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    The Secrets of Midwives: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Secrets of Midwives: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Secrets of Midwives: A Novel
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Secrets of Midwives: A Novel

    Written by Sally Hepworth

    Narrated by Alison Larkin

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    "With empathy and keen insight, Sally Hepworth delivers a page-turning novel about the complex, lovely, and even heartbreaking relationships between mothers and daughters.—Emily Giffin
    Three generations of women
    Secrets in the present and from the past
    A captivating tale of life, loss, and love…

    Neva Bradley, a third-generation midwife, is determined to keep the details surrounding her own pregnancy—including the identity of the baby's father— hidden from her family and co-workers for as long as possible. Her mother, Grace, finds it impossible to let this secret rest. The more Grace prods, the tighter Neva holds to her story, and the more the lifelong differences between private, quiet Neva and open, gregarious Grace strain their relationship. For Floss, Neva's grandmother and a retired midwife, Neva's situation thrusts her back sixty years in time to a secret that eerily mirrors her granddaughter's—one which, if revealed, will have life-changing consequences for them all. As Neva's pregnancy progresses and speculation makes it harder and harder to conceal the truth, Floss wonders if hiding her own truth is ultimately more harmful than telling it. Will these women reveal their secrets and deal with the inevitable consequences? Or are some secrets best kept hidden?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateFeb 10, 2015
    ISBN9781427252401
    Unavailable
    The Secrets of Midwives: A Novel
    Author

    Sally Hepworth

    Sally Hepworth is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including The Good Sister and The Soulmate. Drawing on the good, the bad and the downright odd of human behaviour, Sally writes incisively about family, relationships and identity. Her domestic thriller novels are laced with quirky humour, sass and a darkly charming tone. They are available worldwide in English and have been translated into twenty languages. Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her family and one adorable dog.

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    Reviews for The Secrets of Midwives

