Review: The Runaway Midwife by Patricia Harman

The Runaway Midwife

by Patricia Harman

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 416

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Say “goodbye” to your old life, and “hello” to the life you’ve been waiting for…

Midwife Clara Perry is accustomed to comforting her pregnant patients…calming fathers-to-be as they anxiously await the birth of their children…ensuring the babies she delivers come safely into the world.

But when Clara’s life takes a nosedive, she realizes she hasn’t been tending to her own needs and does something drastic: she runs away and starts over again in a place where no one knows her or the mess she’s left behind in West Virginia. Heading to Sea Gull Island—a tiny, remote Canadian island—Clara is ready for anything. Well, almost. She left her passport back home, and the only way she can enter Canada is by hitching a ride on a snowmobile and illegally crossing the border.

Deciding to reinvent herself, Clara takes a new identity—Sara Livingston, a writer seeking solitude. But there’s no avoiding the outside world. The residents are friendly, and draw “Sara” into their lives and confidences. She volunteers at the local medical clinic, using her midwifery skills, and forms a tentative relationship with a local police officer.

But what will happen if she lets down her guard and reveals the real reason why she left her old life? One lesson soon becomes clear: no matter how far you run, you can never really hide from your past.

Kritters Thoughts:  A midwife is present at the highest of highs and potentially the lowest of lows - although medicine and technology have advanced the birth process, there are still times when things can go south and midwives are there through it all.  Clara Perry experiences a few lows and decides to run from them all.  She does things she never imagined she would and finds herself on a remote island in Canada trying to start over.

I was already a fan of Patricia Harman before this book and was excited to see something new come from her.  I love that she stays in her wheelhouse of midwifery and wraps a story around a woman who needs to push the reset button.  I loved Clara Perry.  I loved that she was honest that she couldn't believe she was doing what she was doing but doing it because she had to.  I loved the townspeople on the island and how they interacted with this newcomer - it felt real and genuine and I loved it.

This book seals my love for Patricia Harman and I will continue to anticipate what she writes next.  


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.