3.5 Stars

I've been on a historical midwife and witch kick lately, so this book was right up my alley. It's actually been on my to-shelf for years, at least two. So I figured it was time to give it a go. It proved to be a fairly enjoyable read with a great main character and fascinating historical storyline with unknown elements for me. Despite a few hitches, I would feel comfortable recommending this book on to others.

I adored the historical story explored in this book. Information about indentured servants and the back country of Appalachia are not often represented in historical fiction. The author gives a ton of details about how the indentured servant system worked and how it impacted all the parties involved, both the servants themselves and the bidders for their contracts. She also makes the rough life on the frontier in the 1700s come alive. Abundant details on daily life illustrate how tough it was to survive in this wild environment, where either the weather or the natives could take your life easily. The author does a great job at making the reader viscerally experience both aspects of the history explored.

Maggie made this novel for me; she's tough, courageous, and practical. She comes from a harsh background to create a life in a new world equally as harsh. Death and despair are common occurrences in her life. However, Maggie doesn't let that drag her down. I loved the way she approached the hardships in her life, with grit and a sensible outlook on life. I found elements of my own personality in hers and so found her all the more relatable.

Most of the secondary characters and the main male lead, Tom, were as distinct an individual as Maggie. I loved Tom. He stands out as a rugged, courageous man comfortable in the wilds of frontier North America and within his own skin. I also grew to love Maggie's indentured family whom she served and the rest of the inhabitants of the nearby town.

However, one of the hitches of this book fell in this area. The main villain came off as a caricature for the most part. He's over-the-top, to the point of un-believability. Let's just say that if the railroad had existed in this time, I could have seen this villain tying Maggie up and doing a Snidely Whiplash routine like the cartoon. There would have been much mustache twirling going on. This exaggeration of his character detracted from my enjoyment of his scenes and role in the book.

My other problem with this book has to do a bit with the villain and his scenes with Maggie. The story goes into some very dark places; yet, I expected that from reading other reviews. In fact, that was one of the reasons I hadn't picked up this novel till this point. After reading this book, I feel that some of what happened to Maggie at his hands were over-the-top, like his characterization. I felt the story would have held as much weight without these unnecessary brutal scenes. I don't fault scenes like these being in historical fiction titles; brutal things like this did happen. Yet, the ones included with this book seemed unnecessary with the rest of the narrative flow.

Despite a few hiccups with unnecessary scenes and a two dimensional villain, this book was an enjoyable journey into colonial frontier America. A strong main character leads the cast of equally strong secondary characters to make the reader live the story, not just read it. The fact that the author explores unfamiliar historical details and stories is just icing on the top for me. I would feel very comfortable recommending this book to friends and family, especially if you have an interest in colonial America fiction. ( )

I really loved the way the main character 'spoke', I like reading accents. Thie scottish lass is brought to America willingly as an indentured servant. She is also a midwife and healer using herbs. I really enjoyed the midwife and healing side of the character. I did however find it hard to get to know the characters better. I felt them a bit standoffish about their feelings.
The book is beautifully set and there is almost non-stop action. I loved the book by the end and was hoping the author had written more like this, but unfortunatelt she did not write about Scottish Lasses in future novels.
This is a great on Historical facts and how things were back when America was new. ( )

Midwife of the Blue Ridge by Christine Blevins is a rollicking adventure novel mostly set in the American wilderness. As an healer and midwife, Maggie Duncan is in search of a new life and agrees to sign papers to be an indentured servant for four years. As she travels across the ocean she draws the attention of the vicious viscount, Julian Cavendish, but with the help of captain and crew manages to evade his attentions. They also help Maggie avoid Cavendish at the auction and instead she become indentured to a kindly frontiersman, Seth Martin, who is in need of a healer for his ailing pregnant wife. It isn’t long before Maggie meets Tom, a young frontiersman and Seth’s best friend. As Tom and Maggie fall in love events and circumstances keep them apart.

