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Midwife of the Blue Ridge

by Christine Blevins (Goodreads Author), James Griffin (Illustrator)

3.49 of 5 stars 3.49 · rating details · 441 ratings · 109 reviews

From the villages of eighteenth-century Scotland to the colonies of America, Christine Blevins takes us on a richly imagined, perilous adventure, as one woman seeks the life she deserves...

They called her Dark Maggie for her thick black hair, but the name also had a more sinister connotation. As the lone survivor of an attack on her village, she was thought to be cursed—an...more

Paperback, 417 pages

Published August 5th 2008 by Berkley Trade

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Sep 04, 2008 Carey rated it 4 of 5 stars

In 1746 the battle of Culloden in the Scottish Highlands nearly wiped out the Highland Clans. This is the story of Maggie Duncan. At seven years old she was the sole survivor when her village was destroyed by the English army because the villagers had aided the Highlanders. She is able to escape and then helps a mortally wounded soldier find his way home. Luckily for Maggie the soldier's wife is a midwife and she adopts Maggie, raises and educates her while passing along her healing skills.

When...more In 1746 the battle of Culloden in the Scottish Highlands nearly wiped out the Highland Clans. This is the story of Maggie Duncan. At seven years old she was the sole survivor when her village was destroyed by the English army because the villagers had aided the Highlanders. She is able to escape and then helps a mortally wounded soldier find his way home. Luckily for Maggie the soldier's wife is a midwife and she adopts Maggie, raises and educates her while passing along her healing skills.

When she is twenty-one Maggie's foster mother dies and with her goes Maggie's protection from the neighbors. They look on her as cursed since she survived when everyone else in her village perished in the attack. They are cruel and narrow minded, so she is unable to make a living for herself since the locals will not accept her as a healer. Eventually she decides to start fresh in America and sells herself as an indentured servant in order to obtain passage on a ship.

Upon arrival in Virginia, the ship's captain sells at auction the four year bonds for each passenger he has brought over. Maggie narrowly avoids being bought by an arrogant, drunken nobleman who has made the passage on the same boat. She is bought by a frontiersman, Seth, who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with his wife and children. He desperately needs help as his wife is ill and pregnant and physically unable to cope with frontier life. For Seth, Maggie is the answer to a prayer.

Maggie fits in well with Seth's family and the other settlers in that area of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is smart and skilled and she quickly starts to learn the medical uses of the local plants. But just when everything seems to be going well, disaster strikes and she must use all of her wits to survive.

This is a terrific, enthralling story of frontier life in colonial Virginia. The characters were compelling (or repulsive, as the case may be) and the settings were wonderfully described. I loved the balanced depiction of the Native Americans of the time, showing them from their own point of view as well as an outsider's. I also loved that the author peppered the text with Scottish words. They were easily defined by the context but I had a great time looking up their meanings (ie: sclim=climb, swither=to be uncertain or hesitate). A really well done historical novel. I'm looking forward to future books by this author!

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Aug 28, 2008 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Years ago when Hannah Cameron’s husband, Alan came back from the war wounded he wasn’t alone. Alan was accompanied by a little girl named Maggie. Maggie was no ordinary girl. She was the only lone survivor of her town’s massacre. Now the years have past and Maggie is all grown up and Hannah and Alan are gone. The townsfolk have a name for Maggie; they call her “Dark Maggie”. At first when people started calling her that it was because she had dark hair but now the name has a whole new meaning......more

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Feb 24, 2011 Susan O'Bryant rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a child, Maggie is the sole survivor after a murderous rampage on the village in Scotland where she lived with her family. She is found by Hannah, a medicine woman who more or less adopts her and makes her an apprentice. Hannah teaches Maggie all that she can, but when Hannah dies, Maggie is left on her own. She eventually agrees to be a bondservant for four years in exchange for passage to the New World. After her grueling boat ride across the Atlantic, Maggie lucks up when it comes time for...more

