Birth House

Epic and enchanting, ''The Birth House'' is a gripping saga about a midwife''s struggles in the wilds of Nova Scotia. As a child in the small village of Scot''s Bay, Dora Rare - the first female in five generations of Rares - is befriended by Miss Babineau, an elderly midwife with a kitchen filled with folk remedies and a talent for telling tales. Dora becomes her apprentice at the outset of World War I, and together they help women through difficult births, unwanted pregnancies and even unfulfilling marriages. But their traditions and methods are threatened when a Doctor comes to town with promises of painless childbirth, and sets about undermining Dora''s credibility. Death and deception, accusations and exile follow, as Dora and her friends fight to protect each other and the women''s wisdom of their community. Hauntingly written and alive with historical detail, ''The Birth House'' is an unforgettable, page-turning debut.

Product details

• Authors: Ami McKay, McKay Ami
• Publisher: Harper Perennial UK
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.05.2007
• EAN: 9780007233304
• ISBN: 978-0-00-723330-4
• No. of pages: 416
• Dimensions: 130 mm x 198 mm x 26 mm
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature; Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), FICTION / Literary, Modern and contemporary fiction: general and literary