THE MIDWIFE'S TALE
By Gretchen Moran Laskas
For generations, the women in Elizabeth’s family have brought life to Kettle Valley, West Virginia, heeding a destiny to tend its women with herbals, experience, and wisdom. But Elizabeth, who has comforted so many, has lost her heart to the one man who cannot reciprocate, even when she moves into his home to share his bed and raise his child.
Then Lauren Denniker, Elizabeth’s adopted daughter, begins to display a
miraculous gift--just as Elizabeth learns that she herself is unable to
have a child. How Elizabeth comes to free herself from a loveless relationship,
grapple with Lauren’s astonishing abilities, and come to terms with her
own emptiness is the compelling heart of this remarkable tale.
Incorporating the spirited mountain mythology of prewar Appalachia, Gretchen Laskas has crafted a story as true to our time as its own, and a cast of characters as poignant as they are entirely original.
"Gretchen Laskas
opens a door to a world so real it aches and thrills. I
could not put down this story of complicated romance, hard
wisdom, enduring loyalties, and the miracles one person
can bring to another."
--Robert Morgan, author of THIS ROCK and THE TRUEST PLEASURE
"Evocative storytelling…"
--Kirkus Reviews