Surprisingly, this novel takes place in Minnesota. I thought midwives were part of life's fabric in western states, not the Midwest. Wherever it took place, this book is interesting because it is so different from what I was expecting.
One evening, Leah Gunderson finds Gar Lundstrom at her door, begging her to come help his wife have her baby. The doctor refused to come for 2 reasons: he was drunk and he had told the Lundstrom's not to have another baby (he did not want to bury another child).
Gar blames Leah for his wife's death when she tries to save mother and child during a breech birth. Although Gar has a new child, he has no way to care for her; he is busy on the farm from daylight to dusk each day. His other child, Kristopher, is too young to do much. After trying various (unsuccessful) solutions, Gar comes back to Leah and tells her he will pay her to take care of Karen for the next 6 month, while he tries to find a live-in housekeeper.
After 6 months, Gar hasn't found a solution, so he asks Leah to marry him. By then, Leah loves the two children (Kris comes after school to play with the baby). Leah agrees.
Gar seems to be a cold fish. Then we learn that Gar married Hulda through a parents-arranged marriage. Hulda loved Gar (which is why she took such a serious step to have another baby); Gar liked Hulda. Gar has a very rigid idea of what men and women do within the bounds of marriage. He soon learns that he has not married a retiring, submissive wife; Leah is sassy, strong and considers her healing skills to be a gift to be shared.
This is an impressive story about two flawed people finding their way. Leah has secrets that she does not share with Gar; when he finds out that she shared them with another, he is devastated. The story is well-told with great pacing. I really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars
One evening, Leah Gunderson finds Gar Lundstrom at her door, begging her to come help his wife have her baby. The doctor refused to come for 2 reasons: he was drunk and he had told the Lundstrom's not to have another baby (he did not want to bury another child).
Gar blames Leah for his wife's death when she tries to save mother and child during a breech birth. Although Gar has a new child, he has no way to care for her; he is busy on the farm from daylight to dusk each day. His other child, Kristopher, is too young to do much. After trying various (unsuccessful) solutions, Gar comes back to Leah and tells her he will pay her to take care of Karen for the next 6 month, while he tries to find a live-in housekeeper.
After 6 months, Gar hasn't found a solution, so he asks Leah to marry him. By then, Leah loves the two children (Kris comes after school to play with the baby). Leah agrees.
Gar seems to be a cold fish. Then we learn that Gar married Hulda through a parents-arranged marriage. Hulda loved Gar (which is why she took such a serious step to have another baby); Gar liked Hulda. Gar has a very rigid idea of what men and women do within the bounds of marriage. He soon learns that he has not married a retiring, submissive wife; Leah is sassy, strong and considers her healing skills to be a gift to be shared.
This is an impressive story about two flawed people finding their way. Leah has secrets that she does not share with Gar; when he finds out that she shared them with another, he is devastated. The story is well-told with great pacing. I really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars
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