The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia HarmanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Meet Patience Murphy, formerly know as Elizabeth Snyder and on the run labor union activist, who now hides out in the mountains of West Virginia delivering babies. Patience has seen much sorrow and now at 36 is carrying on her mentor's midwifery skills alone after a few year's apprenticeship. Neither color of skin nor wealth does Patience consider when called out - day or night to attend a birthing, mourning deeply when baby or mother doesn't make it. It's not much in the way of a paying job, but it just allows Patience to continue her reticence in her cozy cabin.
Set after the Great Depression, Patricia Harman's main character Patience speaks through her diary. Slowly you will learn of Patience's own secret that causes her to hide in Liberty. The world of West Virginia mining and labor disputes, mountain hollows and tiny towns comes clearly into view while reading Patricia Harman's novel.
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