The Birth House

by Ami McKay

book data

1,617 ratings, 3.91 average rating, 428 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		26%
4		44%
3		23%
2		4%
1		0%

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published

March 6th 2007 (first published 2006) by Vintage Canada

binding

Paperback, 408 pages

isbn

0676977731 (isbn13: 9780676977738)

description

The Birth House is the story of Dora Rare, the first daughter to be born in five generations of Rares. As a child in an isolated village in Nova Scoti...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 2,581)

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04/30/08

Julia rated it:

bookshelves: childbirth--parenting--womens-issue

recommends it for: Any birth junkie

Amy did a wonderful job describing what it was like to be a midwife in the 1800's. I did everything from laugh & cry while following along ~ it's hard not to get mad at the direction that society has taken child birth & women's rights. I'm continually amazed at the God-Complex that so many doctors seem to take on, as if they know better than we know ourselves simply b/c they went to school & read lots of books. I feel a lot of the attitudes that are displayed in this book are sadly, still displa...more

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1 comment

06/13/08

Sarah rated it:

(review of isbn 0061135852)

bookshelves: 2008-reads

Read in July, 2008

"What can I do with all this neat feminist lore that women have just GOT to hear, like mercenary doctors wresting childbirth away from women and vibrators being the first electric appliance and Boston suffragettes who were also, get this, lesbians and herbal remedies that people are embracing again? I know, I'll write a novel and set it in the quaint town I just moved to and that I love love love."

Awwww, it was mean of me to pretend Ami McKay actually said that out loud ...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

2 comments

05/20/08

Lucy rated it:

Read in August, 2008

I should have known better than to read this. One thing I am not is pro-home birth. I'm not anti- home birth, but the more I read about the "exquisite, spiritual, satisfying" birthing of their babies, the more turned off I am by the usually-not-said-but-rather-implied understanding that any other kind of birth is not.

I know it's not true. Birthing a child is exciting and scary and hard and wonderful and one of the most memorable things any woman will do in her lifetime...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

9 comments

05/06/08

Christi rated it:

(review of isbn 0061135879)

bookshelves: 2008-reads, borrowed-from-maryann

Read in May, 2008

recommended to Christi by: Maryann

I really loved this book. It was so well-written and a very fast read.

I was a little more than skeptical given the subject matter since I really hated The Red Tent, I don't want children and I'm a believer in hospitals, modern medicine and clinical trials over "natural" remedies.

Luckily, this book wasn't overly preachy or whiny at all. Yes, the author did set up the physician to be a complete villain to better illustrate her good = the old ways, bad = the mode...more

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05/01/08

Paula rated it:

bookshelves: book-club

Read in May, 2008

This book was so good that I read it in a single day. I was completely captivated by the story, and even though I pretty much could see where it was going it didn't feel contrived at all. Beautifully told, and very thought-provoking.

The only reason I rated this down is because at times the narrative gets confused with the diary entries that are incorporated into the story; sometimes I got confused about what was going on in the literary present and what had happened in the past, what...more

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12/20/07

Jennifer rated it:

(review of isbn 0061135852)

bookshelves: book-club

Read in January, 2008

recommended to Jennifer by: my book group chose it

What I found interesting about this book it pits science against religion, and I ended up rooting for religion-mainly because it's presented as a refreshing mix of open-mindedness with a splash of mysticism and intuition, instead of the more over used portrayal of religion equaling ignorance. It starts an interesting debate in favor of midwives over doctors, mostly because the doctor in this novel is really just in it for the money, so he can easily be turned into a villain (therefore science in...more

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09/25/07

Cheryl A rated it:

bookshelves: fiction, nonfiction

Read in January, 2006

recommends it for: anyone

The Birth House by Ami McKay / William Morrow / 13-978-0-016 / 400pps / $24.95

When Ami McKay and her husband bought an old farm house in Scots Bay, Nova Scotia, she had no idea the history she would peel away from the walls or dig up in her yard. Removing layers of wall paper revealed plastered newspapers, tilling her soil unearthed bottle shards, and becoming pregnant led her to a midwife who related what she knew of the World War 1 village midwife that had once inhabited her ver...more The Birth House by Ami McKay / William Morrow / 13-978-0-016 / 400pps / $24.95