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Jul 16, 2010 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this a lot and at times struggled to put it down. "Maggie" the main character is definitely someone I'd like to sit down to pints w/ - she's also someone I'd trust to help me give birth. I found myself easily immersed in her life - her witnessing and surviving a massacre that claimed the lives of her family and her entire village in Scotland, her time learning midwifery, her journey to America and her struggles to adapt to American frontier life. It's been a very long time since I've r...more I enjoyed this a lot and at times struggled to put it down. "Maggie" the main character is definitely someone I'd like to sit down to pints w/ - she's also someone I'd trust to help me give birth. I found myself easily immersed in her life - her witnessing and surviving a massacre that claimed the lives of her family and her entire village in Scotland, her time learning midwifery, her journey to America and her struggles to adapt to American frontier life. It's been a very long time since I've read a book based on early frontier life. I though the author did an exceptional job at relaying the struggles of early frontier living- the struggles of immigrants to adapt to a new world and new culture; the tensions b/w colonists and native americans; the dangers and hardships associated w/ this period. I thought the author did an excellent job at relaying the power dynamics taking place throughout the story in the lives of many of the characters.
I also enjoyed the extensive reference to homeophathic remedies - it's amazing how dependent on modern medicine we've become in that we overlook more natural remedies like the ones referred to throughout the book. The amount of research that went into producing this book is exceptional!
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I did see that several people commented on the difficulty associated w/ the ways in which the author incorporates the dialects into the novel. I too found it a pain at times to make sense of what was being said. However, I didn't find this to be something that was too bothersome nor did I ever feel like it was something that would cause me to stop reading the book. Rather, I found it a challenge I was more than ready and willing to take on - if anyone has ever lived abroad esp in countries like Scotland and Ireland then you know that the language is quite difficult to adapt to! I really liked that the author stayed so true to this and forced the reader to adapt.
I would highly recommend this book - it was a quick, easy and interesting read. I found myself racing to get to the end only to get there and be disappointed it was over! (less)

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Apr 19, 2010 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I have to get my midwife story fix from time to time and this is my latest immersion into the subject.
A young Scottish apprentice midwife becomes an indentured servant in order to come to America in the mid 1700's. The heroine, Maggie finds herself in the middle of Indian territory in the frontier settlements of Virginia and beyond. She is a feisty character which ultimately serves her well in surviving her new life which is shown to be raw, harsh, and primitive.
The book is well-written though...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Susan Howard marked it as to-read

Written by longtime Elmhurst resident, Christine Blevins. Publishers Weekley said "blevins doesnt soft-peddle the brutal realities of women's lot in the colonies, but she gives strong, skilled Maggie pluck and hope." From villages of 18th century Scotland to the new colonies of America Blevins takes readers on an adventure. "Dark Maggie" for her thick black hair, lone survivor of an attack on her village, she was thought to be cursed and unfit for marriage. She is gifted with a quick wit, skille...more

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Aug 23, 2008 Stacey Graham rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Stacey by: Mary Lewis

Well-researched and beautifully written, Midwife of the Blue Ridge doesn't shy away from the harsh realities that flavored life on the colonial frontier. Blevins' characters are swept away by circumstance yet still reveal the strength required to carry off the plot.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to readers thirsty for adventure in the New World's wild western frontier.

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Dec 02, 2011 Patricia dumas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fabulous book. Should not of been presented with the "Rosemary Rogers" type cover for it is so much out of that league. It's better.

A beautiful, realistic portray of 18th cent live in Virginia. The mountains, the birds,plants, animals. It all weaves together so well.A very well thought out book. Not a dumb romance book. :-) Not at all!

I LOVE the historic details of primitive medicine and herbology. Willow Bark tea! Where aspirin comes from! A sense of camaraderie takes place in the Roundabout ar...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Angela Lynn Holland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angela-lynn-s-new-authors

Why I read this book: I am a historical fiction fan and it has been awhile since I have read one. I actually one a book by this author and went looking for other books written by her. The subject and time period also drew me in.

What I liked: I liked Maggie and how strong of a person she was no matter what problems she ran into. I also liked how Maggie and Tom came to be a couple but it they struggled to come to terms with loving each other. Maggie endured so much and just held her head up and w...more

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Sep 05, 2008 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book because the midwife is an indentured servant from Scotland. Ach Aye! Interesting account of the butchery of the new world, from both sides. Some herbology and holistic medicine, too.

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Jan 27, 2010 Tara Chevrestt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Full disclosure: I only made it to page 210 which is precisely half the novel. I simply cannot take anymore of the speech. The story is good. I like the midwifery, the methods used back then, the drilling holes in the skull. Fascinating stuff. I also enjoy the look at colonial days and the tension between the colonists and the Indians. The book is great till people talk!

The prose is like this: "Look at ye-hat in hand no less. Och, yer such a gowk." I have to read each talking sentence over thre...more

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Apr 13, 2009 Sherri *The Lady Hillindale* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: scottish-highland-romance, best-of-2009, heroine-i-loved, american-revolution

This is the first novel by Christine Blevins and she debuts as a winner.

