Book Review: Midwife of the Blue Ridge by Christine Blevins
A short way from where I grew up, the mountains of the Blue Ridge rose up. They so enchanted me then that I chose to go to college amidst their heights and valleys. The past of the area fascinated me as I learned my own family’s history: some of the clan settled right there in those mountains long before the Revolutionary War while others moved farther west towards Illinois. The clan originally came from Scotland. The land had a way of calling to me that I have found in only a few other places (among them Cornwall, Wales and Scotland).
So when the story of Dark Maggie was offered to me, I jumped at the chance to read it. Maggie was trained as a midwife in Scotland, but tragedy, superstition and hardship dogged her steps there. So, she signed on as an indentured servant and traveled to the Americas. She knew she would have to work for someone else for seven years, but her hope was that after that time was over she could seek a better life for herself.
Her story unfolds, taking us from the superstitions and stories of Scotland to the primitive dangers of settling in the mountains of the Blue Ridge. But it doesn’t follow the story she had laid out for herself – working for 7 years for a possibly cruel master and then having her freedom after. Instead she finds friends that are better than family, work that is fulfilling, adventure she never wanted, and more.
I loved reading this book. I loved the way the story was woven together with bright strands of love and courage; the deeper shades of defiance, survival, and tradition accenting them. Maggie’s character drew me in with both her strength and her vulnerabilities.
As I read this story, I could well imagine what the lives of my ancestors might have been like. I could see how they battled for their land, and their lives. They lived lonely lives far from neighbors yet wove strong communities despite the distance because of a shared need for protection from both greedy landowners and Native Americans.
Reading it made me long to visit the mountains I love so much, to see the fog settle on the verdant trees of the valley, to see the sparkling rivers rushing through the rocks. Most especially if you have roots that extend to Scotland or the early days of the American colonies, or if you just happen to love those mountains as I do, I recommend this book. If you love the adventure of historical romances, I recommend this book – although I would not classify this as a ‘romance novel’.
Read it!