Overall I enjoyed this book, it had lots of action and seemed to be fairly accurate with the historical details. I would class this book as an historical romance and because of Maggie’s Scottish language and her healing skills I was constantly reminded of the Outlander series. Maggie is a very strong, independent woman and I liked both her and Tom a lot. Unfortunately the viscount was too one dimensional and came off more like a cartoon character. I like my bad guys to have a little more depth to them than this.

Midwife of the Blue Ridge was a fairly quick, easy to read book and the author had obviously done some extensive research on herbal and natural remedies that were used in Colonial America. It was history on the light side but I would not hesitate to read this author again. ( )

This was a pretty good book. I'm not a huge romance reader but this book was done in good taste. Story flowed and kept me interested. It left me wanting to read others by this author. ( )

As a child, Maggie is the sole survivor after a murderous rampage on the village in Scotland where she lived with her family. She is found by Hannah, a medicine woman who more or less adopts her and makes her an apprentice. Hannah teaches Maggie all that she can, but when Hannah dies, Maggie is left on her own. She eventually agrees to be a bondservant for four years in exchange for passage to the New World. After her grueling boat ride across the Atlantic, Maggie lucks up when it comes time for her to be purchased. Because of her healing skills, Seth Martin buys her to tend to his family which includes three children and his ailing pregnant wife Naomi. He takes Maggie to his homestead, which is apparently around the area of Kentucky (Kenta-kee). And that's when the real trouble and heartache begins.

The book does have romance and adventure, but too much of the latter and not enough of the former, for my taste. And the adventures were quite graphic and somewhat depressing (scalpings, stabbings, shootings, etc.). I know things like that really happened in the frontier of the young America, I just don't like reading about them in such a stark light.

I really wanted to like this book, and I truly thought I would. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. I guess I was expecting something different than what it delivered. I kept flipping to the back, counting the pages left before the end. It was well written and interesting enough, I suppose, yet because I had pictured something else when I read the book's description, that is what I wanted to read about. So I cannot fault the author for not reading my mind before she wrote her book! I would have simply preferred more of a straightforward story with more romance and less violence.

However, my lowish rating of this book will not stop me from reading "The Tory Widow" by the same author. I think that one will be more my style. ( )

I was not overly thrilled by this story. The main character was hard to become acquainted with, since for the first several chapters, she seems more of a stranger. She does become more developed later in the tale, but by that time, there's so much going on and so many other characters to focus on that it's hard to really think of her as 'the' main character, even though the way it's written makes that pretty clear.

Some of the characterizations were fairly shallow, but many were good and interesting which did add to the ease of reading. It was very descriptive as well, which largely added to the experience, but the description did not stop at anything gory or unpleasant, so for the weak of stomach - be aware.

By the end of the story, I was starting to feel attached to many of the characters, only to have it end rather abruptly. Even the epilogue didn't tie up the loose ends. I think that would be my biggest complaint about the story - that so many elements of the story were left uncompleted.
Overall, I felt this book was average, maybe slightly above-. It wasn't one that I felt would be an absolute necessity to read again - just average. ( )

Orphaned on the fields of Culloden, Maggie treks to America to try and make a living as a midwife. Sold as a bondswoman to a frontier family in Virginia, she falls in love with a hunter, Tom. Their story is one of constant upheaval due to warring Indian tribes and interfering British bureaucracy.

I borrowed this book from a friend and while I didn't set out looking for a book comparable to the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, I couldn't help making comparisons due to the Scottish language woven into the story, which is set at approximately the same time. Gabaldon fans will find that this story doesn't hold a candle. I found the characters hard to sympathize with and the text is thick with analogies that weigh it down too much at times. The various climactic points wrapped up a bit too neatly for my tastes. I give this historical fiction novel a 2.5 out of 5. ( )

For a first novel Christine Blevins absolutely blew me away! While reading this journey of a Scottish midwife through indentured servitude in the Appalacians I was extremely emotional about what happened to her. This book would make a great movie adaptation. It does leave you wondering in the end what happened to some of the characters, though. ( )

