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

4.0

A window into life 200 years ago in early America. Ulrich uses the terse entries in Ballard's diary to look at the midwife's life from many angles, professional and personal. The diary entries make the reader aware of how differently we live today, but Ulrich's material, which adds context and insight, really bring out the personality of Martha Ballard and the world in which she lived. A must read for anyone writing historical fiction for this era.