Once a Midwife

In Harmon's third "Hope River" novel (after The Midwife of Hope River and The Reluctant Midwife), America has weathered the Great Depression, but the threat of war looms. Midwife Patience Hester is heartened by the return of her midwife friend Bitsy, and the two quickly fall into step in delivering babies. Bitsy, an African American woman, is now caring for a young white boy who is her ward. While the KKK has moved on, subtle racism is still apparent in Hope River. Then the United States enters World War II, and Patience's veterinarian husband Daniel refuses to register for the draft. A veteran of World War I, he has vowed never to kill again. This puts him at odds with most of the townspeople, his own young son, and even his wife. When Daniel is arrested, Patience must continue her work as midwife while raising four young children in the midst of wartime restrictions. But the mounting deaths of vibrant young men lead her to question her husband's stand.