The Secrets of Midwives
Three generations of women Secrets in the present and from the pastA captivating tale of life, loss, and love…Neva Bradley, a third-generation midwife, is determined to keep the details surrounding her own pregnancy—including the identity of the baby’s father— hidden from her family and 
co-workers for as long as possible. Her mother, Grace, finds it impossible to let this secret rest. The more Grace prods, the tighter Neva holds to her story, and the more the lifelong differences between private, quiet Neva and open, gregarious Grace strain their relationship. For Floss, Neva’s grandmother and a retired midwife, Neva’s situation thrusts her back sixty years in time to a secret that eerily mirrors her granddaughter’s—one which, if revealed, will have life-changing consequences for them all. As Neva’s pregnancy progresses and speculation makes it harder and harder to conceal the truth, Floss wonders if hiding her own truth is ultimately more harmful than telling it. Will these women reveal their secrets and deal with the inevitable consequences? Or are some secrets best kept hidden?
co-workers for as long as possible. Her mother, Grace, finds it impossible to let this secret rest. The more Grace prods, the tighter Neva holds to her story, and the more the lifelong differences between private, quiet Neva and open, gregarious Grace strain their relationship. For Floss, Neva’s grandmother and a retired midwife, Neva’s situation thrusts her back sixty years in time to a secret that eerily mirrors her granddaughter’s—one which, if revealed, will have life-changing consequences for them all. As Neva’s pregnancy progresses and speculation makes it harder and harder to conceal the truth, Floss wonders if hiding her own truth is ultimately more harmful than telling it. Will these women reveal their secrets and deal with the inevitable consequences? Or are some secrets best kept hidden? ~Goodreads
My review...........5 stars
This was my first attempt at an audiobook (I know, welcome to the 21st century Donna!). I honestly was not sure if I would be able to keep my mind on the story if I was listening to it, but was this ever a good book to begin with! I knew from the synopsis that this was my kind of read (multi generational saga, midwifery, strong women protagonists, buried secrets), and I'm happy to report that I was not disappointed. What a wonderful story that just sucked me in, I wanted to invite these characters over for dinner. They all had distinct personalities, and everything was not always rosy between mothers and daughters (as we know is the norm), but it was just the right mix of tension and love, doubt and forgiveness, truths and secrets. It was fairly easy to figure out the secrets, but for me, that was not the main focus of the book. The characters were at the heart of the story, and I didn't care that I could predict how it was going to end. I wanted everyone to have a happily ever after because they were my friends!
I was lucky enough to win a copy of this audiobook from Traveling with T. Thanks to her, I can now say that I am able to listen to books.....yay! This book was read by Alison Larkin. I don't have experience with audio narrators, but I thought she was fabulous! I adored her accent, and would definitely pick up another book read by her.
This is a great read if you like books about women (particularly generations of women), with lovely writing, and great character development. If you are looking for a great mystery (since the word secrets is in the title), you may not be as enamored of this one.
I really enjoyed this one too, glad it was great on audio. I do have times when my mind wanders with audio, there is always rewind or I just let it go and keep going!
I was really surprised that it held my attention! I've been avoiding using tapes in the car, hmmmm, think of all those books I could have finished by now 🙂
I hope you get a chance to read it, and that you enjoy it.