Customer Reviews

Motherwit: An Alabama Midwife's Story (Plume)

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Motherwit is a fascinating glimpse into the life of Onnie Lee Logan, Alabama's last "granny midwife". She is a wise and skillful midwife, meeting the needs of Merengo County, one of the poorest in Alabama. Her service to the black population is at first appreciated, because the doctors weren't interested in treating them. As midwifery and homebirth grows more popular, many well-off white couples hire her to deliver their babies at home, and soon she and her fellow midwives are no longer granted liscences to practice midwifery. The midwife will enjoy Onnie Lee's wisdom and compassion in caring for her clients; the African-American will appreciate her struggles to claim her place of service to her community. Christians will appreciate Onnie's frank faith in God, Who called her to midwifery and designed to process of birthing babies.

AS AN ASPIRING MIDWIFE AND FELLOW CHRISTIAN I WAS AMAZED AT THE CANDOR AND EASE WITH WHICH LOGAN LED US THROUGH 70 YEARS OF HER LIFE. HER STORIES TAUGHT WAYS TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS THAT ARISE OCCASIONALLY DURING NORMAL HOME BIRTH. HER CONSTANT DEVOTION TO GOD WAS VERY UPLIFTING!

This book reminded me of the question, "If someone wrote your life story, would anyone read it?"

Well, here is one person who lived a rather normal life and her story is no great Earth shaking drama, just her getting on with her life and doing what God wants her to do. From the book cover, ect., a lot of people want to read her story, so, in as much as we are all special and do special things in our lives, maybe not worthy of great notice, but worthy of note, yes, if someone wrote about any of us, people would want to read it.

Ms. Logan tells about her life growing up, becoming a midwife and how she learned to midwife the best. She had the great privilege and advantage of wonderful parents who taught her to live by God's word, be humble, giving and to not try to be 'white'.

There are some seriously sad parts in this story, but they are part and parcel of being black and human in this country. The most important part of her story is what she wanted to pass on to future generations on how to be a better midwife. She had learned a lot from God's directions (when she needed some, He gave her some directions) and from her own experiences.

All in all, she has had a wonderful life and is glad to have lived it. This book is a joy to read.

In 1996, while pregnant with my first child, I was researching the different options available to me for childbirth. I read book after book, borrowing them one after another from my local library. Only in my first trimester, I had already been told by my OBGyn that I had a 1 in 4 chance of C-Section "just because that's the way it is." There HAD to be another way, so I searched. Then I came upon THIS book. Far from being an argument for a method or an analytical textbook, Motherwit was an intensely tender, human story that made childbirth come alive for me. This book fed my soul as I laughed and cried my way through it. When I was done, I knew how I wanted my baby to come into this world: with a midwife. I've never forgotten it... and after all these years, 2 children later, I'm buying my own copy, so my daughter can read it too, when her time comes. I'd rather have a woman like Onnie there with me, than any Ph.D. Both of my children were born peacefully. Both came with the help of midwives like Onnie Lee.

I loved reading about the life of this fascinating woman