The Birth House

Using a 20th-century rural Nova Scotian community as a starting point, Ami McKay crafts a vibrant cast of people to portray the tale of birthing from its most esoteric origins to contemporary maternity as we know it. "The Birth House," an engrossing tale of a midwife's hardships amid the wilderness of Nova Scotia, is both epic and fascinating. Dora Rare, the first female in five generations of Rares, becomes friends with Miss Babineau, an ancient midwife with a kitchen full of traditional cures and a gift for storytelling, while she is a little girl living in the tiny hamlet of Scot's Bay. At the start of World War I, Dora accepts her apprenticeship, and the two of them support people through challenging pregnancies, traumatic deliveries, and even unhappy marriages. However, when a doctor arrives in town and begins to undermine Dora's reputation by promising an easy delivery, their customs and practises are put in jeopardy. Dora and her companions battle to defend one other and the women's knowledge in their society, and what follows are death and deceit, accusations, and exile. "The Birth House," a startling debut filled with historical knowledge and haunting writing, is a must-read.