Publication
Vintage (1998), Edition: 1st Vintage Contemporaries Ed, 374 pages
Original publication date
1997-03-21
Collections
Genres
Subjects
Awards
Oprah's Book Club selection (1998)
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:NATIONAL BESTSELLER �?� This modern classic from the author of The Flight Attendant is a compulsively readable novel that explores questions of human responsibility that are as fundamental to our society now as they were when the book was first published. A selection of Oprah's original Book Club that has sold more than two million copies. On an icy winter night in an isolated house in rural Vermont, a seasoned midwife named Sibyl Danforth takes desperate measures to save a baby�??s life. She performs an emergency cesarean section on a mother she believes has died of stroke. But what if�??as Sibyl's assistant later charges�??the patient wasn't already dead? The ensuing trial bears the earmarks of a witch hunt, forcing Sibyl to face the antagonism of the law, the hostility of traditional doctors, and the accusations of her own conscience. Exploring the complex and emotional decisions surrounding childbirth, Midwives engages, moves, and transfixes us as only the very best nov… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member iwriteinbooks
On a cold night, in icy Vermont, a well-loved, trusted, experienced midwife watches her client fight for life. Due to sudden hazardous conditions, outside of anyone’s control, efforts to transport the laboring mother to the emergency room are of no use. Despite every last safety precaution taken,
Solemn quiet envelopes the group as they make their peace but another life waits to emerge. With the only choice she has left, Sibyl Danforth, our midwife and heroine makes, what she assumes is a post-mortem, uterine incision and lifts the baby to the world.
Only one life, instead of two, is lost.
After the events of the evening, though, conspiracy and suspicion begin to creep into the lives of all of those involved. With the sensationalism of the media, viciousness of modern litigation and ring of vengeance from grieving family, the happenings of the night are twisted and turned until they are no longer recounting survival but, rather, a much darker turn of events.
Sibyl holds that her client was undeniably passed before she performed surgery. Her intern and the husband of the deceased would like to tell you a different story.
This chilling tale is told, primarily, from the voice of Connie, Sibyl’s fourteen-year old daughter. Her voice is young and clear with a bit of a jaded edge as a result of the impending trial. Within the voice of innocence and youth, however, is another voice, woven in. At the beginning of each chapter, is a page or two from the journals Sibyl keeps of her clients. This voice begins as a benign, medical presence but soon moves to an emotional, spiritual and somewhat frantic side-car component to the story.
To those who may caution against reading the book based on its portrayal of midwives (or doctors or lawyers or even fourteen year old girls), it’s fair to say that Bohjalian takes aim at all characterizations equally. I wouldn’t use the book to base a true assessment of home birthing on but I also wouldn’t attempt to use it as an LSAT study guide, either. The story uses professions and profiles as chess pawns to illustrate a much larger conflict that a simple happening, one night in the woods. More than the dispute (that I’m well versed in) between Doctors and Midwives and the gray middle of Nurse-Midwives, the book serves to illustrate the way we handle tragedy, emergency and fear when presented in whatever context.
This was my first book by Bohjalian. I’ve always tossed him into the chick-lit, pulp fiction pile and while this may be an anomaly, I’d be willing to try another title by Chris if I one strikes me the right way. If anyone comes across a good one to suggest, I’m open to recommendations.
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the woman still collapses into a lifeless slump while midwife, apprentice and father-to-be watch helplessly.Solemn quiet envelopes the group as they make their peace but another life waits to emerge. With the only choice she has left, Sibyl Danforth, our midwife and heroine makes, what she assumes is a post-mortem, uterine incision and lifts the baby to the world.
Only one life, instead of two, is lost.
After the events of the evening, though, conspiracy and suspicion begin to creep into the lives of all of those involved. With the sensationalism of the media, viciousness of modern litigation and ring of vengeance from grieving family, the happenings of the night are twisted and turned until they are no longer recounting survival but, rather, a much darker turn of events.
Sibyl holds that her client was undeniably passed before she performed surgery. Her intern and the husband of the deceased would like to tell you a different story.
This chilling tale is told, primarily, from the voice of Connie, Sibyl’s fourteen-year old daughter. Her voice is young and clear with a bit of a jaded edge as a result of the impending trial. Within the voice of innocence and youth, however, is another voice, woven in. At the beginning of each chapter, is a page or two from the journals Sibyl keeps of her clients. This voice begins as a benign, medical presence but soon moves to an emotional, spiritual and somewhat frantic side-car component to the story.
To those who may caution against reading the book based on its portrayal of midwives (or doctors or lawyers or even fourteen year old girls), it’s fair to say that Bohjalian takes aim at all characterizations equally. I wouldn’t use the book to base a true assessment of home birthing on but I also wouldn’t attempt to use it as an LSAT study guide, either. The story uses professions and profiles as chess pawns to illustrate a much larger conflict that a simple happening, one night in the woods. More than the dispute (that I’m well versed in) between Doctors and Midwives and the gray middle of Nurse-Midwives, the book serves to illustrate the way we handle tragedy, emergency and fear when presented in whatever context.
