The Reluctant Midwife

When nurse Becky Meyers moves to Hope River, WV, during the height of the Great Depression, she has her former employer in tow. Dr. Isaac Blum is no longer fully functioning. In fact, he is catatonic, a condition apparently caused by the sudden death of his wife. Work is scarce. When Becky's good friend, midwife Patience Murphy (whom readers met in the author's 2012 title, The Midwife of Hope River), needs assistance, she often asks Becky to help her deliver babies, a medical task Becky finds terrifying. By taking a part-time job at the Civilian Conservation Corps camp, growing vegetables, and bargaining for firewood, Becky is able to support not only herself but Isaac, too. The doctor starts slowly to respond to the challenges of rural survival. Mining accidents, a rampant forest fire, and difficult pregnancies set a lively pace for all concerned. When Isaac begins secretly reading Becky's diary, the novel's layered complexity grows.