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The Midwife

A Hauntingly Beautiful and Heartbreaking Historical Fiction

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About this listen

This audiobook includes a touching acknowledgements chapter read by the author, Tricia Cresswell.

A haunting and moving historical fiction, The Midwife by Tricia Cresswell is perfect for fans of The Familiars and The Binding.

1838. After a violent storm, a woman is found alone, naked and near death, on the Northumberland moors. She has no memory of who she is or how she got there. But she can remember how to help a woman in labour and how to expertly dress a wound, and can speak fluent French. With the odds against her, a penniless single woman, she starts to build her life from scratch, using her skills to help other women around her. She finds a happy place in the world. Until tragedy strikes, and she must run for her life . . .

In London, Dr Borthwick lives a solitary life working as an accoucheur dealing with mothers and babies in the elegant homes of high society together with his midwife, and volunteering in the slums of the Devil’s Acre alongside a young widow, Eleanor Johnson. His professional reputation is spotless and he keeps his private life just as clean, isolating himself from any new acquaintances. But he is harbouring a dark secret from his past – one that threatens to spill over everything.

 Genre Fiction Historical Medical Mystery Women's Fiction Fiction Exciting Midwife

Critic reviews

Amongst the many excellent entries for the Mslexia Novel Prize, this novel really stood out: a gripping and smartly executed double narrative full of surprises, with something serious to say about women's place in society and the strategies they employ to survive. (Louise Doughty, bestselling author of Apple Tree Yard)
A vivid, engrossing mystery about a woman who can’t remember her own identity but knows with certainty how to deliver babies. The authentic medical details form a compelling picture of the precariousness of life in the mid 19th century, when childbirth could prove fatal for even the fittest of women. I was hooked! (Gill Paul, bestselling author of The Secret Wife)
Atmospheric, haunting and intriguing. A compelling and beautifully written debut. (Tracy Rees, bestselling author of Amy Snow and The Rose Garden)
All stars
Most relevant
Wonderfully constructed and beautifully told, this is a book I want to read again. I understand now why all the reviews were positive. Interesting characters are well-placed in an intricate plot. My hat is off to Tricia Cresswell and Kristin Atherton for a wonderful "reading" experience.

WOW!

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Overall I found this book to be an enjoyable read, I got slightly lost at times but it all became clear in the end. I found the ending came along very quickly which was a little underwhelming but overall it was a good read.

Enjoyable read

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The first few chapters of this book were hard to listen to as the narrator alternated between speaking too rapidly and leaving long pauses or speaking too slowly. I found it extremely annoying. The story however is what kept me listening. As the narrator settled into a slightly less annoying style I was able to enjoy the story more, and it kept me listening and absorbed right to the end. Some of the narrator's voices were good with believable accents. I would hesitate to listen to this narrator again but the story itself was excellent.

The Midwife

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Beautifully written and very engaging characters although the original juxtaposition of time and location made it difficult to follow at first. Loved the description of the harrowing contrasts between rich, poor and downtrodden in all elements of that society. Nonetheless, like some other reviewers I found the ending mystifying and out of kilter.
Still worth a read but perhaps with lower expectations than some reviews have stated.

Totally absorbing but….

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This was a tremendous book. Thankyou to Tricia Cresswell and to
Kristin Atherton for the brilliant narration. I look forward to Tricia’s next book.

AN OUTSTANDING NOVEL

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