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Meredith Van Roessel
Floss, Grace, Neva
First of all I had just finished reading The Mother's Promise another remarkable book by Sally Hepworth. I then picked up The Secrets of Midwives and I was in complete awe from the first page you are able to see how diverse each character is. The secrets to me where secrets that all women may have to tell someone in their life. However I did think the ending was a little choppy. Overall I loved loved loved this novel and am now going to read The Things we Keep. Sally Hepworth is an excellent author who will keep you on your toes.
Joane wolpin
The secrets of midwives
I always enjoy generational sagas especially this book. The character's seem very human living with secrets past and present. I would love to see a followup
Diane M.
Excellent book
This was such a wonderful book. I didn't want it end. Three generations of women, all midwives. The grandmother and granddaughter have secrets which they wonder if they should be revealed and what effect the revealing of these secrets will have. Wonderful book.
Barbara P. (Hixson, TN)
Hated to see this book end!
A combination of mystery, family relationships, romance and character study, this novel is one of the best I've read in a long time. As a nurse, I found the medical story line accurate. The characters were both real and likable. The grandmother, mother, and daughter are all midwives and watching their story unfold was a truly delightful experience.
Barbara B. (Alta Loma, CA)
Are Keeping Secrets Best?
The title of this novel caught my attention immediately, as I am an OB nurse. I felt as though Ms. Hepworth was very well informed & medically knew what she was writing. In my experience, it is true that the hospital & staff may look down on Midwives & I wasn't surprised a doctor made a complaint, however , I had to agree with her nursing judgement.
What I liked most about this novel, was that for Neva, secrets weren't going to be a part of her life or her child's.
I also enjoyed the flashbacks of Floss' earlier life. This novel would be a great read for book clubs.
Mary F. (Goodyear, AZ)
Fun, quick read.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick read, and I found that I did not want to put it down. I feel like I really got to know the characters of the book. I would have liked to be a member of their family! I was cheering for them all as I read the book.
This book appealed to me as a person in the medical field It was interesting to learn about the practice of a nurse midwife.
This book would make a good book club selection. A book club could spend hours talking about family secrets and the complexity of relationships within a family, especially motherly love. As an adoptive mother, I could relate to Floss's instant bonding with Neva as her child. As I write this review on my son's 13th birthday, I reflect on the relationship that we have. I can't imagine it could be any stronger if I have given birth to him myself.
Deborah P. (Dunnellon, FL)
The Secrets of Midwives
A good book for me captivates and transports me to another time and place of the authors choosing. Sally Hepworth , in her debut novel met these criteria and held me captive until the end. Hepworth seamlessly tells the stories of three generations of women each with a unique perspective on being a Midwife and secrets that, if disclosed, could be life changing The Author's character development and seamless transition between each women's story was so smooth I found that I was not disappointed at the end of a chapter as so often happens. I carried the book with me so as not to miss a moment of reading time.
As an avid reader I rarely find that I am captivated by all of the characters. This novel not only held my attention from beginning to end but also left me with a longing for a sequel. I highly recommend the novel and I am adding Sally Hepworth to my Author "A" list.
Vicki O. (Boston, MA)
Secrets, Secrets
I really enjoyed this poignant novel about three generations of midwives, each of whom carries a secret that is revealed during the course of the narrative, told through the eyes of each character. I found that structure quite effective as it helped to paint a picture of not only the character, but also the relationship between them The story is well told and perfectly paced with enough tension and suspense to keep you reading. Pick up this book if you are looking for a story with heart.