Books: The Midwife’s Tale: A Mystery
Exclusive interview with author Samuel Thomas and a review of his mystery novel about a Midwife in York
Rating: Four Stars
By Gabrielle Pantera
“This might sound a bit strange, but I can’t help being surprised at the enthusiastic welcome The Midwife’s Tale has received from both critics and readers,” says The Midwife’s author Sam Thomas. “It’s an odd thing to receive emails from complete strangers asking if there is a sequel so they can stay in touch with my characters. I knew I loved the characters, but couldn’t be sure that others would feel the same way.”
The Midwife’s Tale is Thomas’ first novel and he does a fantastic job of writing from a woman’s point of view.
It’s 1644 and the English Civil War is raging. York is under siege by the Scottish Covenanter Army and the Parliamentarian Armies of the Northern Association and Eastern Association while the Royalist Army led by the Marquess of Newcastle struggles to defend the city. Our heroine, Lady Bridget Hodgson ,is a strong, independent woman who has wealth but continues her work as a midwife, where she has access to both the high and low in town. Her new servant Martha Hawkins will become invaluable to Bridget after Esther Cooper, a friend of Bridget’s, is accused of murder when her husband is found dead.
Esther will be burned at the stake unless the real killer can be found. Bridget and Martha search for clues, moving between the homes of powerful families and the poor areas of the town. Bridget and Martha must defend themselves from rebel artillery and someone who’s after Martha.
One revealing little aspect of the story is that of the town’s “gossips”. I wondered why these annoying women were allowed in the birthing room. I didn’t know that the midwife would force unwed mothers to declare who the father is so the city could go after him for support.
Thomas tells a fast-paced, well-rounded story and a compelling mystery. I look forward to the sequel The Harlot’s Tale, coming next year.
“I first wrote about Bridget Hodgson, the historical figure who inspired the main character behind The Midwife’s Tale, in a 2003 academic article,” says Thomas. “For many years after I pursued the midwives from a historical perspective. A few years ago I decided to leave college teaching, but wanted to keep writing. Fiction seemed the natural outlet for my creative side. At the same time I was applying for jobs at private schools, I decided to have a go at a novel. Midwives make excellent sleuths, so it was a perfect fit.”
Thomas spent months on research in archives throughout England, from the National Archives outside London, to the Borthwick Institute in York, to the local archives in Chester. Much of his research focused on the legal work that midwives did, as they investigated cases of witchcraft and infanticide, or testified in bastardy trials. “It was an enormous amount of fun,” says Thomas, “not least because once you start digging into the archives you never know what you will unearth.”
Before The Midwife’s Tale, Thomas wrote academic articles on topics ranging from education in colonial Kenya to the politics of religion during the Glorious Revolution. He wrote the history book, Creating Communities in Restoration England, about religious life in the parish of Halifax after the Civil Wars. The sequel to The Midwife’s Tale, called The Harlot’s Tale, is due out next year.
Thomas lives near Cleveland, Ohio with his wife and two sons.
Thomas’s website is http://www.samthomasbooks.com/
The Midwife’s Tale: A Mystery by Samuel Thomas • Hardcover, 320 pages, Publisher: Minotaur Books (January 8, 2013) • Language: English, ISBN: 9781250010766 $24.99
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