The Birth House, by Ami McKay

I had the privilege of meeting Nova Scotia writer Ami McKay recently when we both read at a writers' festival in Halifax. This is a wonderful historical novel about Dora Rare, a midwife in rural Nova Scotia in the early years of the twentieth century, when "modern medicine" was beginning to push midwifery to the margins. Dora is a strong and memorable character, and McKay's insights into the world of midwives and of women in general during that era draw the reader right into Dora's world. And I'm sure every woman will be happy to learn there is a simply home remedy for hysteria! (little in-joke there for those who've read the book).