Midwives by Chris BohjalianSibyl Danforth, a midwife in Vermont who only performs home births, makes a rash decision to perform an emergency C-section on Charlotte Bedford in order to save the life of her baby, after she believes Charlotte died in childbirth. The question is was Charlotte really dead? This question makes up the majority of the book, which is narrated by Sibyl's daughter, Connie, looking back to her 14-year old self and following the events of the trial that would decide her mother, and her family's, fate. The question is never fully answered, but I think the author allows readers to make up their own mind, based mostly on the pieces of Sibyl's journal we are allowed access to.
I enjoyed reading this book - it kept me interested, and Bohjalian keeps the reader dangling by a thread throughout the whole trial, using flashforwards and flashbacks to keep us wondering if Sibyl will be convicted or not. Yet, my response to the book was that it is not a must-read, but a pleasure read for a languid summer day.
