This is the fifth novel, and fourth set at Hope River, West Virginia, from Patricia (friends call her Patsy) Harman following two extraordinary memoirs. As a former West Virginia midwife herself, Harman tells the story with expertise, but in many ways the story centers more around Daniel, the husband of Patience, the midwife. He served in World War I, but when the second world war erupted, he chose to be a conscientious objector to it. Told with great historical and personal depth, it also is the obvious love for the people of West Virginia that sets this novel apart. “I almost devoured, Once a Midwife...It’s not easy to write a novel that includes so many interwoven historical details, all the while keeping the reader’s attention on the human story, the impact of outer events on people’s lives and personal journeys. Patricia Harman did it so well.” - Suzanne Arms. “Patricia Harman...brings to life the impact of the First and Second World Wars upon the people of early 20th century rural America...True love, family, friendships, politics, history, nature, culture and babies. What more could a reader possibly want?” - Alicia Bay Laurel.
New York, William Morrow/HarperCollins, 2018. 417 pages plus Q & A with Patricia Harman, Reading Group Discussion Guide and Historical Photographs. Hardback in dust jacket.