Once a Midwife: A Hope River Novel
Written by Patricia Harman
Narrated by Tavia Gilbert
4/5
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About this audiobook
Welcome back to Hope River in New York Times bestselling author Patricia Harman’s newest novel as midwife Patience Hester, along with her family and friends, face the challenges of the home front during World War II.
The women of Hope River trust midwife Patience Hester, whose skill in delivering babies is known for miles around. But though the Great Depression is behind them, troubles are not, for Europe is at war…and it can only be a matter of time before the U.S. enters the fray.
And while some are eager to join the fight, Patience’s husband, Daniel, is not. Daniel is a patriot—but he saw too much bloodshed during the First World War, and has vowed never to take up arms again.
His stance leaves Patience and their four children vulnerable—to the neighbors who might judge them, and to the government, who imprison Daniel for his beliefs.
Patience must support their family and fight for her husband’s release despite her own misgivings. And with need greater than ever, she must also keep her practice running during this tumultuous time…relying on generous friends, like Bitsy, who has returned to Hope River, stalwart neighbors, and her own indomitable strength to see them all through.
Patricia Harman
Patricia Harman, CNM, got her start as a lay midwife on rural communes and went on to become a nurse-midwife on the faculties of Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University, and West Virginia University. She is the author of two acclaimed memoirs and three novels: the bestselling The Midwife of Hope River, The Reluctant Midwife and The Runaway Midwife. She has three sons and lives near Morgantown, West Virginia.
More audiobooks from Patricia Harman
The Reluctant Midwife: A Hope River Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Runaway Midwife: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Once a Midwife
44 ratings7 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It may have been a good story, but I had already read the first two in the series, and the narrator change in the third was too drastic, and although Tavia has a lovely voice, I didn't feel that it matched the part. I didn't finish the book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This audiobook continues with lives of the people of the Hope River, Liberty City area of West Virginia. The period of time is WWII & the focus is now again on the Hester family. Midwife Patience Hester must now cope with her husband, Doctor Daniel Hester’s non-combatant beliefs toward war and the impact on the family. As prior, the author gives us insight into the lives of the residents through the retelling of the midwife’s birthing experiences. In this novel, however, the author, involves more community members expanding character development of previously minor characters. By the end of this novel, the reader/listener will get to know this region and its people more than prior novels. Good use of descriptive language and an excellent narrator makes this audiobook a joy to listen to. It’s not often that the narrator can sing, and in more than one voice. I look forward to returning to Hope River to visit the Hester family and their friends again . Although this novel can be read as a stand-alone, it would be more enjoyable if read in the series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Slow start as author backfilled in some backstories from the two previous books, then it too off. Set during the early years of WWII, Patience is kept busy with the 4 kids, so does some births in a Baby Cabin that the hubby built on the property. When WWII breaks out, hubby Dan refuses to register for the draft, eventually getting imprisoned. It doesn't help when Patience doesn't support that belief. Nice way to end the standoff at the end.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I really do enjoy these books, this one was a little slow for me, perhaps because I'm bored with the war themed books of late. But I will always buy them, one of my favorite authors.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Interesting book although this is probably a series. Did not realize that conscious objectors were jailed during WWII
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This novel is about a midwife in Hope River, West Virginia during WWII. It is book 3 in the Hope River series and can be read as a stand alone with minimal confusion. However, there were a few places in the book that I wished I had read the series in order so I plan to read the first two books to answer my questions.Patience is a midwife in a small town. She lives there with her husband Daniel, a veterinarian, and their 4 children. She is well known as a midwife in the area and the women trust her to deliver their babies. When World War II starts, life in their small town changes. War becomes the main topic of conversation and everyone is willing to make sacrifices to show their patriotism. Even though most of the local men are willing to sign up for the military to go fight, Patience's husband is just the opposite. He had seen bloodshed during the first world war and vowed to never kill again. The people in the area - many of them his friends - judge him to be a coward but he stands his ground even to the point of being imprisoned by the US government for his pacifist beliefs. Can Patience continue to support her husband even though she doesn't understand him? Can she keep her family and their farm intact during this tumultuous time in their community?I enjoyed reading about Patience and her family and plan to read the first two books. I thought that this book was too long and would been more effective at a shorter length but I did find it interesting to read about delivering babies at home during this time period. Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I wept with joy and heartache in this book. Daniel is a pacifist - he survived the Great War and saw the horrors and declines to sign up for the draft when World War II is declared. Patience, his wife, is a midwife and an activist and believes strongly in supporting the war effort. This is a good family with strong values but their differences regarding the war could tear them apart. They lived in a time where money was tight and they had little but they worked hard and had strong family values.