Maggie Duncan lost her family as a very young girl during a massacre between the British and the Scottish. Her destiny falls into place when she helps a injured man find his way home to his wife, Hannah. Hannah, a midwife and local healer, realizes almost instantly that her husband’s gangrene will end his life. Childless, she sees Maggie’s arrival as the blessing to bloom from her husband’s death. She takes Maggie under her wings and teaches her healing and midwifery. Unfortunately, the little Scottish town in which they live is superstitious. They think that Maggie is bad luck given what happened to her parents. They believe she possesses the powers of the evil eye. When Hannah gets sick with consumption, she gives Maggie one last gift before she dies - she plants the seed about going to the America. After Hannah’s death, Maggie is living hand to mouth. When she’s offered the opportunity to sale to America at the cost of spending four years as an indentured servant, Hannah’s words come back to her and she travels to find her destiny in the New World.

The Midwife of the Blue Ridge is an engaging novel about the joys, struggles, and courage of those who took the risk of leaving their home land in order to make their own way in Virginia. From the very beginning, America was seen as a land of opportunity to those whose futures in their home countries was set from the moment of their conception. It says a great deal that people would knowingly agree to four years of indentured service under unknown masters in order to have a shot at creating their own fortunes and secure their own land. Christine Blevins brings this all to life through Maggie, Seth XXXXXXXX and Tom Roberts. Just as vividly, Blevins writes of those who were forced to go to the New World by their privileged and wealthy families found them to be an embarrassment best kept an ocean away. Their resentment over their circumstances colored their view of this new land and how they treated other people. In the Colonial Virginia painted in this novel, it is a toss up as to who was more savage, the Shawnee warriors or the disgraced lords of England.

Maggie Duncan is one of the most delightful heroines I’ve encountered in a long time. Although her accent was difficult for me to catch on to at first, I was soon caught up in the story of this clever, sassy, and giving young woman. The very scrappiness that was viewed suspiciously by her Scottish kinsmen was what kept her safe and gave her the advantage she needed to get off to a good start as Seth’s servant. She endeared herself to Seth, Naomi and their children by her generous spirit and her strong work ethic. Her sarcastic spunkiness endeared her to almost every single man she encountered. I admired her optimistic yet pragmatic attitude toward life and the courage she displayed under the most stressful conditions found in the Virginia wilderness. I enjoyed every minute I spent with her and hope that my daughters growing up in the Blue Ridge of Virginia four centuries later will develop her same strength of character.

Over the past couple of years I’ve read a great deal of wonderful historical fiction. For the most part, I’ve shied away from historical fiction set in my own country. I have read The Winthrop Woman and Devil Water by Anya Seton and, while they were both novels I enjoyed, they did not ignite in me the same excitement for my country’s history that Midwife of the Blue Ridge has. Colonial America, just like Tudor England and Venice has its own charms and dangers to explore. After reading Blevins’ novel, I am looking forward to spending some more time at home.

http://literatehousewife.wordpress.com/2008/11/22/124-midwife-of-the-blue-ridge-... ( )

Midwife of the Blue Ridge
by Christine Blevins

This was a very engrossing novel. I had a little trouble getting into it at first, mostly due to trying to get used to the heavy Scottish accents and language. Once I got past the first couple of chapters, I had a really hard time putting the book down. I just had to know what was going to happen next.

This book tells the story of Maggie Duncan, a Scottish woman, who leaves Scotland for America as an indentured servant. The story starts with Maggie as a young girl, being the sole survivor of a violent raid on her village. She escapes, and saves a wounded soldier in the process. She gets him to his home before he dies, and his wife, Hannah, takes her in. Hannah is a midwife, and teaches the craft to Maggie.

After Hannah's death, Maggie is left in a village that believes she is cursed by death, and scorns her. In despair, she decides to take an offer to become an indentured servant in America, in exchange for passage on the ship, the Good Intent. On board the ship, she befriends the captain and the crew and the other passengers, save one. Julian Cavendish, the son of a Duke, decides he wants her for his slave, and she does all she can to avoid him during the passage.

