The Midwife
In 1838, a woman is discovered close to death on the Northumberland moorland. Joanna (later known as Mrs. Sharp) has no memory of her past but seems to have an uncanny ability to deliver babies and tend to the sick. While in the 1840s Dr. Borthwick, a London doctor, is unfashionably hands-on with the birthing mothers he attends. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Mrs. Sharp and Dr. Borthwick, The Midwife explores the themes of 19th-century medicine and childbirth, of poverty and of wealth, while trying to unravel the mysteries at the heart of the story. Who is Mrs. Sharp, and what can the future hold for her? What is the secret that holds Dr Borthwick back? And will his match-making friends be successful?
Tricia Cresswell is a former doctor, and her extensive knowledge of medical techniques and childbirth make this a fascinating read. She is fully aware of the horrors of giving birth in Victorian times, particularly for women in deprived and squalid surroundings. She also captures the difficulties caused by a reluctance to speak about natural processes. At the same time the author manages to create characters that the reader can engage with—not just Mrs. Sharp and Dr. Borthwick, but also some of the doctor’s forward-looking London friends, particularly Eleanor, the widow whose friendship poses a dilemma for him.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find the device of the lost memory particularly satisfactory, and I thought that the novel could have worked perfectly well without it. And some details were unconvincing—for instance, I struggled to understand how in the mid-19th century it could take more than three weeks to travel from London to Newcastle by stagecoach. However, this did not detract significantly from my enjoyment of the story.