This was my first book by Bohjalian. I’ve always tossed him into the chick-lit, pulp fiction pile and while this may be an anomaly, I’d be willing to try another title by Chris if I one strikes me the right way. If anyone comes across a good one to suggest, I’m open to recommendations.
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LibraryThing member jayne_charles
This has got to be one of my top ten reads of 2011. A really well written account of a family going through a traumatic court case, an examination of differing attitudes to childbirth, and a suspenseful plot that kept me reading well into the night. The author foreshadows constantly, but at no
Comparisons on the back cover with ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ are spot on. Both feature legal proceedings seen through the eyes of a young girl, in both cases the setting is important to the plot and beautifully conveyed, and in both cases when reading the book one is conscious of holding a work of considerable quality.
I would not have imagined a male author could have written a book about childbirth, an area which in literature as in life might be considered the exclusive preserve of women. Definitely hoping to read more of his work
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point is the reader completely sure what is going to happen, and there are some twists along the way. The penultimate chapter was the perfect ending for me, written with simplicity that was enormously moving. Comparisons on the back cover with ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ are spot on. Both feature legal proceedings seen through the eyes of a young girl, in both cases the setting is important to the plot and beautifully conveyed, and in both cases when reading the book one is conscious of holding a work of considerable quality.
I would not have imagined a male author could have written a book about childbirth, an area which in literature as in life might be considered the exclusive preserve of women. Definitely hoping to read more of his work
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LibraryThing member macktan894
I've read this book a couple of times...and I bought it before Oprah discovered it. I was visiting Seattle and spotted it on a shelf in a local bookstore. I've always prided myself on finding the good reads first.
This book is about so many things, not just the trial of a midwife who possibly
This is a riveting story about an unfortunate series of events that occurred in a snow and ice storm one night, changing the lives and viewpoints of many people in not just a family but a community. Bojalian opens this novel with a gripping description of midwife Sybil's attempt to deliver a baby that will have you hooked to this story until the end. He brilliantly assigns point of view to Sybil's 13 year old daughter who, like most precocious teens, sees and senses everything important and gives you, the reader, just the right amount of distance to put everything in perspective. Dramatic story, beautifully written.
This book is about so many things, not just the trial of a midwife who possibly
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botched a delivery. It's about changing times--the battle for patients and their dollars as depicted in Sybil Danforth's losing struggle to deliver babies even though she's not a doctor, affiliated with a hospital, or eligible for malpractice insurance. Her career is an affront to obstreticians who've trained expensively to do what she does cheaply and better. The world is different now. People sue, attorneys rush to find the suits in order to make money...33 & 1/3rd percent. It's about how honesty can mean very little in our judicial system. It's about the fading strength of communities and bonds between people. This is a riveting story about an unfortunate series of events that occurred in a snow and ice storm one night, changing the lives and viewpoints of many people in not just a family but a community. Bojalian opens this novel with a gripping description of midwife Sybil's attempt to deliver a baby that will have you hooked to this story until the end. He brilliantly assigns point of view to Sybil's 13 year old daughter who, like most precocious teens, sees and senses everything important and gives you, the reader, just the right amount of distance to put everything in perspective. Dramatic story, beautifully written.
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LibraryThing member bnbookgirl
This book ranks in the top 20 of my library. The books is beautifully written and the story leaves you thinking about the questions of human repsonsibility. The characters are enduring and you want to know more about them. The subject matter is intriguing and keeps you wanting to learn more. This
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is my favorite work by Bohjalian. Show Less
LibraryThing member marynkids42
Chris finds topics to write about that are controversial and he depicts the "locals" as they are. I had a hard time putting this book down because of the mixture of Vermont humor and Chris' fine way of ending each chapter. This is a must read.
LibraryThing member rayski
A tragic birth invades the happiness of a normal family. The stress of the ordeal’s impact on family is presented wonderfully.
LibraryThing member CasualFriday
In Chris Bohjalian's bestselling novel, Sibyl Danforth, a lay midwife,
is charged with involuntary manslaughter following the death of one of
her patients. People make fun of "Oprah books," but this one reminds
me of why her picks are so popular. First, it's a compelling read;
second, it offers a lot
well-drawn characters that you care about. The narrator is Sibyl's
daughter Connie, who was fourteen at the time of the trial but is
reviewing the case from an adult perspective. Bohjalian handles that
dual narrative voice very well - another example of a contemporary
male novelist successfully incorporating a female voice. The only sour
note was the snarky tone directed at the community of midwives other
than Sibyl.
is charged with involuntary manslaughter following the death of one of
her patients. People make fun of "Oprah books," but this one reminds
me of why her picks are so popular. First, it's a compelling read;
second, it offers a lot
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to think about, and third, it presentswell-drawn characters that you care about. The narrator is Sibyl's
daughter Connie, who was fourteen at the time of the trial but is
reviewing the case from an adult perspective. Bohjalian handles that
dual narrative voice very well - another example of a contemporary
male novelist successfully incorporating a female voice. The only sour
note was the snarky tone directed at the community of midwives other
than Sibyl.