Once the ship reaches the colonies, the captain does Maggie a favor and makes it where Cavendish is unable to purchase her contract. She becomes the property of Seth Martin, who purchased her contract to have someone to help his pregnant wife with the chores and the other children. They leave the coast of Virginia, and head to the Blue Ridge mountains. Once at Seth's homestead, Maggie becomes more like a part of the family. She is even looked upon as a valuable member of the community of Roundabout, for her medical knowledge.

Many different things happen to the Martin family and Maggie, as they live in a perilous time. The Indians are on the warpath, and the Duke is dispossessing people from their homesteads that were mistakenly set up on his land.

The story goes on to detail many of the things that befall the little community and the people living in it. It tells how Maggie goes from the Martins, to being bought by Julian Cavendish, to living among Indians, to getting rescued by the man she has fallen in love with.

I really like to read stories that are set in the time period of this story, the early years of the American settlers. The trials of trying to stay alive in wild country, and trying not to get scalped by Indians really interest me. Then when you add romance to the mix, it makes for one hell of a good read. And that, to me, was what this book was. ( )

interesting knowlege of herbal healing and life in America in the late 18th century. ( )

In a nutshell: I couldn't put it down - literally! Three nights in a row, my poor husband woke up around midnight to find me still reading in bed with a tiny light so I could finish the book! The story begins in 1746 Scotland, and continues in America 1763. The story surrounds Maggie Duncan, a young Scottish girl orphaned at an early age due to the massacre of her village by the English. After helping a wounded Scottish man to his home, she learns her skills as a midwife from his wife Hannah, who dies and leaves her alone in a village where the people believe she is bad luck. She travels to America as an indentured servant, intending to trade four years of service in exchange for freedom. She overcomes every hurdle encountered in this new life. This is a story of endurance, hope and love. Christine Blevins has cleverly included many details from the period to give readers a very vivid dose of what life was like in those times. She also gives us a glimpse of viewpoints from both the American settler and American Indian. This was an amazing book, and I particularly appreciated the fact that she wove both the good and bad into her story, which gave the reader a better sense of the times and the realities that people faced.

Perfect for : Book Club Reading (Note, the author has included a list of thoughtful questions at the back of the book) , Lit or History class reading, Personal reading

For my complete review, please visit my blog at http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com It is much longer! ( )

As the sole survivor of a vicious attack on her village, Maggie Duncan is viewed by many in Black Corries, Scotland as a harbinger of bad luck. But Hannah Cameron, grateful to young Maggie for bringing her mortally wounded husband home to her, adopts the young girl. Hannah is a midwife and she soon teaches her healing skills to Maggie.

After Hannah’s death, Maggie finds herself in a difficult position. The people of Black Corries are very superstitious and blame her for Hannah’s death. Believing that Maggie possesses the “evil eye”, most of the villagers steer clear of her. When she’s offered a chance to sail to America to become an indentured servant, Maggie quickly agrees. Four years of work as an indentured servant seems a small price to pay for the promise of a new start in colonial America.

But the New World holds new dangers for Maggie. As settlers venture deeper into Indian territory, unrest grows within the local tribes. Indian raids are a constant threat. Illness can claim a person’s life swiftly, something Maggie is acutely aware of in her work as a midwife.

Along with the danger comes opportunity. Maggie’s skills as both a midwife and a healer are invaluable to the community. And when Tom Roberts, a vagabond hunter, starts to show romantic interest in Maggie, she begins to dream of a free life with him. Soon, however, Maggie will find her courage to survive in this new world tested as never before.

The Midwife of Blue Ridge is certainly a page-turner, but I found myself disappointed with several elements of the story. The crude language used throughout really distracted me from the main storyline. There were detailed descriptions of men urinating, numerous references to flatulence, etc. that I felt added little to the story. (One of the chapters of the book is entitled “Turds and Primroses.” While I appreciate that the author was trying to show the reality of frontier living, I often thought that these descriptions ventured into the realm of TMI – too much information.)