Maggie experiences the murder of her parents after the battle of Culloden. In running away she helps a wounded soldier to return home to his wife to die. His wife is a renowned Midwife and takes her in as her own and teaches her everything she knows. Years later when the midwife dies of "the lung disease", Maggie is cast out of the village as a witch. She ends up in Ireland living hand to mouth and eventually sells herself...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Natalie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I actually REALLY liked this book, but rated it lower because of the bad language and amount of sexuality. I'm glad it stayed true to the raw nature of life in that time, to a certain extent. However, I don't enjoy reading foul language over and over. I was so drawn in by the story when the language started that I just tried to overlook it (it became increasing foul), so I could finish reading the amazing storyline.
I feel like I learned a LOT about herbal remedies and very interesting tidbits of...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Katherine rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

I did not want to put this book down it was so good. It's a historical novel, about a young women who is basically on the search to start a new life. She journeys to America and is sold to work as a servant until her contract is up so that she may stay here until given freedom. Throughout her time in America she goes through many struggles, but manages to find a way to fix them and pull through. The book also talks about slavery and the Indians and how people looked upon them.

I would definitely...more

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Sep 06, 2008 Lori Mason rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: z2008, historic, chick-lit

I don't usually read historic fiction - this was very good - a romance, but also a good story.

1 like · like · see review

Oct 30, 2011 Shell Schroth rated it 3 of 5 stars

It started out great... Had all the elements I look for in a book. History, Struggle, Friendship, Loyalty, and Love.

An awesome beginning, a wee Scottish lass full of spunk and brains signs up as an indentured servant, heading for the New World to escape the hardships of Scotland after Culloden. Authentic Scottish prose, Hilarious and Charming banter, and an overall feeling of possibility and hope.

Its beginninf was reminiscent to some of my favorites stories, and was succesful in grabbing my at...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Peggy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical-fiction

I was very disappointed. I wanted to read this because while working on family history in KY, TN, VA during this time period and Blevins being part of the family tree this book was recommended.

I thought this would be more historical of the long hunters instead it turned out to be just another romance book. Christine's story is to much like Diana Gabaldon's .

Her "heroine" Maggie turns out to be just another weak-kneed woman as soon as Tom appears.
This had the opportunity to be a great historical...more

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Apr 17, 2009 Stacy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book and will read Blevin's second novel. This one had some flaws, but it really was good overall. I think I was looking for Maggie's life as an indentured servant to be a bit harder. Not that it wasn't, but her owner was incredibly nice and treated her like a sister. From reading the back cover I thought she might not be so lucky at that. I really did enjoy the characters though, and the harsh look at both the natives and the colonials. And the setting over all. Made me want to vis...more

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Aug 16, 2008 Kathyred rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, historicalfiction

Like Gabaldon's Outlander series, w/out the time travel

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Mar 29, 2012 Stacey rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 18th-century, 2012-challenge, adventure, colonial-america, historical-fiction, historical-romance

The male protagonist wasn't Nathaniel, and the setting wasn't Paradise.

In my opinion, this book sits somewhere in between Shadowbrook by Beverley Swerling (unreadable, the characters were so flat and the storylines so numerous), and my favorite book ever: Into the Wilderness, by Sara Donati (pretty much my standard for colonial/frontier historical fiction).

It follows "Dark Maggie," a young Scottish immigrant to the colonies. Beautiful, headstrong, intelligent, and a skilled midwife, she gets i...more The male protagonist wasn't Nathaniel, and the setting wasn't Paradise.

In my opinion, this book sits somewhere in between Shadowbrook by Beverley Swerling (unreadable, the characters were so flat and the storylines so numerous), and my favorite book ever: Into the Wilderness, by Sara Donati (pretty much my standard for colonial/frontier historical fiction).

It follows "Dark Maggie," a young Scottish immigrant to the colonies. Beautiful, headstrong, intelligent, and a skilled midwife, she gets into trouble on the voyage across the Atlantic by attracting the attention of a spoiled lordling. He attempts to make life difficult for her on ship, and tries to buy her on the docks, when she stands in line to be sold as an indentured servant. Luckily for her, the captain of her ship intervenes in the auction on her behalf, and when a less-than-well-kempt backwoodsman makes the first substantial bid, the auctioneer signs her over. Thus begin her adventures on the frontier in Ohio country, where she plies her trade, learns the customs, begins to fit in to the society, and finds a man she'd like to settle down with. Then, of course, tragedy strikes.

