A review by jklbookdragon
A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

5.0

This book really is exceptional - I can see why it won a Pulitzer Prize. Each of the 10 chapters begins with a couple of weeks from the diary, typically about 25 months after the previous chapter (thus also going through the rhythm of a year in the course of going through the 27 years). The author -- who has obviously done an unbelieveable amount of research -- then uses that as a starting point to explore a wide variety of issues that impacted Martha's life, drawing from other sources as needed. Topics include gardening, family service, tension between landowners and squatting farmers, the shift from midwifery to obstetrics, debtors prison, infectious disease, and much, much more. The writing style is as entertaining as it is informative, making this a very enjoyable and compelling read.