London, 1995: When on the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz a news broadcast runs an appeal for information on the identity of a midwife who saved hundreds of lives, Emilia knows it is time to finally tell her story. Her pregnancy was fraught with complications – made worse by pandemic restrictions which meant husband Ryan, 32, couldn’t be by her side at appointments. Had I been careful enough? Had I made sure the mask was pressed tightly around my face? I couldn’t afford to take any chances.

the secret midwife - confessions of a pragmatic midwife stuck the secret midwife - confessions of a pragmatic midwife stuck

I started reading the book last night and needed to keep reading, I finished it this evening after work and the first thing I did was tell my mum, and my husband all about it. The Secret Midwife is a work of fiction, but inspired by many real-life accounts of the Polish resistance, the brave doctors, nurses and midwives imprisoned in the camps and those who fought to save as many lives as possible in Poland during World War II.

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Emilia, Lena and Aleksy will stay with me for a long time to come. I am so grateful to have read this story, to have met these characters, and to have discovered such a talented author. I can't wait to read more of her books in the future! The feared Doctor Mengele is mentioned in this book, he likes to experiment on pregnant women and twins and tasks them both with alerting him to any pregnancies in the camp. The next day she’s sent to work as a midwife, she’s horrified by what she witnesses, she’s saved from being severely punished by Doctor Aleksy Gorski. Emilia, Doctor Aleksy and her new friend Lena come up with a dangerous plan, to save as many pregnant women and babies as they can and with the hope that one day they will be reunited. When Emilia is taken prisoner in 1942 in her homeland of Poland she is sent to Auschwitz for helping Jewish mothers deliver their babies and working for The Resistance, what she discovers here is atrocious and appalling, but it makes Emilia determined to help as many as she can as a midwife.

The Secret Midwife - Kindle edition by Lane, Soraya M

I was worried not only about the subject matter, but in my ability to write a story that balanced the horrors of Auschwitz with a sense of hope – that even in the midst of such atrocities, some people did live to tell their stories of what happened at the infamous camp. Their tales of survival are exceptional, and creating a fictional story inspired by history felt like a terrifying prospect. I absolutely loved this book! It gives a similar insight to the NHS as Adam Kay's books, only this one straight from the midwives!Emilia, a midwife, is caught helping Jewish mothers deliver their babies during the war. She is taken to Auschwitz and is immediately exposed to horrors she couldn't have imagined before. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC Copy in exchange for an honest review of this book. That night, I drove home from my 12-hour shift, trying to recall all the time I had spent with the Covid-positive couple. Notes on reading The author relates stories of her experience, but it's all very one-note, there is no reflection, no depth, but maybe that's to come. So far the only interesting bits are on how nice the Aluthor finds the travelling community although beyond saying that the men are very respectful (to the nurses at least) and their caravans are very clean, I don't know how this is supposed to change the public perception of them.

The Secret Midwife : Lane, Soraya M., Knowelden, Elizabeth The Secret Midwife : Lane, Soraya M., Knowelden, Elizabeth

Soraya is thrilled to be publishing three novels in 2023! The Cuban Daughter (book #2, The Lost Daughters) was published in March, and The Royal Daughter will be published October 12th. The Secret Midwife, a moving WWII historical novel, will be published August 1st. I loved this honest review of being a midwife. The whole warts and all birds eye view from the coal face. I found the vivid descriptions of the various births/stitches/blood & meconium made me feel like I was in the room. Brilliant loved it

Kādas vecmātes (tās, kura bērniem palīdz nākt pasaulē) stāsts par savu profesiju un Lielbritānijas (te gan varētu būt arī citas valsts nosaukums) valsts veselības sistēmu, kas savas jomas entuziastus - strādājošus cilvēkus dzen izmisumā. But there is a problem; the system which is supposed to support the midwives and the women they care for is starting to crumble. Having been recently widowed and age getting the best of her at times, Emilia decides to tell her story for the first time. She reveals to not only the interviewer but also her daughter that she is the midwife mentioned in the story. She digs deep within her to tell her story before it’s too late. This is one of my favourite books of all time. I can't wait to re-read it, and I will be recommending this book to all of my friends, including to all of the lovely Goodreads users.

The Secret Midwife: Life, Death and the Truth about Birth The Secret Midwife: Life, Death and the Truth about Birth

This is a challenging piece of history to write about. As a historian, there is little more to say than the author does it justice. The book is executed in a respectful way for the people who endured the horrors. The author's research of the subject is strongly evident, and deserves to be truly commended. Inspired by the lives of very real individuals, and combined with a well-written literary flair, this is simply a tale that MUST be read. Definitely worth reading. It discusses clinical terms in a nice general way for non-medical readers. For the midwives, make sure you have access to lots of tea, biscuits and tissues while you read. Then, I sprayed the handles of the door and the box and ran upstairs to the shower, careful not to touch a single thing on my way up.The topic of Auschwitz deserves to be treated with the utmost sensitivity, and as an author it was a daunting prospect to write about it. When I first came up with the concept for this book, it was my editor Victoria who gave me the confidence to write it.