The Runaway Midwife

The Runaway Midwife

by

Patricia Harman

Blurb:

"Midwife Clara Perry is accustomed to comforting her pregnant patients, calming fathers-to-be as they anxiously await the births of their children, and ensuring the babies she delivers come safely into the world. But when Clara's life takes a nose-dive, she realizes she hasn't been tending to her own needs and she does something drastic: she runs away to start over again in a place where no one knows her, or about the mess she's left behind in West Virginia. Heading to tiny, remote Seagull Island in Canada, Clara is ready for anything. Well, almost. She left her passport back home, and the only way she can enter Canada is by hitching a ride on a snowmobile and illegally crossing the border. Deciding to reinvent herself, Clara takes a new identity--Sara Livingston, a writer seeking solitude. But there's no avoiding the outside world. The residents are friendly, and they draw 'Sara" into their lives and confidences. She volunteers at the local medical clinic, using her midwifery skills, and forms a tentative relationship with a local police officer. But what will happen if she lets down her guard and reveals the real reason why she left her old life? One lesson soon becomes clear: no matter how far you run, you can never truly hide from your past."

My Review:

The best thing about this book is the characters, especially the secondary characters. They are well written and seemed like people that could live next door. I liked Molly Lou, Jed, Dolman, Nita, and Rainbow. Some of them are quirky and fun while others are more serious and deep. Nita is one of my favorites. I love her talent and her wisdom. Jed seems like a great friend, and Rainbow's free spirit is contagious. Unfortunately, that's about all I liked about this book. I wasn't a huge fan of Clara (She goes by Sara on the island-I'll call her Sara in this review), the main character. I could not relate to her at all. I could not fathom doing what she did. Lots of people go through tough times, and they go through things that are much worse than what Sara went through, and they don't run away. Most people stick it out and work through their problems. Most people deal with the hard things and become stronger, better people as a consequence. Yes, it's hard, but it's life. I just didn't feel like what she did was realistic or reasonable. I felt bad that she was having a hard time, but didn't agree with, relate to, or like how she dealt with it. Then she's on the island and I just felt like it was really slow and kind of pointless. I didn't get the point of it all. The writing felt disjointed. I felt like it just jumped from one event to the next without any transition. There were events that happened that left me wondering why they were even included in the book at all (the Nelson children??? Charity???). Also, I like birds, but I just skipped all the bird facts at the end of the chapters, once again-why? And why all the talk of missing persons that Dolman needed to check out? That one definitely didn't get resolved. You all know how I feel about politics in books. If I want to read a political book I will read one, but when I read fiction, I read it to be entertained and taken away from everyday life. I don't want to read about politics at all in fiction (whether I agree with it or not....). This book definitely has a political bias. I'm sick of politics at the moment, and I really just wanted to be entertained, not preached to. Also, I just felt like the ending was a little too perfect and tidy for the situation she was in. It didn't feel realistic at all. So there you go...this book was just not for me. 

There was some profanity in this book, including one "f" word. There isn't any violence, but there are multiple "intimacy" scenes. There are a few discussions about STDs as well, along with a homosexual couple. There is also the delivery and birth of a baby. It's not too descriptive, but it does use correct terminology, without mincing words. I actually liked that scene. I delivered all four of my babies in hospitals, but all without drugs, and it definitely brought back all the feelings and emotions from when my babies were born. 

Rating: R (This book is not appropriate for younger readers.) There is profanity, including an "f" word, along with multiple "intimacy" scenes. STDs are also discussed, and there is a homosexual couple. There isn't any violence, but there is the delivery and birth of a baby, and she does use correct terminology and does not mince words.

Recommendation: Adult

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.