I liked Maggie’s character quite a bit, but I never felt a strong emotional connection to her. Several traumatic, emotional scenes are written in such a way that the reader feels like an outside observer. I really wanted to get inside Maggie’s head and know how these events affected her, but I felt that I was never given that opportunity. Events that should have had a lasting psychological impact were left largely unexplored.

The descriptions of medical treatment in colonial times were fascinating and they became one of my favorite things about Midwife of the Blue Ridge. There were lots of great little details like the use of spider webs to stanch bleeding or yarrow to ease the pain of a burn.

I felt that there was some unrealized potential with Midwife of the Blue Ridge, but I would not hesitate to read a future offering from Ms. Blevins. ( )

I really enjoyed “Midwife of the Blue Ridge”. I found Maggie and most of the people around her to be likable characters. The storyline was very engaging and the relationships realistic. I’m not sure if “Midwife of the Blue Ridge” is best classified as historical fiction or historical romance, but if it is the latter, Blevins refrained from excessively explicit love scenes, which made me happy. I particularly liked that Blevins included some mid-18th century historical ‘flavor’ from both sides of the Atlantic; the scenes in both Scotland and America were rich and well written.

This is a book I would absolutely recommend for those who want enjoyable historical fiction.

For the full review:
http://www.devourerofbooks.com/2008/09/midwife-of-the-blue-ridge-book-review-and... ( )

Maggie Duncan, an orphan trained in the arts of midwifery, finds herself on the American frontier as an indentured servant bound by a four-year contract. Maggie is kept on the defensive by hostile Indians and several villainous would-be-lovers as she tries to tame the heart of a wandering fur trapper. The story is predictable and the characters clichéd, but the never-ending action kept me turning the pages. Blevins’s repeated attempts to translate the characters’ thick accents into written dialog weighs down the otherwise nimble plot. This book is a good way to pass the time if you’re in the mood for light historical fiction, but don’t expect too much substance.

This review also appears on my literary blog Literary License. ( )

Historical fiction demands a great deal of a writer, not just in the way of accuracy of details and believable characters, but also a strong sense of time and place. Christine Blevins achieves this nicely in Midwife of the Blue Ridge. Dominated by a sense of adventure with a strong underlying romance that works its way through the story, it's a rewarding read.
Maggie Duncan, adopted by a midwife after surviving the destruction of her village in 1740s Scotland, finds herself an outcast when the midwife dies. Trained in midwifery and the healing arts, she is still looked upon as a person cursed by the very fact of her survival of that slaughter. Superstition prevents her from practicing her craft and she is considered unmarriageable. She is forced to sell herself into indentured servitude in the New World. She reaches America persued by a drunken brute of a nobleman's son, one Julian Cavendish, who wants to buy her for his own purposes. He is furious when outsmarted and her contract of service is purchased by a decent man, a settler-farmer named Seth Martin. With three children and a pregnant and ailing wife, Maggie is the answer to their prayers. But these are colonial times and life is anything but easy for those trying to tame the primitive wilderness of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virgina.

There is the usual mix of compelling characters you'd expect here. Farmers and settlers, trappers and hunters, frontiersmen and frontier widows, soldiers and Indians, and the requisite scoundrels and reprobates. When Maggie develops a strong attachment to Tom Roberts, a tall handsome trapper, she is bound for disappointment. He is a wanderer who appears now and again and lives outdoors and wants no other kind of life. It's not long before raids by Shawnee war parties drive the surrounding settlers, including the Martins and Maggie into the closest fort for protection. After some weeks of that terror in close quarters and deprived living conditions, they return home to find Cavendish in their lives again, legal papers in hand, land-grabbing and forcing people out of their homes. Maggie bargains for leniency for Seth and his family and lets Cavendish take her, hoping to escape later. She will suffer at his hands but make new friends before she ends up in the hands of the Indians and sees how they live and take revenge for the white man's atrocities. Danger has many faces for a young women of the times.