    4.5/5

    88 ratings16 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The Secrets of the Midwives by Sally Hepworth is a beautifully constructed work of historical fiction, midwifery, family secrets, and the bonds that tie families together. I enjoy multigenerational stories and this book does not disappoint, the story is told through the voices of Floss, Grace, and Neva, and through them we learn of the secrets they carry and each storyline is seamlessly woven into the next until the very end. Each character is quite realistic and I found myself most drawn to the life of Floss, the grandmother, I thoroughly enjoyed the flashbacks and the added dimension of historical fiction. The Secrets of the Midwives is exceptionally well written and detailed in the art of midwifery. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction, books about women, or multigenerational books. The Secrets of the Midwives would make for an excellent book discussion pick.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Excellent book! Three generations of women are midwives: Floss, the grandmother, is retired; Grace, the mother, specializes in home births; and Neva, the daughter, is a midwife in a hospital birthing center. When Neva finally, accidentally, reveals that she is thirty weeks pregnant, her mother is in shock - both that she didn’t see the signs, and that her daughter won’t tell her who the father is. Floss is hiding secrets of her own, and they’re almost killing her. The story is told from alternating points of view, making it very emotional and powerful.
    • 4/5
      The depiction of the hospital relationships felt a bit like a daytime TV soap opera script, but the midwifery portions made it all worth it.
    • 3/5
      Enjoyed listening to this novel while I worked. Nothing too deep, but a nice little scandal to think about. Sometimes the characters seemed a little too silly, but I guess that was part of their charm too.
    • 5/5
      i bought this Gem at a book sale in my hometown. i am so thrilled i did. it has fast become on of my favorites. it has been added to my ever growing stack of beloved books. Thank you Mrs. Hepworth, for such a wonderful treat!
    • 4/5
      This was a wonderful book about a many generation family of midwives. The story clipped right along and scanned decades of different ways midwives have helped bring babies into the world. I really enjoyed it.
    • 5/5
      This was such a touching, delight story---the CD was read by Alison Larkin, providing each woman in the story with her very own voice---I loved all of them! I am about to read Hepworth's newest book!
    • 3/5
      A mixed read for me. While I enjoyed all the stories of childbirth, the women and their situations, I enjoyed some of the characters much less. A multigenerational novel of a family midwives, the story is told in alternate chapters by Flossie, Grace and Neva. Neva, I felt was somewhat easy to follow, her character was a bit thin and predictable, though she does have a secret that is not revealed until the end. Grace, her mother, I found extremely annoying, her character seemed to play much younger than her years. Flossie and her story I found the most interesting and hence she became the character I liked the most. Throw in a birthing center, headed by a much married but lecherous doctor and much of this seemed like an episode of ER.So read for the birthing stories or the story and character of Flossie, but the story was much lighter than I expected. Good, but needed more depth.ARC from NetGalley.
    • 5/5
      What a beautiful generational story about midwifery but more importantly love.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed the story…kept me interested the entire book. Gave me a better understanding of midwifery.
    • 4/5
      A warm hearted story of family, motherhood and midwifery, The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth features three generations of women – Neva, Grace, and Floss.“I suppose you could say I was born to be a midwife. Three generations of women in my family had devoted their lies to bringing babies into the world; the work was in my blood. But my path wasn’t so obvious as that. I wasn’t my mother—a basket-wearing hippie who rejoiced in the magic of new, precious life. I wasn’t my grandmother—wise, no nonsense, with a strong belief in the power of natural birth. I didn’t even particularly like babies. No, for me, the decision to become a midwife had nothing to do with babies. And everything to do with mothers.”As the narrative unfolds from the alternating perspectives of each woman, it is revealed that they each hold a secret. Neva has successfully hidden her pregnancy for 30 weeks and now that she no longer can, refuses to divulge the identity of the father, her mother, Grace, is struggling both personally and professionally, and Floss, the family matriarch, is increasingly anxious about the repercussions for both her daughter and granddaughter, of a choice she made years before.Though the plot is fairly predictable and lacks any real sense of depth, The Secrets of Midwives is an engaging read. The drama generated by the women’s secrets is fairly low key, there is never really any doubt that things will work out, and their issues are resolved quite neatly by the end of the book.I’m a sucker for birth stories so I particularly enjoyed the midwifery angle. I was a little worried that Hepworth may have had a ‘natural birth’ agenda but she presents a fairly balanced view that favours choice for the mother.The characters are easy to relate to and generally believable. I thought the dynamics between the three women were well drawn, particularly between Neva and Grace whose relationship is loving but complicated, simply because they are very different people. Grace is probably the most nuanced of the three characters, but it was Floss, and her story, that I found most interesting.An easy and amiable novel, I found The Secrets of Midwives to be a pleasant and satisfying read.
    • 5/5
      Secrets are akin to viruses. One leads to another and many cause an epidemic. “The Secrets of Midwives” by Sally Hepworth delivers a tale of women in one family who are three generations of midwives each bearing secrets with great potential impact. Subtly nestled within the narrative is commentary on the politics dividing the ancient art of midwifery versus hospital births and points of position on the issues are laid clear and unbiased. Narrated in three points of view, Hepworth uses gorgeous intimate detail known only by birthing mothers, midwives and other medical professionals. Grandmother Floss, an 83 year old lesbian covets the secret of her daughter Grace’s lost father. Grace unawares of the true story of her father learns who he is as she tries to reveal the identity of father of her daughter Neva’s soon to be born baby. All of these secrets weave in and out of flashbacks with memories centered around relationships, pregnancy and birth.With artful simplicity Hepworth returns readers to that moment when our first, last, or only child is ever born. I found myself crying joyfully when I read these parts. “The Secrets of Midwives” is thoughtful, engaging and simply lovely.
    • 4/5
      I received a free copy of this book to discuss on BookBrowse. It dealt with family secrets and the harm that they can do. I enjoyed it very much.
    • 5/5
      A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Sally Hepworth’s THE SECRETS OF MIDWIVES, is a beautifully written and emotional novel of family, motherhood, secrets, love and trust—where family does not always mean biological. The multi-generational novel grabbed me from the first page, and held me until I reached the ending. What a great way to spend a Sunday after the busy Christmas holidays. So engaging, I had to finish in one day—totally captivating! Three generations of women: (all lovable characters) All midwives: Grandmother-Floss; Mother-Grace; and Daughter-Neva. Even though Floss is now eighty-three and not actively practicing, each of them have a genuine altruistic passion and love of mothers and babies, and helping to bring life into the world. Set in the US, New England area in the winter, Floss is living with Lil, a woman (very cool Gram); however, Floss has not been open and honest with Lil about her past and tends to keep her family life separate from her personal life. I loved Gram’s character especially when we learn of her past in England and what she went through to protect those she loved. I want her for a grandmother. Grace, a middle-aged wife, married to Robert; she loves her job and likes to maintain control of her life as well as her daughter's life. Due to not having a father in her life growing up, she is desperate to know the identity of her daughter’s baby in order for him to be a part of her life. Grace’s marriage is not so great, sometimes, and found her character witty; loved her humor and rebellious BoHo side. Neva is single, twenty-nine, working as a professional Certified Nurse-Midwife at the Birthing Center at a hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. She has just dropped the bomb she is seven months pregnant to her mom and Gram. They are shocked. She claims there is no father (she is not naming). She has a gal roommate, and a good-looking and charming pediatrician friend, Patrick (loved him), who spends the night on her sofa occasionally, and has had a one night stand with two other guys (one married). A very engaging and compelling tale of three generations of women and the secrets they hold which could tear their lives apart. I really enjoyed how the author allows each character to speak and titles the sections with names as very easy to follow. Loved the part where all three woman pulled together for the suspenseful birth, with such vivid settings, making me feel I was in the room. The most powerful part of the novel is the historical fiction element where we learn the mystery surrounding Gram’s secret. We get bits and pieces of her time in 1954 in Kings Langley, England, when she was a single woman, a midwife riding her bike to help women with two best girlfriends at the boarding house (Evie and Elizabeth). Amazing writing, intensity as we learn the fate of Elizabeth. Suspenseful flashbacks and pieces of Gram’s story are given during the novel; however, the ultimate reveal comes towards end; her secret to her daughter and granddaughter, and her partner with a heartbreaking and poignant letter. It was so moving, you will cry and smile at the same time. The storylines are seamless for a dynamic conclusion and courageous story of love, family and the joy of motherhood and its true meaning. The research into deliveries and the medical, was impeccable and quite informative, with well-developed characters. An ideal choice for book clubs or discussions for different viewpoints of the characters and the, what ifs. Fans of Diane Chamberlain, Kristin Hannah, Emilie Richards, Sarah Jio, and Beth Hoffman will enjoy THE SECRETS OF MIDWIVES. Highly recommend to those who love family drama, historical, literary, and women’s fiction, multi-generational and suspense. This was my first book by Hepworth and look forward to reading more from this talented storyteller.
    • 4/5
      This was a first reads win. If you read my reviews you know I don't gush, but I really could not put this down. It was a great story. I cried, a lot. I also claim that I am not a fan of chick lit, but I'm a fan of these chicks! I recommend this one.
    • 4/5
      I loved the second half of this book, after finding the first half a bit slow. I'm so glad I kept going though as it is a great story!
      And the narrator does a wonderful job, especially in the three different voices for the three main characters