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LibraryThing member jewelryladypam
I was enthralled with one of Chris Bohjalian's other novels entitled "The Double Bind" (which I also gave 5 stars) that I just had to read another one by him. And this one did not disappoint! What a novel - it had it all: strong characterization, steady & suspenseful plot, vivid setting, thought
I couldn't put it down and I will be back to read another of Bohjalian's very soon. I highly recommend this work!
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provoking questions of a moral/ethical nature and even a slight little twist at the end . . . all in one extremely well-written package. I couldn't put it down and I will be back to read another of Bohjalian's very soon. I highly recommend this work!
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LibraryThing member lis2003
This was our first DRMS book club selection. Read halfway, but didn't finish. I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue - this book keeps you guessing and keeps your interest to discover what happens next. Very good story - I hope to get back to it sometime.
LibraryThing member buckeyeaholic
Another of my favorites. As a matter of fact I think I'll go reread it now.
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
Where does individual responsibility lie? It seems to me that this is the essence of this book. When someone tries to do the right thing, in circumstances that were set up by choices made by someone else, who is to blame if things go wrong? Makes you think.
LibraryThing member bkwyrmy43
Oprah pic, but don't let that sway you one way or the other. Beautifully written, a little different from what the cover portrays, more courtroom drama then you pick, but don't let that stop you from picking up this great novel.
LibraryThing member champagne_high
This very touchy subject is handled well in this book. Great story and even an interesting courtroom drama too.
LibraryThing member carmarie
How I loved this book!! This was the first book by this Bohjalian that I read...and I love him!! He pulled me in and kept me there until the very last letter. I was sad to see it go.
LibraryThing member hoxierice
The first part was engaging, not so much when the trial started. But I wanted to know how it ended so I kept reading and I wasn't disappointed.
From the beginning I had created a version of events that I believed to be true. At the end of the book I was forced to reconsider what I believed and then
From the beginning I had created a version of events that I believed to be true. At the end of the book I was forced to reconsider what I believed and then
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I had to make a choice as to whether this added information changed how I felt about the characters.I decided it didn't. Show Less
LibraryThing member blackbelt.librarian
A great book by Bohjalian. Ignore the "Oprah's Book Club" sticker if that embarrasses you - don't let it deter you from reading this book. Great interweaving of diary entries, recollections and different viewpoints from the mother and daughter involved and affected by the story.
LibraryThing member seka760
Sybil, a midwife, ventures out on a cold and icy night to delivery a baby. The birth, however, is long and difficult, and because of the ice storm getting her to a hospital proves very difficult. When the mother passes out from some internal medical complication, Sybil is faced with a terrible
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decision - does she let the baby and possibly the mother die in their own home, or does she try to deliver the baby as best she can under the circumstances? What happens that night, and during the months after, will change the way Sybil views herself and her world. Show Less
LibraryThing member KHamilton00
I really liked this book, but it wasn't until the very last page that I fell in love with it. It's the kind of book that really makes you think. Read it and you'll know what I mean!
LibraryThing member SmithSJ01
Too long winded and poor narrative. It just kept going on and on. The first third was fabulous and I was so pleased I picked it up then once the trial started I simply lost interest. Skipped to the last two chapters to find out the ending.
LibraryThing member jtho
Interesting story that held my attention, though the prose was mid-level and the twists and turns all very predictable. I think it's important to note (bc the jacket description doesn't give this impression) that this is actually a courtroom drama. The incident that results in the court battle is
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over and done with within the first 1/5 of the book, and then much of the rest is gathering evidence and then the court scenes. Also, I can't believe this was written by a man - when I finished the book and closed it and saw his name on the cover (which I had known already but not really thought about), I had a moment of shock. Very convincing feminine voices. Show Less
LibraryThing member Waianuhea
Wonderful book. Raises some really good ethical questions - we had an awesome discussion in my book group! The narrator was very natural and believable. Touching book, well worth the read.
LibraryThing member RachelPenso
Most of this book takes place in a courtroom or around the court case. Some people might find this boring; I found it interesting. I like that it was from the point of view of the midwife's daughter rather than the midwife herself. And I really like the way it ended.
LibraryThing member bleached
When Sybil Danforth goes on trial for a possible conviction of involuntary manslaughter and a misdemeanor of practicing medicine without a license, the reader delves into a horrifying story of conviction that will question your morals, pull your heart, and leave you asking "what would I have done?"
LibraryThing member EscapeBookClub
Read in Sept 1999 .... We found this very interesting ....... the plot generated much discussion and it was a good book for a beginning bookclub to read.
LibraryThing member cas_ar
I didn't want to put the book down. You could imagine all the characters and the happenings were right with you all the time. It felt like a true story.
Media reviews
The description of the nightmarish Caesarean Sibyl performs, and why she feels forced to perform it, is harrowing; it is also the book's most effective passage. Mr. Bohjalian has done his homework on midwifery and the mechanics of childbirth. He has also landed on a hot topic for baby boomers --
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the whole question of when alternatives to traditional medicine are beneficial, and when they become dangerous. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
0375706771 / 9780375706776
Physical description
374 p.; 5.15 inches
Pages
374