The story is rich with details of plants and medicines, food and clothing, tools and weapons of the period. The author seems to have done her homework in that regard. The Scottish dialect of some of the characters adds appropriate colour. The story is compelling and the book really is hard to put down. There are a couple of scenes of violence that are graphic, including a rape. There's swearing but I cannot imagine frontiersmen and roughnecks all speaking like pastors. For this is not a romance per se as the cover may at first suggest. It is historical fiction and adventure as well. The author gives us all the best and worst of frontier life; the hopes and fears, the hardships and the rewards. It is a job well done and I recommend this book. ( )

Following the Battle of Culloden in 1746, orphaned Maggie Duncan is taken in by a Scottish midwife, Hannah Cameron and taught the trade. When Hannah dies, Maggie finds that there is nothing left for her in Scotland, and becomes an indentured servant bound for the American colonies. Once in Virginia, her contract is purchased by Seth Martin, whose pregnant wife nearly died the last time she was pregnant. Maggie has a good life with the Martins, though the frontier lifestyle provides challenges Maggie is unfamiliar with, particularly when it comes to conflicts between settlers and Native Americans (the novel takes place in the early 1760s, right around the time of the French and Indian War). In addition to the risks they face from Shawnee war parties, Maggie has also attracted the attention of Viscount Julian Cavendish, the youngest son of the Duke of Portland who is determined to have her, regardless of her own feelings. And as it happens, Maggie has already fallen in love with Tom Roberts, a hunter and close friend of Seth's, who initially has no interest in settling down, in spite of his attraction to Maggie. Over the course of the novel, Maggie and the others find themselves facing dangerous adventures as they struggle to survive on the frontier.

Midwife of the Blue Ridge is Christine Blevins' first novel, and it's clear she has done a lot of work on this novel, in terms of research and historical consistency. And the story is engaging; I felt as though I was experiencing Maggie's adventures along with her. The plot is active, and there is a great deal of adventure; I think this goes along with the historical consistency thing, as living an American frontier lifestyle certainly provides a different set of challenges than life in the Scottish highlands. That being said, there were some things about the book that I didn't love, and that felt inconsistent to me. In the latter half of the novel, there is a detailed rape scene, and there are a few torture scenes as well. The detail was particularly astonishing to me, considering the total lack of detail that characterized two consenual sex scenes earlier in the novel. I think that it maybe would have been better if Blevins had chosen to be either explicit about all the details, or explicit about none of them.

For the complete review, see: http://shootingstarr7.livejournal.com/16863.html ( )

When she is a young girl, Maggie’s parents are killed in a raid on her home in Scotland. Luckily for her, she meets a wounded soldier that she can escort back to his wife, Hannah, who is a skilled midwife. When Alan, the soldier, dies, Hannah takes Maggie in and teaches her everything she knows, until she too passes away of consumption. When Maggie is left on her own, the town turns against her, calling her “Black Maggie” and deciding that she must be a witch. Maggie decides to immigrate to America as an indentured bondswoman to start a new life away from the rumors.

This book was a pleasure to read. I liked Maggie and I wanted her to do well in America. In fact, I liked all of the sympathetic characters - Maggie, Naomi, Seth, the children, and Tom. I enjoyed the image of frontier America that the book gave me; nearly everyone stood by one another when the Indians came. Something else that I particularly enjoyed was the insight into the Indians’ ways as well. They weren’t just villainized. Blevins did a good job of showing us that there were two sides to the conflict, and that white people could be just as savage as Native Americans. Furthermore, it allowed the author to introduce the challenges endured by those who were raised by the Indians but were biologically white, another fascinating feature of the story.

It was a challenge at first to get used to the Scottish dialect used in the book, but I did get accustomed to it in the end and it stopped bothering me. I’m not sure it added to the book, but it didn’t hurt it, either, and I was reminded of the characters’ origins every time they opened their mouths.

I would recommend this book, most likely to people who enjoy historical fiction as it sits firmly in that genre. I certainly enjoyed reading it.

http://chikune.com/blog/?p=217 ( )

For a first novel, Ms. Blevins has written an amazing book. The tale begins in Scotland after the Culloden war when an orphan is taken in by the village midwife and her husband. In learning of herbs, midwifery and medicine Maggine Duncan becomes invaluable to mothers-to-be in distress. Too bad they also believe she has the Evil Eye and blame her for everything bad that happens!

