The Birth House

I rather enjoyed this book by Ami McKay despite its flaws. It was a quick read. Dora's evolution from a conservative and rather simple girl to a dynamic woman was interesting to read, although most of the other characters could have been better developed- fewer characters might have been better (and Dora was dumped into too many historical events). I would think this book would be well received right now with the increasing interest in midwifery and homebirth. But the whole midwife/wisewoman and young female apprentice is pretty familiar.

I did think the end was a bit too smooth and the part in Boston was almost weird because it didn't fit with the rest of the book. But I suppose it was necessary to help explain why Dora changed so much. Still, it seemed that Max had a bigger impact on her life than the occasional knitters, and I think the opposite would have been more realistic.