Now that I think back on it, some of the plot reminds me extremely of Into the Wilderness: The Long Hunters.

The setting is vivid, the writing is mostly a good mix between fast-paced and descriptive, with maybe an emphasis on fast-paced. The history has been researched well, and the historical details make the setting atmospheric.

I didn't find the characters as interesting or realistic as those in Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati. The female protagonist is likable, but the male protagonist was not so much. Their relationship starts off intriguingly, but at one point, after imbibing at a frontier shindig, he goes a step or three too far, acts the brute, and loses his shine. I never really got behind him again in the novel. There are ways of adding conflict without ruining my liking for the main characters.

One of the most compelling scenes was the description of "forting up," when the frontier settlers all move into the small fort to evade raiding Shawnee.

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Dec 30, 2011 Siobian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, read-in-2011

When everyone in Maggie's village, including her family, is killed for lending aid to those who fought on the Highlander's side at the Battle of Culloden, seven-year old Maggie Duncan helps a wounded soldier find his way home and is taken in by his wife, Hannah. Hannah is the village midwife and teaches young Maggie her trade as well as knowledge about plants and healing. When Hannah dies, Maggie knows that she can no longer stay because of the mistrusting townspeople who believe her to be curs...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Christine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-a-copy

I started this book almost two weeks ago and just finished it the other day. Come to think of it, I don't know why it took me so long, especially because it was a really good read.

The story follows the life of a young Scottish woman named Maggie Duncan. As a child, her entire village was massacred, leaving Maggie an orphan. A local midwife adopts Maggie, but because of her history as the lone survivor, she is regarded with superstition by the rest of the townsfolk. She is considered un-marriage...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Gaile rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 18th-century, american-frontier, favorites, recommended-2011, emery-s-2011-challenge

In the bottle of Culloden in 1746, Maggie Duncan loses her parents but gains a teacher in midwife Hannah Cameron. When Hannah dies in 1760, Maggie tries her luck in Glasgow but in the end signs on as an indentured servant to go to Virginia.
Virginia turns out not to be as civilized as she thought but Maggie puts her healing skills and her hard working spirit to good use. Unfortunately her beauty attracts the attention of men she doesn't want as well as one she does. Tom Roberts is a frontiersman...more

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Oct 15, 2008 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-historical

I loved this book! Maggie is an orphan in 18th-century Scotland. She learns midwifery and healing practices from her adoptive mother, Hannah. When Hannah dies, Maggie makes her way to Edinburgh and, later, to the Virginia colony.

This is the author's first novel and it's a fantastic first effort. She does a wonderful job of character development and manages multiple characters, dialogs, and accents with (apparently) little trouble. The author has a good command of history and of the culture of t...more

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Sep 23, 2008 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2008, own

As the sole survivor of a vicious attack on her village, Maggie Duncan is viewed by many in Black Corries, Scotland as a harbinger of bad luck. But Hannah Cameron, grateful to young Maggie for bringing her mortally wounded husband home to her, adopts the young girl. Hannah is a midwife and she soon teaches her healing skills to Maggie.

After Hannah’s death, Maggie finds herself in a difficult position. The people of Black Corries are very superstitious and blame her for Hannah’s death. Believing...more As the sole survivor of a vicious attack on her village, Maggie Duncan is viewed by many in Black Corries, Scotland as a harbinger of bad luck. But Hannah Cameron, grateful to young Maggie for bringing her mortally wounded husband home to her, adopts the young girl. Hannah is a midwife and she soon teaches her healing skills to Maggie.

After Hannah’s death, Maggie finds herself in a difficult position. The people of Black Corries are very superstitious and blame her for Hannah’s death. Believing that Maggie possesses the “evil eye”, most of the villagers steer clear of her. When she’s offered a chance to sail to America to become an indentured servant, Maggie quickly agrees. Four years of work as an indentured servant seems a small price to pay for the promise of a new start in colonial America.

But the New World holds new dangers for Maggie. As settlers venture deeper into Indian territory, unrest grows within the local tribes. Indian raids are a constant threat. Illness can claim a person’s life swiftly, something Maggie is acutely aware of in her work as a midwife.

Along with the danger comes opportunity. Maggie’s skills as both a midwife and a healer are invaluable to the community. And when Tom Roberts, a vagabond hunter, starts to show romantic interest in Maggie, she begins to dream of a free life with him. Soon, however, Maggie will find her courage to survive in this new world tested as never before.

