The last midwife

In 1880s Colorado, Gracy Brookens works as the local midwife, providing much-needed support to the women of Swandyke. It is a role she has played most of her life. Orphaned as a child and apprenticed to a midwife, Gracy delivered her first child when she was 10. Upon returning home one evening after a particularly difficult birth, Gracy is met by the town sheriff. She has been accused of murdering a baby. The baby was in excellent health when Gracy left the family's home but was found hours later with a piece of linen tied around its neck, the very linen Gracy used to tie off the umbilical cord. To clear her name, she will have to divulge town secrets that may ruin her reputation and livelihood. Dallas (A Quilt for Christmas, 2014) again immerses readers in a time and place long ago. Based on a true story, her latest is features strong characters, a gripping plot, and a vividly authentic setting. The Last Midwife is the deeply memorable story of one determined woman who must save her own life.--Gladstein, Carol Copyright 2015 Booklist

In 1880, a wealthy mine owner in a small Colorado town accuses the local midwife of murdering his infant son. Gracy Brookens is put on trial, forced to defend not only herself, but everything she represents. On one side are the local doctor and the undertaker who reject Gracy as a superstitious, untrained quack; on the other, generations of mountain women who pass down knowledge of herbs and other folk remedies in addition to birthing babies. The trial polarizes the community and portrays the age-old struggle between progress and tradition. While the tension and legal-thriller aspect of the novel are well-paced, its true strength lies in a deep commitment to setting and time period. The mining town way of life is clearly hard, but Dallas' characters live with dignity and maintain their senses of wonder at the beauty of the natural world. Gracy herself is refreshingly human, and the poor mountain people she helps are expertly sketched to be interesting, believable characters rather than mere types (with the exception of the wealthy Halleck family). As one might expect, the women carry the story, but the men, though perhaps more flawed, are still significant and sympathetic. Dallas (A Quilt for Christmas, 2014, etc.) clearly spent time researching midwifery practices of the time period, and the details of childbirth, both successful and complicated, are unflinching but also show great respect for women like Gracy who truly have a calling. This is a novel that celebrates women: their unbreakable bonds, their unselfish love for their children, their incredible capacity to endure. Like Gracy, the novel may seem delicate but its strength is in the layers. A period piece with a contemporary soul. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.