The Secrets of Midwives

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‘The Secrets of Midwives’ by Sally Hepworth is a wonderful and worthwhile read. I strongly recommend this novel about three generations of midwives (a woman, her mother, and her grandmother) and the secrets they keep that push them apart and ultimately bind them together.

Neva Bradley, a third-generation midwife, is determined to keep the details surrounding her own pregnancy—including the identity of the baby’s father— hidden from her family and co-workers for as long as possible. Her mother, Grace, finds it impossible to let this secret rest. For Floss, Neva’s grandmother and a retired midwife, Neva’s situation thrusts her back 60 years in time to a secret that eerily mirrors her granddaughter’s—a secret which, if revealed, will have life-changing consequences for them all. Will these women reveal their secrets and deal with the inevitable consequences? Or are some secrets best kept hidden?

Honestly the only reason I picked up this book was because of the author Liane Moriarty’s endorsement on the back cover. I didn’t pick it up for several days but when I did I was glad that I did. I read this book in one day. I fell in love with all three main characters and enjoyed every plot twist. It’s a fun, enjoyable read. I strongly recommend it.

I plan on talking to Dr. Andrea Chisholm OBGYN about the character Neva’s condition, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which is a prevalent condition among women women with diabetes on my next Mr. Divabetic Show podcast scheduled for July 2016. If your doctor suspects PCOS, he or she may recommend blood tests to measure hormone levels and check insulin and glucose levels, as PCOS causes insulin resistance, the hallmark of type 2 diabetes.

The Secrets of Midwives has been labelled “enchanting” by The Herald Sun, “smart and engaging” by Publisher’s Weekly, and New York Times bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Emily Giffin have praised Sally’s debut novel as “women’s fiction at its finest” and “totally absorbing”. The Secrets of Midwives was also the highest selling debut Australian fiction of the year in 2015.