The Pregnant Moon

Lehe Elarar

Book Review:

The Birth House

 From the Publisher -

Tradition clashes with modernity in this unforgettable debut novel, set in a small Nova Scotia village in the early 20th century, that is reminiscent of the works of Annie Proulx and Chris Bohjalian.

As a child, Dora Rare, the first female in five generations of Rares, is taken under the wing of Miss Babineau, an outspoken Acadian midwife with a gift for storytelling and a kitchen filled with herbs. As she grows into adulthood, Dora becomes Miss Babineau's apprentice, and together the pair help the women of Scots Bay through infertility, difficult labour, breech births, unwanted pregnancies, and even unfulfilling marriages.

But their idyllic community is threatened with the arrival of Gilbert Thomas, a brash medical doctor armed with promised of sterile, painless childbirth. Soon some of the women begin to question the midwives' methods - an uncertainty that erupts in a war of gossip, accusations, and recriminations after a woman dies. Overshadowed by this powerful, determined male doctor, Dora must summon all her strength and wisdom to protect herself and the birthing rituals of her ancestors, and the village she loves.

An enthralling tale with deep resonance for today, The Birth House brings to light the struggles women have faced to control their own bodies, and to keep tradition alive in the face of modernity.

Lehe’s two cents…

With so many books that “every pregnant woman must read”, I found The Birth House to be a lovely reprieve from all the do’s and don’ts that seemed to bombard me during my pregnancy. I wanted something lovely and sweet, enriching and engaging, appropriate and unimposing; The Birth House met my expectations.

As an historical novel, the imagery and visual language is a rich and informative insight into life on the Canadian east coast during the early decades of the 20th century. I enjoyed traveling to this mysterious era, plunging myself into Dora’s intimate world - her life as a young woman who accepts (or is thrown into?) the inheritance of midwifery practice from an Acadian, witchy old woman. The reader learns about the hardships she faces and overcomes while upholding values of sisterhood. Her unassuming feminism later becomes analogous to the suffragette movement in New York that she encounters during her flight from Nova Scotia on account of untrue accusations within her community, and we further appreciate how a single woman in a small town can lead her community to an enlightened new age.

There are some good moments in this book and if you need a rest from pregnancy dharma but can’t quite veer from the pregnancy path, then this is a sweet read.

“My house became the birth house. That's what the women called 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. I wiped the feverish necks with cool, moist cloths, spooned porridge and hot tea into their tired bodies, talked them back from outside of themselves.”

-excerpt from The Birth House

“The Canadian novel that knocked the Da Vinci Code out of the #1 spot on the Globe and Mail’s Bestsellers list!”

Other Articles by Lehe Elarar:
Book Review: Sexy Mamas (Spring & Summer 2007)

Lehe Elarar is a midwife in Vancouver, BC and a exceptional mother of two beautiful children. Lehe's practice includes being an active member of her professional group, a co-founder of Pomegranate Community Midwives and a mentor for midwifery and medical students.