A review by mattyzmom
A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

5.0

A remarkable story from a talented writer! The story is of a midwife who practiced most of her time in the area I just moved to in Maine. It was so interesting to find out the area's history and how important midwives were. Ballard attended over 800 births in her lifetime! She also tended her garden, cleaned her own house, and traded with her neighbors for goods. She used the Kennebec River as transportation even in the middle of winter when sleighs were able to traverse. This story is just so compelling. The book is written as a textbook as the diary is included but the author explains the history and situation. There is so much research for the book that it was a winner of a Pulitzer Prize!