The Midwife of Blue Ridge is certainly a page-turner, but I found myself disappointed with several elements of the story. The crude language used throughout really distracted me from the main storyline. There were detailed descriptions of men urinating, numerous references to flatulence, etc. that I felt added little to the story. (One of the chapters of the book is entitled “Turds and Primroses.” While I appreciate that the author was trying to show the reality of frontier living, I often thought that these descriptions ventured into the realm of TMI – too much information.)

I liked Maggie’s character quite a bit, but I never felt a strong emotional connection to her. Several traumatic, emotional scenes are written in such a way that the reader feels like an outside observer. I really wanted to get inside Maggie’s head and know how these events affected her, but I felt that I was never given that opportunity. Events that should have had a lasting psychological impact were left largely unexplored.

The descriptions of medical treatment in colonial times were fascinating and they became one of my favorite things about Midwife of the Blue Ridge. There were lots of great little details like the use of spider webs to stanch bleeding or yarrow to ease the pain of a burn.

I felt that there was some unrealized potential with Midwife of the Blue Ridge, but I would not hesitate to read a future offering from Ms. Blevins. (less)

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Sep 23, 2008 Wendi rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Individuals, book clubs

In a nutshell: I couldn't put it down - literally! Three nights in a row, my poor husband woke up around midnight to find me still reading in bed with a tiny light so I could finish the book! The story begins in 1746 Scotland, and continues in America 1763. The story surrounds Maggie Duncan, a young Scottish girl orphaned at an early age due to the massacre of her village by the English. After helping a wounded Scottish man to his home, she learns her skills as a midwife from his wife Hannah, wh...more

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Jan 30, 2009 Romance Novel TV rated it 3 of 5 stars

In 1763 Maggie Duncan crosses the ocean from Scotland arriving in Virginia as an indentured servant. She’s strong, smart, tough and she’s a midwife. Colonial Virginia isn’t for the faint of heart. Women have no rights, colonists own slaves, the Native American’s are being stripped of their lands. If you’re not a survivor, you’ll be dead in short order on the frontier.

Maggie has to endure not only another country, but the isolation of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the fact that she’s owned by anot...more In 1763 Maggie Duncan crosses the ocean from Scotland arriving in Virginia as an indentured servant. She’s strong, smart, tough and she’s a midwife. Colonial Virginia isn’t for the faint of heart. Women have no rights, colonists own slaves, the Native American’s are being stripped of their lands. If you’re not a survivor, you’ll be dead in short order on the frontier.

Maggie has to endure not only another country, but the isolation of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the fact that she’s owned by another for four years. Fortunately, Maggie’s owner Seth isn’t a horror. He’s a former indentured slave from Scotland who buys her with his last dollars to help with his sick wife and three children. That’s where she meets the trapper Tom Roberts a friend of Seth’s. Tom’s life is all about women, drink, food and the next hide he can trap, that is, until he meets Maggie. She’s not a woman to be toyed with, he’ll have to change his life to be with her, and winning her won’t be easy. But, Tom’s not the only one with eyes for Maggie – the very evil, vicious Viscount Cavendish wants to own Maggie more than he wants his next glass of Port. Cavendish is a sorry excuse for a man whose main purpose in life is to get out of the god forsaken colonies and back to England and his life of privilege. He’ll do what it takes to own and posses her.

Ms. Blevins weaves an intricate tale drawing the reader into the times, the characters and the relationships. It’s a sweeping romance with lots of twists and turns, and I found myself not wanting to put the book down. The author’s description of a woman’s life in the 18th century is dead on, and she pulls no punches when it comes to describing what life was like in the colonies. However, I do have some quarrel with the author’s descriptions of the Native Americans, and that is reason I’ve only given the book three stars. Her book gives great detail on the slaughter of the white man at the hands of the Native Americans, but tells none of the story or even implies any of the brutality and slaughter the Native American’s suffered under the hands of the British and later American colonists. For a book so complete with descriptions of the times, I feel the author fell short in this area.

Nevertheless, it’s an extremely well written book, and I very much enjoyed the story – I recommend this book.

Reviewed by Maria Lokken(less)

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Oct 12, 2008 Holly (2 Kids and Tired) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Set in 18th century Scotland, Maggie Duncan is the sole survivor of a horrific massacre. She is taken in by a midwife and learns the woman's healing skills. After her foster mother's death, and seeing her own prospects for a happy life in Scotland dim, Maggie voluntarily goes to Colonial America as an indentured servant. What follows is an adventure beyond any she could have imagined.

