This is tough book to review. One the one hand, I read it quickly and the plot kept me engaged. On the other, the writing style is nothing special, I never got very emotionally involved with the characters, and the ending wraps things up so neatly, it has felt a bit like watching a LifeTime movie on cable. Everybody is beautiful and you know you’re headed toward a happy ending. Awarded three stars on Goodreads.
The book covers a few months in the lives of midwives – three generations of women in one family:
• Neva – single, in her late 20s, and expecting her first child, although determined NOT to name the father.
• Grace – Neva’s Mom, single-mindedly dedicated to her clients, deeply suspicious of OB/GYNs, and determined to discover who is fathering her grandchild.
• Floss – Grace’s Mom, mostly retired, but harboring a deep secret of her own.
Add in a pinch of marital discord, a bit of budding romance, and what you know will be the eventual revealing of all the secrets — and POOF, you get this novel. So, as long as you aren’t expecting any big surprises, I expect you’ll find this an okay read. Maybe just not completely satisfying.
More about Australian author Sally Hepworth.
Toby A. Smith 