Book Review and Giveaway: The Midwife of the Blue Ridge by Christine Blevins

Berkley
2008
417 Pages
Available at Amazon

After her mentor dies, a beautiful young woman known as Dark Maggie finds herself without a home and yearning for a new beginning. She signs away her life for four years as an indentured servant and leaves her home in Scotland for colonial America. After surviving the ship's treacherous conditions as well as a near-rape by an evil nobleman, she makes her way to America and finds her contract sold to the kindhearted Seth Martin.

Maggie is a godsend to Seth's family as she cares for his ailing wife. Not only does the once Dark Maggie find acceptance, she also finds love. Unfortunately, her peaceful existence is short-lived as tragedy strikes and Maggie must use everything she has in order to survive.

Did I get your attention yet?

Well, this story sure got mine. And kept it until I turned the last page. That is rarity and even more so because this was yet another departure from my typical reading fare.

I am sometimes leery of historical fiction out of fear that I will be bogged down with historical facts and details. I want a well-crafted story where the historical setting works to enhance the story. And this is exactly what I got. The details Blevins does provide are riveting, such as the hardships faced by not only the frontiersmen, but by the women of early America where their value was always under question. Blevins does not spare any details and it is those types of details, the ones that pull you into the raw human experience, that keep you reading.

Blevins deftly crafts her characters with a unique understanding of the time period. More importantly, she creates characters that you can't help but feel for as their story unfolds. I found Maggie's character to not only be intriguing, but also very real. She exemplified courage and strength while at the same time showing a vulnerability that made you root for her and her happiness until the very end.

If there are any criticisms of this book, it is that I simply wanted more. Right from the first page Blevins draws in the reader with a obvious tragic situation. Maggie's soon-to-be foster mother and her rescuer are made into powerful characters in only a few pages. I found myself wanting more of their story. Not much of a criticism, but maybe an idea for a future novel . . .

Blevins is a skillful writer and a knowledgeable historian. From historic details to the unique vernacular, she clearly knows her time period, but more importantly she knows how to build a powerful story. I was mesmerized and that is not something that happens very often to this former English teacher . . . not at all .

Blevins is definitively an author to keep on your must read list.

This book review has been brought to you by Blog Stop Book Tours.

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Midwife of the Blue Ridge can be yours! Just leave a me a comment in the comments section and I'll randomly draw ONE winner on Saturday, September 13. And let me just say, I am reluctantly giving this one away. I love sharing books, but sometimes you come across one you'd just like to keep for yourself. But, dear readers, this is such a good one, I must share.

Oh, and let's make this a little interesting. Tell me in your comments the time period that you like to read about the most. For me, I'm a sucker for the medieval period. Something about knights, mysticism, castles and lore . . . and did I mention, knights?

Good luck!

EXCITING NEWS UPDATE!!! From the author Christine Blevins: "Keep your copy and email me the me the name and address of the winner. I will ship them out a brand spankin' new signed copy, along with some other midwifey goodies." WOW!!! THANK YOU!