MIDWIFE A Hope River Novel
THE RELUCTANT MIDWIFE
A Hope River Novel
Patricia Harman
USA TODAY bestselling author PATRICIA HARMAN returns with an unforgettable follow up to The Midwife of Hope River, once again creating a beautifully imagined story, full of humor and human warmth.
In THE RELUCTANT MIDWIFE (on sale March 3, 2015; ISBN 9780062358240; $14.99) the Great Depression has hit rural West Virginia hard. Men are out of work and women struggle to feed hungry children. Nurse Becky Myers has returned to care for the community just when they need her most.
While she can handle most situations, Becky is squeamish and uneasy about delivering babies. When confronted with frantic mothers-to-be, she relies on her dear friend Patience Murphy an experienced midwife, for guidance.
Though she is happy to be back in Hope River, time and experience have tempered Becky’s cheerfulness, as tragedy has destroyed the vibrant spirit of her former employer Dr. Isaac Blum. Patience too has changed. Married and expecting a baby herself, she is relying on Becky to keep the mothers of Hope River safe.
THE RELUCTANT MIDWIFE brings the memorable story of how Becky reshapes her life, first as a reluctant assistant in Patience’s midwifery, and later as a heroic nurse dealing with a calamitous forest fire at a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. Becky also grows into the role of encouraging supporter, bringing Isaac back to life, and helping them both discover unexpected gems in their friendship that expand the meaning of family, love and fate.
With humor and empathy PATRICIA HARMAN deftly captures the despair of one of America’s darkest chapters, and of sudden tragedy—and by contrast, the joy and resilience of the human spirit. THE RELUCANT MIDWIFE is the perfect follow up to The Midwife of Hope River, and as Booklist has said, for “fans of the BBC’s Call the Midwife …”