Midwife of the Blue Ridge by Christine Blevins

Title: Midwife of the Blue Ridge

Author: Christine Blevins

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Bought used from half.com

Published: Berkley Trade (August 5, 2008)

Type: Paperback - 432 pages

ISBN: 9780425221686

Synopsis of book: They called her Dark Maggie for her thick black hair, but the name also had a more sinister connotation. As the lone survivor of an attack on her village, she was thought to be cursed - and unfit for marriage.

Maggie is not cursed but gifted with quick wits, skilled in medicine, and trained as a midwife. Venturing to the colonies as an indentured servant, she hopes to escape the superstitions of the old country, help women bring new life into the world, even in the most primitive and isolated corners of an unsettled land - and find a  home of her own.

What she discovers is a new world fraught with new dangers - and, having given up her own freedom to join a people that yearn to be free, she must rely on her talent for survival now more than ever ... *taken from teh back of the book

Why I read this book: I am a historical fiction fan and it has been awhile since I have read one. I actually one a book by this author and went looking for other books written by her. The subject and time period also drew me in. 

What I liked: I liked Maggie and how strong of a person she was no matter what problems she ran into. I also liked how Maggie and Tom came to be a couple but it they struggled to come to terms with loving each other. Maggie endured so much and just held her head up and would not let anything get her down. I enjoyed how all of the settlers rallied and helped each other when needed. 

What I didn't like: Sometimes the description was a little graphic - although I think it was needed to complete the story. There was not too much I did not like about the book other than maybe the character Cavendish. He was a nasty person and I see why his father sent him to America to get rid of him.

Overall impression: I thought this was a good book and it kept my attention from page one. I will be reading the other two books I have that this author wrote. I am going to give this book 4 stars.