The Midwife's Revolt

                               

The Midwife's Revolt by Jodi Daynard

Published April 7, 2015

426 pages

Source: free eBook via Kindle Lending Library

"On a dark night in 1775, Lizzie Boylston is awakened by the sound of cannons. From a hill south of Boston, she watches as fires burn in Charlestown, in a battle that she soon discovers has claimed her husband’s life.
Alone in a new town, Lizzie grieves privately but takes comfort in her deepening friendship with Abigail Adams. Soon, word spreads of Lizzie’s extraordinary midwifery and healing skills, and she begins to channel her grief into caring for those who need her. But when two traveling patriots are poisoned, Lizzie finds herself with far more complicated matters on her hands—she suspects a political plot intended to harm Abigail and her family. Determined to uncover the truth, Lizzie becomes entangled in a conspiracy that could not only destroy her livelihood—and her chance at finding love again—but also lead to the downfall of a new nation."

I came across the author browsing for available selections in the Amazon Prime Member's Kindle Lending Library. I was intrigued by 'Our Own Country' and saw that it was actually a sequel of sorts to The Midwife's Revolt, so I started in the beginning despite other reviewers indicating that the titles could read as a stand-alone.

The Midwife's Revolt is a novel set in the very intriguing period of America's birth. The American Revolution has begun, and Lizzie is forced to make do on her own on a modest farm, but it turns out that neighbors are Abigail Adams and the Quincys, which makes for a captivating storyline of political intrigue and the nuance of hobnobbing with the royalty of America.

But the heroine Lizzie was a fun character to watch, as she was intelligent, rash, emotional only at the most passionate times, and was a true friend to all. There were several characters who helped to round out the story and add romance and mystery at the same time. There was a traitor somewhere and people were being murdered, and Lizzie had to be very cautious. Book two will tell me the continuing story of Lizzie's friend and sister in law, Eliza, and I am looking forward to it. The historical details were really well done and the novel is another example that we need more American Revolution novels!

The author's writing was well paced and kept me interested throughout the plot, even though some unrealistic moments had to be brushed off. And the other annoyance was the way the novel would stop and say 'dear reader, I must tell you..' and I didn't want to be reminded that I was merely reading a story, just tell me the story but don't make me a part of it. It was a quick weekend read, and as soon as I am able to get another free ebook from Amazon I will download Our Own Country.

 *The link to the title on Goodreads where the novel has about a 4 star rating after 3,000 reviews:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24961498-the-midwife-s-revolt