The Midwife's Tale [Paperback]

Gretchen Moran Laskas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2004

“I come from a long line of midwives,” narrates Elizabeth Whitely. “I was expected to follow Mama, follow Granny, follow Great-granny. In the end, I didn’t disappoint them.

Or perhaps I did. After all, there were no more midwives after me.”For generations, the women in Elizabeth’s family have brought life to Kettle Valley, West Virginia, heeding a destiny to tend its women with herbals, experience, and wisdom. But Elizabeth, who has comforted so many, has lost her heart to the one man who cannot reciprocate, even when she moves into his home to share his bed and raise his child.

Then Lauren Denniker, Elizabeth’s adopted daughter, begins to display a miraculous gift--just as Elizabeth learns that she herself is unable to have a child. How Elizabeth comes to free herself from a loveless relationship, grapple with Lauren’s astonishing abilities, and come to terms with her own emptiness is the compelling heart of this remarkable tale. Incorporating the spirited mountain mythology of prewar Appalachia, Gretchen Laskas has crafted a story as true to our time as its own, and a cast of characters as poignant as they are entirely original.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

It is the 1930s, and Kettle Valley, West Virginia, is still a sleepy place with no modern conveniences. The services of the Whitely woman are always in high demand, and Elizabeth works diligently with her mother learning the skills of a midwife, carefully mixing the tinctures and preparing the tonics that have the potential to preserve life. For generations, the Whitely women have kept the ledgers that define the population of Kettle Valley. The big black ledgers are filled with the names of the babies born into the hands of Elizabeth's mama and her grandma before her. There are also the red ledgers, which hold horrible truths encrypted in a code known only to Elizabeth's mother. Because Elizabeth spends her adolescence as an apprentice to the midwife craft, she is burdened with too much knowledge, and she feels the joy of childhood slipping away to be replaced with a deep, ebbing loneliness that fills her life with sorrow. A tender story of broken dreams. Elsa Gaztambide
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“Evocative storytelling.”
--Kirkus Reviews


From the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Delta (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385335547
• ISBN-13: 978-0385335546
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #862,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book, a wonderful new writer, April 1, 2003

By 

M.J. Rose "mjroseauthor" (Greenwich, Ct USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Midwife's Tale (Hardcover)

It is rare to find a novel that is has such a strong voice, is evocative, literary and still good old fashioned story telling, but Laskas has written one. And a fine novel this is down to the happy ending, one of the hardest things to carry off.

I stayed up till 2AM to finish this book, and cried at the end. And for me that merits five stars.

This is a wonderful book written by a wonderful new writer.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings Into the World a Bright New Talent, April 10, 2003

By 

Sarah Rocklin (Timonium, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Midwife's Tale (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful story of bonds of love shared by mothers and their daughters as well as the love between men and women. Elizabeth, the midwife whose tale we are caught up in, isn't perfect but she is strong, smart and interesting. This is indeed a strong telling of a moving story but I wasn't aware that this kind of well-written novel was out of style.

One thing I loved about this book was that somehow, though it's not written in the sort of folksy dialect usually used to depict mountain people, the author lets the true voice of these people shine through. It's a very skillful job and gives the reader a real sense of place.

I look forward to the next book by this author.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning Mountain Portrayal and Depth, July 7, 2005

By 

Renee' (Southern Gal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Midwife's Tale (Hardcover)

I have read literally dozens of novels and essays depicting Appalachian "Mountain Folk" and this one is now at the top of my list of favorite suggestions. Being a 'Mountain Girl' myself, I found Elizabeth's narrative of the life around hers to be close to home. I could almost smell the various tea's she would brew and the stenched mold of a certain poor house she had to go to, bringing back memories for me that had faded. I inhaled the strength of the relationship she had with her Mother and her Grandmother. After all, what "Mountain Person" isn't a protege' of their carefully handed down lineage?

I can't brag that I read this book in a lapping time because it
is the very first book that I actually lingered and savored like a fine dessert. I took my sweet time. Something took over me like never before and with every few pages I stopped, pondered and reflected what had just sunk in. And like no fiction I've read before, this amazing author taught me some dislikable things about myself that I had to come to terms with. Of course, I discovered things that I am proud of too, so this was quite a ride. That is how provoking this book is.

Anyone that was looking for a tale solely on midwifing, didn't take the time to search inside the pages and therefore they only have the right to be critical of themselves. This is an excellent read. My one and only qualm is that I felt the last few chapters became rushed, leaving me with wanting more from
Elizabeth. I'm hoping there may be a sequel that is detailed with the narrator and the love she finally found with David.
I can hope, can't I?

Gretchen Moran Laskas has done an exceptional work here and it is
hard to believe this is her first novel. I'm anxious for more because it is obvious she knows "Mountain People". And I also credit her for not decimating us in any way, but instead she has portrayed Appalachian People as the strong, hard workers we are.
Even if you are not a Mountaineer, you will enjoy this finely weaved historical story. I'm happy it now belongs in my personal library.