: Missy Violet and Me
Since my own child was delivered by a Certified Nurse Midwife, I have become very curious about midwives in general. In this book, Barbara Hathaway writes about a "lay" midwife, Missy Violet. The term "lay" refers to the fact that she didn't have any school-based medical training, but learned while apprenticing for another midwife. In the course of the story, Viney (the main character) is an apprentice to Missy Violet, and readers get a sampling of the specialized knowledge one needs to "catch babies."
In a time when almost all children did not know where babies came from -- they thought they came from tree stumps and cabbage patches -- Viney gets the chance of a lifetime. In order to pay his debt to Missy Violet, Viney's father sends her to be Missy Violet's "helper girl" for the summer. This means that Viney gets to learn all about being a midwife: the names of helpful plants and herbs, the natural remedies for common ailments, and even how to help a woman give birth. Though people like Margie Poole and Cousin Charles have teased Viney in the past, they end up in awe of her when she saves the day. Want to know what Viney did? Read the book!
Happy Reading!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Tweens' Reading:
Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Current Leisure Reading:
The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos
My Waiting List:
Nailed by Patrick Jones
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Since my own child was delivered by a Certified Nurse Midwife, I have become very curious about midwives in general. In this book, Barbara Hathaway writes about a "lay" midwife, Missy Violet. The term "lay" refers to the fact that she didn't have any school-based medical training, but learned while apprenticing for another midwife. In the course of the story, Viney (the main character) is an apprentice to Missy Violet, and readers get a sampling of the specialized knowledge one needs to "catch babies."
In a time when almost all children did not know where babies came from -- they thought they came from tree stumps and cabbage patches -- Viney gets the chance of a lifetime. In order to pay his debt to Missy Violet, Viney's father sends her to be Missy Violet's "helper girl" for the summer. This means that Viney gets to learn all about being a midwife: the names of helpful plants and herbs, the natural remedies for common ailments, and even how to help a woman give birth. Though people like Margie Poole and Cousin Charles have teased Viney in the past, they end up in awe of her when she saves the day. Want to know what Viney did? Read the book!
Happy Reading!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Tweens' Reading:
Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Current Leisure Reading:
The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos
My Waiting List:
Nailed by Patrick Jones
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Current Mood: 
pleased
pleased