Lady in the Mist

The Midwives
Laurie Alice Eakes
2011
Revell
Fiction/Historical

Reviewed by Cindy Loven

Set in 1809, Tabitha Eckles is a midwife, a healer, and even more uncommon, she is an unmarried midwife.  Virtually heard of, due to the sake of propriety, but a fact due to necessity.  Often her profession led her to hear facts that often made people nervous around her.  Unwed mothers, were made to name the father of their babies before the midwife would attend, married women sometimes confessed indescretions, so Tabitha led a lonely life, living with her two servants.
A lying in for a young woman who ends up dying, opens the door to a dramatic physical attack on Tabitha, and also clues her in that something perhaps wasn't right about Mrs. Wilkins' death, and the death of her unborn baby.  Maybe her fall was not as accidental as it seemed.  Another lying in for a young unwed mother in a nearby town, opens Tabitha up for pure hostility and attacks on her ability in her profession. 
Young men are being stolen right in the small village Tabitha lives in, and an attraction Tabitha has toward the mayor's new man servant, does not keep Tabitha from suspecting that Dominick Cherrett has something to do with the disappearing young men. 
This novel was very well written, it is very detailed and becomes quite intense, you will not want to put it down until you are finished.  Laurie Alice Eakes has written a novel about a young woman in a profession that fascinates me, I truly enjoyed this book.  399 pages US $14.99 4 stars

This book was provided for review purposes only no payment was received for this review.
Available February 2011 from your favorite seller of Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.