Maggie is indentured to Seth Martin and his family. She finds love and acceptance within their world. Her skills...more

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Sep 17, 2008 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lovers of fiction, historical fiction,romance, colonial times

Historical fiction demands a great deal of a writer, not just in the way of accuracy of details and believable characters, but also a strong sense of time and place. Christine Blevins achieves this nicely in Midwife of the Blue Ridge. Dominated by a sense of adventure with a strong underlying romance that works its way through the story, it's a rewarding read.

Maggie Duncan, adopted by a midwife after surviving the destruction of her village in 1740s Scotland, finds herself an outcast when the mi...more Historical fiction demands a great deal of a writer, not just in the way of accuracy of details and believable characters, but also a strong sense of time and place. Christine Blevins achieves this nicely in Midwife of the Blue Ridge. Dominated by a sense of adventure with a strong underlying romance that works its way through the story, it's a rewarding read.

Maggie Duncan, adopted by a midwife after surviving the destruction of her village in 1740s Scotland, finds herself an outcast when the midwife dies. Trained in midwifery and the healing arts, she is still looked upon as a person cursed by the very fact of her survival of that slaughter. Superstition prevents her from practicing her craft and she is considered unmarriageable. She is forced to sell herself into indentured servitude in the New World. She reaches America persued by a drunken brute of a nobleman's son, one Julian Cavendish, who wants to buy her for his own purposes. He is furious when outsmarted and her contract of service is purchased by a decent man, a settler-farmer named Seth Martin. With three children and a pregnant and ailing wife, Maggie is the answer to their prayers. But these are colonial times and life is anything but easy for those trying to tame the primitive wilderness of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virgina.

There is the usual mix of compelling characters you'd expect here. Farmers and settlers, trappers and hunters, frontiersmen and frontier widows, soldiers and Indians, and the requisite scoundrels and reprobates. When Maggie develops a strong attachment to Tom Roberts, a tall handsome trapper, she is bound for disappointment. He is a wanderer who appears now and again and lives outdoors and wants no other kind of life. It's not long before raids by Shawnee war parties drive the surrounding settlers, including the Martins and Maggie into the closest fort for protection. After some weeks of that terror in close quarters and deprived living conditions, they return home to find Cavendish in their lives again, legal papers in hand, land-grabbing and forcing people out of their homes. Maggie bargains for leniency for Seth and his family and lets Cavendish take her, hoping to escape later. She will suffer at his hands but make new friends before she ends up in the hands of the Indians and sees how they live and take revenge for the white man's atrocities. Danger has many faces for a young women of the times.

The story is rich with details of plants and medicines, food and clothing, tools and weapons of the period. The author seems to have done her homework in that regard. The Scottish dialect of some of the characters adds appropriate colour. The story is compelling and the book really is hard to put down. There are a couple of scenes of violence that are graphic, including a rape. There's swearing but I cannot imagine frontiersmen and roughnecks all speaking like pastors. For this is not a romance per se as the cover may at first suggest. It is historical fiction and adventure as well. The author gives us all the best and worst of frontier life; the hopes and fears, the hardships and the rewards. It is a job well done. Four stars out of five.

My book blog Fresh Ink Books: http://freshinkbooks.blogspot.com/

Christine Blevins homepage: http://christineblevins.com/
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Oct 11, 2008 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-books

I picked this book up because I have several times heard it compared to Diane Gabaldon's Outlander series. And it is true that there are many similarities. The heroine is a healer who lives in the latter part of the 1700's (no time travel). She is originally from Scotland and makes her home in the frontier of colonial America. Like Gabaldon's books there is also plenty of rape, disturbingly graphic torture, general mayhem, and other details of colonial life.

However if I am to continue the compar...more

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About Christine Blevins

Hello!

I am an author who writes what I love to read – historical adventure stories. My debut novel MIDWIFE OF THE BLUE RIDGE (August 2008) takes the reader to the wilds of 18th century colonial America. This story was inspired by information unearthed researching family history.

My latest release, THE TORY WIDOW (April 2009) begins in 1775 in New York City at the eve of rebellion, and is the resul...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2709531-midwife-of-the-blue-ridge?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347599277l/2709531.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2709531-midwife-of-the-blue-ridge?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Midwife of the Blue Ridge by Christine Blevins[/url]

Midwife of the Blue Ridge

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