In
the early 1600s, a woman’s role was easily categorised as that of being a wife
and mother. Nothing more, nothing less. Except
in the case of twice widowed Lady Bridget Hodgson, who serves her community in
the role of midwife, tending to ladies and maids and everyone in between.
York
in 1644 is not a pleasant place, even for an educated and wealthy woman such as
Bridget. A civil war is splitting the country in two, and Parliament’s forces
are at the city’s walls. In the midst of
this uncertainty, one of Bridget’s friends is accused of murdering her husband,
an act of petty treason. Esther Cooper begs Bridget to help prove her innocence
and save her life.
Appalled
at the way Esther’s trial is handled and at the attitude of the Lord Mayor,
Bridget finds herself drawn towards proving Esther’s innocence, and her life, ably
assisted by her new maid, Martha Hawkins. For a lady’s maid, Martha has an
unusual skill set and understanding of the seedier side of life which comes in
surprisingly useful in a city under siege, where unsavoury characters lurk
around corners and danger comes in all shapes and sizes.
Samuel
Thomas has captured his female protagonist with a realistic hand, keeping her
wit and wisdom fresh and believable. His enthusiasm for Reformation history
keeps the story flowing without becoming bogged down in dreary details. Samuel
based his character Bridget on a midwife by the same name who practiced in York
and whose Will can found online at the Borthwick Institute for Historical Research
website.
However
the most unique aspect of this book is its historical accuracy as far as
midwifery. We are taken on a journey into a world that exists no longer, but
was an integral and essential part of life in the 1600s. As a midwife, Bridget
is not only responsible for bringing new life into her world, but for
interrogating single mothers and ensuring the fathers’ of their children take
responsibility for their actions.
A
mystery with a unique setting, The Midwife’s Tale is certainly a novel worth
exploring, if you like facts along with your fiction.
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