When Ami McKay and her husband bought an old farm house in Scots Bay, Nova Scotia, she had no idea the history she would peel away from the walls or dig up in her yard. Removing layers of wall paper revealed plastered newspapers, tilling her soil unearthed bottle shards, and becoming pregnant led her to a midwife who related what she knew of the World War 1 village midwife that had once inhabited her very home. Through much speculation, Ami evokes a lavish rendition of the life of Dora Rare, the only daughter born into 5 generations of sons. From the beginning, Dora was destined for a "special" life, as she came from the womb with a caul that was believed to give her "sight" and whomever retained it, good luck. Based on what facts she could find, Ami gives us the lives of two incredible and tenacious ladies who fight to maintain their ancient herbal birthing and home remedy methods from the march of modern medicine. References to the women's suffragist movement tie in nicely with the abundant audacity of both Dora and her mentor, the "Cajun Witch", Marie Babineau. Bits of history are dosed out via actual news clips, ads and letters of the era. Dora is sent to apprentice under Marie and to ease the financial burden of her struggling parents. When a Doctor arrives with high-falluting claims and finger-pointing disdain for the "old ways", Dora and Marie are faced with the increasing superstitious shunning of the very same women they had treated and midwifed for. Forced into an arranged marriage that quickly turns abusive, Dora continues to fight for her beliefs as well as those who still believe in her. When Marie dies, she leaves Dora struggling to decipher her journals for the right dosage, the correct incantation, and the needed strength to carry on the tradition Marie bestowed upon her. Here is where the story starts swirling and you're sucked into the vortex of Dora's dervishily delightful spunk. Blamed for the death of one of her patients, she takes exile in big city life amongst feminists, commune-livers and the reunion with her brother. Until truth be told, she works her wonders amongst the prostitutes and new found friends before heading back home where her adopted daughter, family and devoted friends have awaited her. Though a better segue from later chapters would have improved a somewhat disjointed ending, I found the book as informative as entertaining and applaud Dora for making it against all odds so triumphantly.
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01/22/08

Kelly rated it:

Read in December, 2007

A real treat to read, and an unexpected treat at that. Found it at B & N on the Discover New Authors shelf and took a chance. Glad I did. This is the story of a midwife in Nova Scotia who finds herself in the middle of being part of the old way of doing things vs. the new way when a medical doctor establishes a women's hospital in a nearby town. But more that that, this is also a story of the connection between women in a male-driven society. The author paints the landscape so effectively y...more

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01/29/08

daysgoby rated it:

(review of isbn 0676977723)

I don't think there's much I could say about this that hasn't been covered by other reviewers of this book - it's splendid.
The book centers on Dora, a midwife-in-training who learns the old ways of doing things and runs up against the new doctor in town, who wants to not only put her out of business with his new-fangled birthing methods (drugs and forceps)and see all her clients be sent down the mountain for giving birth, he also diagnoses her as histrionic and gives her a vibration treatm...more

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09/11/07

Joanie rated it:

Read in September, 2007

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was so good I found myself wanting to read slowing so I could really pay attention to her descriptions and use of language. The book is set in the early 1900s in Canada during WWI. The main character, Dora is an apprentice midwife during a time when an obstetrical center has just opened nearby and the big push is for the end of home births and midwives. The women of the town fight for their right to be involved in the birthing process. The book also h...more

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02/27/09

Djrmel rated it:

bookshelves: fiction, historical-fiction

Read in September, 2008

l checked this historical fiction out at the library after having a "Well, I've never read a book about that place or topic!" reaction to the cover flap, and I'm very glad I did. Set in Nova Scotia shortly before WWI, this is the life story of a young woman, the only girl in a large family of boys, who learns the art of midwifery, at first out of lack of any other future, but later out of love and respect for the other women in her town. This was the point in time when medical science ...more

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12/15/08

Christina rated it:

bookshelves: 2008-bookstack, historical-fiction, library-book

Read in December, 2008

I read The Birth House, all 368 pages, in one day. It held me captivated, so much that I started thinking about Dora’s story during my town’s Christmas play, and stopped paying attention to the Waltons. {Sorry, Helen.} The story, which is divided into three sections, is beautifully written. Dora is such an interesting character, one who kept me guessing about what she was going to do next, and the story itself was very informative about Nova Scotia’s midwifery.

