The Mountain Midwife
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4.5 • 66 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Coming from a long line of mountain midwives, Ashley is torn between her dream of attending medical school and her guilt for abandoning the women who depend on her. Perfect for fans of The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon and Call the Midwife.
Ashley Tolliver has tended the women of her small Appalachian community for years. As their midwife, she thinks she has seen it all--until a young woman gives birth at Ashley's home and is abducted when Ashley tries to take the dangerously bleeding mother to the nearest hospital. Now Ashley is on a mission to find the woman and her newborn baby before it's too late.
Hunter McDermott is on a quest to track down his birth mother. After receiving more media attention than he could ever want for being in the right place at the right time, he receives a mysterious call from a woman claiming to be his mother. Hunter seeks out the aid of the local midwife in the mountain town where the call originated. He believes she is the only person who can help him discover his family background.
Ashley isn't prepared for Hunter's entrance into her world or how he affects her heart and her future. He reignites dreams of starting her own family--dreams she cast aside in favor of earning her medical degree and helping her community. But is it commitment to her calling or fear of the unknown that keeps her feet firmly planted in the Appalachian soil? Or is it something else--fear of her growing feelings for Hunter--that makes her hesitant to explore the world beyond the mountains?
A riveting read that masterfully combines mystery, romance, and the rich tapestry of Appalachian culture, The Mountain Midwife by Laurie Alice Eakes is a must-read. Whether you're drawn to tales of midwifery, captivated by love stories, or intrigued by mysteries, this novel offers something for everyone. Dive into a story that respects and portrays the beauty and challenges of mountain life, and be prepared to lose yourself in a world so vividly described that you'll feel as if you're right there in the Appalachian Mountains.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Eakes (Choices of the Heart) brings her historical Midwives inspirational romance series into a present-day setting, introducing Ashley, the latest in a long line of Cherrett/Tolliver midwives. Ashley Tolliver is well-known in her small Virginia mountain community as a woman to be trusted not only to deliver babies, but to nurture those under her care. Yet her town has little patience for her desire to concentrate attention on children of her own. When a very young mother arrives at her examination room long enough to give birth and then disappear with the baby, Ashley must bring all of her resources to bear in order to ensure the mother and child live. Her paths cross with reluctant hero Hunter McDermott, son of prominent Washington, D.C., lawyers, who comes to Brooks Ridge, Va., to solve a mystery of his own. Inconsistent in its demonstrations of faith, and rife with exaggerated stereotypes of Appalachian culture, the tale focuses primarily on protagonists' heightened sense of self-discovery, more the result of extended inner reflection than the mysteries both are faced with or their budding romantic relationship.
Customer Reviews
The mountain midwife
This was a very good book, I am asking my granddaughter to read it,
Engaging Novel!
The Mountain Midwife by Laurie Alice Eakes is a heartwarming Christian novel two mysteries in it. Ashley Tolliver is twenty-nine years old and a certified nurse midwife. Women in Ashley’s family have been midwives for over two hundred years. One night she is awakened by pounding on her door. A young woman with a man are on her doorstep. The young woman is in labor and needs assistance. Ashley lets them in and delivers the baby. The young woman then starts hemorrhaging. Ashley tries to call for help on her house phone but it is not working (not a good sign). She steps outside to use her cell phone (to get coverage) and is almost run over by a big truck. When she goes back inside, the couple is gone. Who were they and why did they run away?
Hunter McDermott is returning home after working on a project overseas. He has the press hounding him (in person and on the phone) after rescuing a little girl and her family from a car bomb. Hunter receives a call from a woman named Sheila Brooks claiming to be his birth mother. Sheila Brooks claims his sister needs him. She even uses his first name (that he changed years ago). When Hunter confronts his parents, he gets unexpected revelations. This leads him to a small community in the Appalachian Mountains. Hunter has the name of the midwife that delivered him thirty-two years ago which leads him to Ashley. Can Ashley help him find his birth family?
Hunter and Ashley are in for some adventures as they both seek answers. Some people do not wish them to get the answers they seek. The Mountain Midwife was a wonderful book. It captured my attention from the very beginning. It is very well-written and has such a good flow (you do not even realize how much time is passing as you sit there and read). I liked the characters for the most part (Ashely got on my nerves sometimes), the mountains sound beautiful, lonely, and dangerous. I enjoyed the two mysteries (Ashley’s mysterious guests and Hunter’s search). They were intriguing (I just love mysteries as you can tell). The only thing that got on my nerves was Ashley’s desire to go to medical school (wait and see). She felt she would be able to help her community more with the degree (she was wrong). I just wanted to shake her and show her what a great help she is to the people in her area. Overall, The Mountain Midwife is a book that you will not want to put down. I give The Mountain Midwife 4.5 out of 5 stars. I will definitely be reading more books by Laurie Alice Eakes.
I received a complimentary copy of The Mountain Midwife from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.