Historical Fictionistas discussion

Can anyone recommend novels/non-fiction books on midwives or midwifery in medieval times? I have found only Karen Cushman's
Thanks for your help.

it is a mix of everything medieval. She writes alot about medieval times, you might want to research more of her books.

Thanks for this suggestion, NayNay. I already enjoyed two of their books: and , so I will add this one to my "research" pile.

Rashi's Daughters, Book II: Miriam: A Novel of Love and the Talmud in Medieval France by Maggie Anton details the medieval Jewish scholar's second daughter, who is presented as a midwife. There's a great deal of historical data in this depiction of life in 11th-century Troyes, France [the city that "Life in a Medieval City" details]. In Book II, Miriam is already a midwife. To learn how she trained to become one, see Rashi's Daughters, Book I: Joheved: A Novel of Love and the Talmud in Medieval France.

Thanks, Emily, I'm off to check out those books.

That book is very entertaining along with Catherine called Birdy by the same author. The first two books in the Hangman's Dsughter series reference the lives and medicines used by midwives in medieval Germany. They are not the main subject matter but noteworthy and grest books

The Virgin Blue is fascinating. It has parallel story lines about a medieval midwife and modern midwife.

Perhaps also The Sheen on the Silk: A Novel. The main character is a young woman masquerading as a man and practicing as a doctor in 13th-century Constantinople. I am not sure she delivers babies, but she does attend female patients.

Annette wrote: "That book is very entertaining along with Catherine called Birdy by the same author. The first two books in the Hangman's Dsughter series reference the lives and medicines used by midwives in med..."

Thank you, Annette, I've just bought the Birdy book and the first Hangman's Daughter one. Will let you know how they go!

Jennifer wrote: "The Virgin Blue is fascinating. It has parallel story lines about a medieval midwife and modern midwife. "

Many thanks, Jennifer, for the recommendation; I've just bought it. I loved , so looking forward to this one!

C.P. wrote: "Perhaps also The Sheen on the Silk: A Novel. The main character is a young woman masquerading as a man and practicing as a doctor in 13th-century Constantinople. I am not sure she delivers babies, ..."

Thanks, C.P. going to check this one out too!

The Midwife's Tale is set in the 17th century - not quite medieval but close.

Robin wrote: "The Midwife's Tale is set in the 17th century - not quite medieval but close."

Ooh, from the reviews, this looks like a great who-dunnit!Thanks for the recommendation, Robin. It's on my TBR pile!

Liza wrote: "Robin wrote: "The Midwife's Tale is set in the 17th century - not quite medieval but close."

Ooh, from the reviews, this looks like a great who-dunnit!Thanks for the recommendation, Robin. It's on..."

I'd be really surprised if midwifery changed much between the Middle Ages proper and the 17th century. The big break in medicine didn't come until the 19th century, with the discovery of ether and antiseptic substances. Before then, you pretty much took your life in your hands seeing a doctor, and the treatments ranged from useless to bizarre. Except in the Arab world, if you were lucky.

Midwives at least handed down practical experience from generation to generation.

A Vision of Light is the BEST novel I can think of for medieval midwifery - and since it's written by Judith Merkle Riley, you know her facts will be excellently well-researched. It's a Middle Ages peasant girl-turned-merchant's wife writing her memoirs, which include a lengthy period when she makes a living as a midwife (and incidentally, invents forceps which the local churchmen insist she stop using because saving women pain in childbirth is going against the will of God!)

Best of all, if you like "Vision of Light," there are two sequels just as good!

C.P. wrote: "Liza wrote: "Robin wrote: "The Midwife's Tale is set in the 17th century - not quite medieval but close."

Ooh, from the reviews, this looks like a great who-dunnit!Thanks for the recommendation, R..."

Very true, C.P. Midwifery really didn't change much from ancient times, until 19th century.

Kate wrote: "A Vision of Light is the BEST novel I can think of for medieval midwifery - and since it's written by Judith Merkle Riley, you know her facts will be excellently well-researched. It's a Middle Age..."

Thanks, Kate. I did read Vision of Light quite recently and certainly found some very interesting midwifery facts. Otherwise though, it wasn't my kind of story (the visions parts, I mean).

Emily wrote: "Rashi's Daughters, Book II: Miriam: A Novel of Love and the Talmud in Medieval France by Maggie Anton details the medieval Jewish scholar's second daughter, who is presented as a midwife. There's a..."

Thanks, Emily, for recommending my books. Since my "Rashi's Daughters" trilogy is actually a 40-year family saga, there's some midwifery in each of the three. Book 1 shows how Miriam trains to be a midwife as an apprentice to her aunt while in Book 2 she comes into her own as a full midwife.

To be as accurate as possible, I did quite a lot of research on the history of midwifery, all the way from 11th century The Trotula: An English Translation of the Medieval Compendium of Women's Medicine to 18th century The Midwives Book: Or the Whole Art of Midwifry Discovered. Liza is mostly correct that midwifery didn't change much in those centuries; if anything, knowledge was lost after the bubonic plague years because so many midwives [i.e. learned women] were persecuted and killed as witches. But that's another story.

Maggie Anton

Maggie wrote: "Emily wrote: "Rashi's Daughters, Book II: Miriam: A Novel of Love and the Talmud in Medieval France by Maggie Anton details the medieval Jewish scholar's second daughter, who is presented as a midw..."

Hi Maggie,
Thanks so much for your other recommendations, and for explaining more to be about your books. They all look so interesting... Amazon is making a fortune out of me at the moment! My current WIP deals with a midwife in the 14th century plague years of France, a tragic, but very interesting time.

Maggie wrote: "Emily wrote: "Rashi's Daughters, Book II: Miriam: A Novel of Love and the Talmud in Medieval France by Maggie Anton details the medieval Jewish scholar's second daughter, who is presented as a midw..."

Maggie, do your books need to be read in order, or can I just read book 11 straight off, since that's what I think will interest me the most.
Thanks.

Harp wrote: "Liza wrote: "Can anyone recommend novels/non-fiction books on midwives or midwifery in medieval times? I have found only Karen Cushman's
Thanks for your h..."

Thanks, Harp,
Yes, I'm looking into Maggie Anton's books.
I just finished The Midwife's ApprenticeBTW, and what an adorable little story it was.

The Midwife's Apprenctice is so short, you can read it in an afternoon...

I just saw this one, which looks really interesting: The Midwife of Venice. Maybe a good supplement to Maggie's books?

C.P. wrote: "I just saw this one, which looks really interesting: The Midwife of Venice. Maybe a good supplement to Maggie's books?"

Thanks for the recommendation, CP. This looks good and I've added it to my TBR pile.