Meet a midwife and a mayor in
Delia Parr’s
historical novel
The Midwife’s Tale
Bethany House
********
The Story
Martha Cade comes from a long line of midwives who have served the families of Trinity, Pennsylvania, for generations. A widow with two grown children, she’s hopeful that her daughter will follow in her footsteps, but when Victoria runs off, Martha’s world is shattered.
Worse, a new doctor has arrived in town, threatening her job, and she can’t remember a time when her faith has been tested more. Still determined to do the work she knows God intended for her, Martha is unprepared for all that waits ahead. Whether it’s trying to stop a town scandal, mending broken relationships, or feeling the first whispers of an unexpected romance, she faces every trial and every opportunity with hope and faith.
Introducing Martha & Thomas
Brief physical description
Martha Cade is in her early forties. She is average height, a bit plump with womanly curves, brown hair tinged with gray, and a splash of freckles across her face.
Thomas Dillon is tall and lean. With dark hair and gray eyes, he is very handsome and a charmer.
Resembles . . .
Martha would resemble Meryl Streep in body type and she would have that glow of inner goodness about her that we often see in Streep’s characters.
Thomas would resemble Hugh Jackman.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Martha has a strong faith and a strong moral code that guides her life. She is absolutely committed to helping others and fulfilling her duties. Her weakness? Sweets!
Thomas is also a man of great character with a sense of duty and devotion to faith, family and community. He is a genuine good guy, inside and out. His one weakness is Martha, and he tends to be overprotective.
Quirks
Martha loves to eat her dessert first or have dinner/supper that consists entirely of desserts!
Thomas had a bad experience with birds and is a bit phobic around them.
Your inspiration for the characters
My midwife, Martha Cade, is based on a real-life midwife, Martha Ballard, who was a midwife who lived and worked in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. She would be akin to being Martha Cade’s mother or grandmother. Her story is told in A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785 – 1812 by Laurel Thacher Ulrich which is a Pulitzer prize-winning book. For anyone interested in the history of midwifery in the United States, I highly recommend Ulrich’s book.
To be completely honest, my inspiration for Thomas was my Dad. He was not wealthy or influential, like Thomas, but he was a man of character and I modeled Thomas’s character on my father, who just happened to be tall, dark and handsome in my eyes!
Background to the story
All of my historical novels take place in the nineteenth century during the antebellum period. It’s my favorite time period, and after reading Ulrich’s book, I wanted to write a story about a midwife during that period, when midwives were being challenged by doctors and forced out of their practice as a way of making that challenge to women come alive. I hope Martha Cade will do that for my readers. I also wanted to recreate what life was like in early America when most folks lived in small communities like Trinity.
Thanks Delia
Relz Reviewz Extras
Review of Hearts Awakening
Buy at Amazon: The Midwife’s Tale or Koorong
Photo credit: “HughJackmanApr09b” by Grant Brummett. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HughJackmanApr09b.jpg#/media/File:HughJackmanApr09b.jpg
August 4, 2015 at 1:59 am
doctor. My kids usually have something go wrong, so a doc would be the best bet.
August 4, 2015 at 4:21 pm
I’d like to have a midwife.
August 4, 2015 at 8:06 pm
I had both at my baby’s birth, actually. I was intending all along to have a midwie, but my baby’s decision to be premature required a doctor as well. But it all worked out! She’s 7 months this week!!!!
August 4, 2015 at 10:40 pm
Since my last two children were high risk births and I had a wonderful doctor, I would have to choose a doctor. Thanks for the character spotlight and giveaway!
August 5, 2015 at 12:16 am
I would much prefer a midwife. Although I haven’t yet had any children, I know I am hoping to have home births for all of the children God blesses me with, so my answer is definitely midwife.
August 5, 2015 at 1:48 am
My one-&-only was breech so I was thankful to have good doctors and a good hospital. But my sister had a midwife for her 2nd delivery and loved it so I know they can be great.
August 5, 2015 at 8:59 am
Hello to Relz and to Delia. I really enjoyed this post. All of my Mother’s 8 children were born at home. I know my daddy said a doctor was coming to our house in the country but was too late, so my daddy delivered me. He always teased me that he didn’t have to spank me cause I came out crying. LOL
I was next to last when I had a baby brother, and they sent the three youngest to stay the night with an aunt. I was 6. I have a granddaughter who has had 3 of hers with a midwife. Well, she started with the aa midwife with her 4th but the sonogram showed a problem so went to the hospital. the baby was born with a cleft lip and pallet. But, when the 5th came along she used a midwife again, also this baby also had the same problem. She and hubby said they knew how to deal with it that time. Her first baby was with a midwife also. I would probably choose the doctor, tho the cost is much less with a midwife. Looks like you have some good books Delia. Thanks for the giveaway.
Maxie > mac262(at)me(dot)com <
August 5, 2015 at 9:03 am
A doctor since I live close to a few hospitals. If I were too far from the hospital then I would take a midwife.
August 5, 2015 at 9:41 am
Ummm…does a midwife give an epidural? Doctor for me please.
Thanks for the opportunity to win!
August 6, 2015 at 11:13 am
I think I would prefer a doctor simply because something might go wrong and I would want a doctor to be there. This sounds like a good book. I don’t recall reading a book with a midwife theme before.y
August 6, 2015 at 11:37 am
I’m not married yet, so I haven’t thought about this question very much. I’d probably prefer to be in a hospital with a doctor. Just in case something were to go wrong:)
August 6, 2015 at 11:39 am
My first was breech so thankful for Dr for both of mine.
The book sounds great. Thank you for a chance to win.
August 6, 2015 at 12:04 pm
I’ve had 8 babies and all in a hospital with a doctor. I wish I could have been at home with a midwife for most of them!
August 6, 2015 at 10:13 pm
A midwife I think
Thanks for the giveaway, another one to add to my TBR pile 🙂
August 7, 2015 at 1:01 am
Just recently married, and no kids so I haven’t really thought about this! I would think I would feel safer in a hospital just in case something were to go wrong.
August 7, 2015 at 2:58 am
My kids are 21 and 19 and I had doctor’s both times—I think I would have appreciated a midwife’s experience:)
August 7, 2015 at 7:09 am
If my insurance covered it, I’d rather try a midwife the next time around (if there is a next time!) lol. I think that a midwife would be less invasive in their methods, and I’d prefer that.
August 7, 2015 at 7:57 am
Both mid-wives and doctors have great qualities! I need the need for both.
August 7, 2015 at 8:17 am
Doctor but hopefully no need for either anymore!
August 7, 2015 at 11:39 am
A midwife would be good, I didn’t have that option when mine were born.
August 8, 2015 at 1:42 am
What turned out to be a normal delivery was not. After 22 hours of labor I had to have a c-section, due to the fact that my daughter was transverse. If I had had a midwife I would have died.
August 8, 2015 at 12:41 pm
I had wonderful doctors for both my children’s births. If I’d been more adventurous I might have tried a midwife or even a home birth. 😊
August 13, 2015 at 10:03 pm
I wanted to pin this to my “winner is me” board and the two pic choices that came up were the book and Hugh Jackman 🙂 <3