“My house bec...more I read The Birth House, all 368 pages, in one day. It held me captivated, so much that I started thinking about Dora’s story during my town’s Christmas play, and stopped paying attention to the Waltons. {Sorry, Helen.} The story, which is divided into three sections, is beautifully written. Dora is such an interesting character, one who kept me guessing about what she was going to do next, and the story itself was very informative about Nova Scotia’s midwifery.

“My house became the birth house. That’s what the women came to call it, knocking on the door, ripe with child, water breaking on the porch. First-time mothers full of questions, young girls in trouble and seasoned women with a brood already at home. (I called those babies “toesies,” because they were more than their mamas could count on their fingers.) They all came to the house, wailing and keening their babies into the world.” {pg. ix}

What really kept me in raptures about The Birth House was the conflict between “old medicine” and “new medicine.” The book provides an interesting debate between midwives over doctors. While the doctor in this novel is greedy and only in it for the money, and you’re forced to see only the pros of “old medicine,” it still left me wondering if “homegrown” medicine is between the manufactured medicine. Dora also argues that women should have the right to choose everything about their reproductive health - from abortion to birth control to where exactly they have their babies.

However, while the first two sections kept me in raptures, the third one completely lost my attention. The story is based around the conflict between religion/nature and science, but the third section had little to do with this conflict. Rather, it followed Dora on her trip to Boston, a decision I didn’t think meshed with her characterization.

Still, I’m looking forward to McKay’s next book because McKay is such a wonderful storyteller who clearly puts a lot of effort into the information she presents. According to her bio, she got the idea for The Birth House after moving to Scots Bay, Nova Scotia and learning that her new home was once a birth house.(less)

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06/12/09

Chelsea rated it:

(review of isbn 0061135852)

I had a hard time deciding how many stars to give this book.
I enjoyed a lot of things about it. The characters are engaging and interesting and quickly draw you into their world. It was an incredibly fast read for me, keeping me up many nights succumbing to the "one more chapter" syndrome. And I did love reading a lot of the childbirth scenes. I am curious to know how accurate a lot of the medical history in the book is, as well as some of the home remedies and older midwife...more

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05/16/09

Merinda rated it:

This was a well-written book, but a little too misandrist for me (the opposite of misogynist--man-hating--a new word of the day for me anyway). I refuse to believe that all men are useless, and the ones that aren't you shouldn't marry, because that would only turn then into monsters. I often wonder how female writers that write with this world-view in mind feel about their own husbands (and they usually have them, often dedicating their books to them).

But apart from that, a good stor...more

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11/16/08

Gwen rated it:

Loved this book. A friend loaned it to me, telling me I'd like it, and she was right. Set in the Bay of Fundy during World War I, it's an engrossing story of Miss B., a midwife; Dora Rare, her disciple, and the related trials and tribulations of women at that time, One of those books you can't put down. Nice appendix of actual remedies.

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04/24/09

Deb rated it:

Read in April, 2009

The book is set in a small fishing town in Nova Scotia around World War I and focuses on a young woman who falls into midwifery. Around the same time the main character received her training, an obstetrician opened a maternity hospital in the area. The tension between the long-held wisdom of midwives and the scientific approach that places men in control of women's reproductive health serves as the undercurrent of the novel.

The topic of reproductive health during that era was compe...more

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03/19/09

Louise rated it:

(review of isbn 0676977723)

bookshelves: fiction

Read in May, 2006

Ami McKay is a phenomenal storyteller! I rank this novel right up there with "The Red Tent", my all-time favourite book. I read 'THE BIRTH HOUSE' in two sittings and would have done it in one, had I of had the time. I didn't want this story to end, I could have kept reading and reading and reading...

