MaidMerry reviewed The birth house by Ami Mckay
Review of 'The birth house' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This was a well-written book with an interesting and compelling main character. Although it was somewhat predictable, there was enough suspense to keep me reading.
However, I had trouble getting on board with the basic premise of the novel: modern medicine=bad herbalism and midwifery=good. While I do see a place for traditional remedies and midwives/doulas, one has only to visit an old graveyard to see how many women and babies were lost in childbirth before the advent of modern methods. I probably wouldn't be here today and neither would my children if it weren't for the care and skill of my obgyn. Although McKay, through Rare, does say that doctors and midwives should work together, this seems to be mere lip service to the concept, as she paints the doctor in the novel as such a buffoon and his methods as so ill-informed and damaging.
This was a well-written book with an interesting and compelling main character. Although it was somewhat predictable, there was enough suspense to keep me reading.
However, I had trouble getting on board with the basic premise of the novel: modern medicine=bad herbalism and midwifery=good. While I do see a place for traditional remedies and midwives/doulas, one has only to visit an old graveyard to see how many women and babies were lost in childbirth before the advent of modern methods. I probably wouldn't be here today and neither would my children if it weren't for the care and skill of my obgyn. Although McKay, through Rare, does say that doctors and midwives should work together, this seems to be mere lip service to the concept, as she paints the doctor in the novel as such a buffoon and his methods as so ill-informed and damaging.