In five generations of Rares, Dora Rare is the first daughter to be born. Living in the isolated village of Scots Bay, Nova Scotia, there isn't much to do other than help her mo...more Ami McKay is a phenomenal storyteller! I rank this novel right up there with "The Red Tent", my all-time favourite book. I read 'THE BIRTH HOUSE' in two sittings and would have done it in one, had I of had the time. I didn't want this story to end, I could have kept reading and reading and reading...

In five generations of Rares, Dora Rare is the first daughter to be born. Living in the isolated village of Scots Bay, Nova Scotia, there isn't much to do other than help her mother care for her many siblings. Dora doesn't mind helping but feels mindless caring for children all day.

Miss Babineau is an outspoken Acadian midwife who has been helping to birth the babies of Scots Bay for many, many years. Miss Babineau is believed to have a gift of healing and uses a combination of herbs and folks remedies to treat and cure everything from unwanted pregnancies, to cramps, to birthing babies and even unfulfilling sex lives. Quite astonishing for this particular era.

During the early years of World War I, Miss Babineau takes Dora on as her helper as she is aging and beginning to slow down. Miss Babineau takes Dora under her wing and teaches her all the secret folk remedies she knows and carefully explains procedures to young Dora. Dora herself, is infatuated with Miss Babineau and her knowledge. Some of the town folks don't particularly like Miss Babineau and suggest to Dora that she stay away from this crazy woman.

Soon, Dr. Gilbert Thomas shows up in Scots Bay with promises of painless and fast births and sets up a Medical Clinic down the mountain. Miss Babineau thinks it's proposterous that woman be expected, or would even want to, travel down the mountain during their labour to seek medical attention from Dr. Gilbert. With meetings held at the church, the bold medical doctor soon convinces a few women that his painfree method of childbirth and his vibratory cures for women suffering from hysteria, would be well-worth just such a trip.

Dora and Miss Babineau continue their folk remedies and the business of birthing babies the best way they know how. When Dora encounters her first stillbirth, she is beset with sadness. Dora also quickly learns that some of these women's husbands are not the nicest, most caring or loving human beings on earth and her heart and compassion is displayed to these women in small, subtle ways.

Upon Miss Babineau's death, Dora is left to carry on alone and hopes she can remember all the recipes and herbal concoctions that she was taught. No one believes that Dora can carry on and faces great opposition and must hold her head high, gather up her strength and courage to continue to fight and protect the birthing traditions that Miss Babineau began.

In the wake of the great Halifax Explosion, Dora must carry on as best she can and finds she must leave Scots Bay for a short time and goes to Halifax where she stays with friends. I won't say anything else about the story for fear of giving too much away.

What I will tell you is that THE BIRTH HOUSE is an unforgettable novel of how women struggled to keep the Acadian midwife's traditions alive in the face of modern medicine.

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06/15/09

Jill rated it:

Read in June, 2009

recommends it for: midwives

This was a fun, soothing sort of book that explores womens' issues around the time of World War I in Canada. The best part about the book was that it constantly surprised me with the way the main charater, Dora made decisions, and the way she made them. I kept expecting her to do the stereotypical "strong single woman" thing, especially at the beginning when she moves in with Miss B. But the author allowed Dora to be a strong woman while still doing the typical thing for a woman at t...more

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01/21/08

Talea rated it:

Read in January, 2008

Phenomenal book, amazing writing. I loved the inclusion of all the folklore and old wives' tales and I really enjoyed the style it was written in.
I would recommend this to almost anyone....any female, that is.

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04/07/09

Tiffany Babalola rated it:

Read in March, 2008

This book is an easy read and I found myself not wanting to put it down. I enjoyed the midwife-patient bond they always had and it was interesting to see how each 'story' panned out. I was always rooting for Dora and not for the male doctor. It showed how the new and improved hospital setting was taking over midwifery practices, but many of the women were hesitant in seeing the town's doctor on account of having to be asleep during the delivery. Ami McKay did a great job with the character of Do...more

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