Maggie decides to immigrate to America as a bound slave which means that after 4 years she will be Free and able to set out on her own livelihood. During the voyage, she crosses a Peer of the Realm who becomes her nemisis both on ship and off. Her contract is purchased by Seth Martin, a man desparately in need of assistance for his wife and children. Maggie becomes part of their home and their lives in a significant way. They survive Indian attacks, being thrust off the land and other travails of the time. Maggie falls in love with a hunter named Tom Roberts who never intends to settle down as he was kidnapped when young and raised by the Indians himself.

This well researched historical romance has all the things it needs to be a huge success: a love triangle (actually, more of an octagon); Indians, settlers in early America, scenery, etc. She had done a great job and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Blevins' work soon!

In 1746 the battle of Culloden in the Scottish Highlands nearly wiped out the Highland Clans. This is the story of Maggie Duncan. At seven years old she was the sole survivor when her village was destroyed by the English army because the villagers had aided the Highlanders. She is able to escape and then helps a mortally wounded soldier find his way home. Luckily for Maggie the soldier's wife is a midwife and she adopts Maggie, raises and educates her while passing along her healing skills.

When she is twenty-one Maggie's foster mother dies and with her goes Maggie's protection from the neighbors. They look on her as cursed since she survived when everyone else in her village perished in the attack. They are cruel and narrow minded, so she is unable to make a living for herself since the locals will not accept her as a healer. Eventually she decides to start fresh in America and sells herself as an indentured servant in order to obtain passage on a ship.

Upon arrival in Virginia, the ship's captain sells at auction the four year bonds for each passenger he has brought over. Maggie narrowly avoids being bought by an arrogant, drunken nobleman who has made the passage on the same boat. She is bought by a frontiersman, Seth, who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with his wife and children. He desperately needs help as his wife is ill and pregnant and physically unable to cope with frontier life. For Seth, Maggie is the answer to a prayer.

Maggie fits in well with Seth's family and the other settlers in that area of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is smart and skilled and she quickly starts to learn the medical uses of the local plants. But just when everything seems to be going well, disaster strikes and she must use all of her wits to survive.

This is a terrific, enthralling story of frontier life in colonial Virginia. The characters were compelling (or repulsive, as the case may be) and the settings were wonderfully described. I loved the balanced depiction of the Native Americans of the time, showing them from their own point of view as well as an outsider's. I also loved that the author peppered the text with Scottish words. They were easily defined by the context but I had a great time looking up their meanings (ie: sclim=climb, swither=to be uncertain or hesitate). A really well done historical novel. I'm looking forward to future books by this author! ( )

The story is smooth and enjoyable and this author shows promise. The only complaint I have is that in the first half of the book,the author too often slips into an immaturity as if she is trying to prove her mettle by adding just the right dose of vulgarity. One chapter is titled Turds and Primroses...why???? Lovemaking and kisses, which have charm are jarred by descriptions of his tongue filling her mouth. Besides taking away the reader's right to privately imagine this in her own preferred way, it's a jolt. Near catfights could be added without vulgar slang words that are like a flashback to a Jerry Springer broadcast. Another chapter begins with the character's morning relief description which is neither charming or necessary.

I'm giving the book three stars for these disappointments. The characters are good, the setting is great, and the information on medicine at this time shows research and intent. .This author has the potential to tell some good stories. The story rolls along well and difficult scenes that could have been overdone with gore or violence were well balanced and not overplayed. (I did skip the rape scene.)

My husband says people never French kissed in those days, because they never brushed their teeth. teehee...Blech!!! ( )

In 1760 Scotland, Maggie, an orphan child, is taken in and trained by an experienced midwife and healer. After Maggie is grown and her mentor passes, an opportunity arises for Maggie to rise out of poverty and better her lot by traveling to the colonies of America and becoming an indentured servant . This story grabs you from the beginning and you become immersed in the harsh frontier life and in Maggie's adventures.
Christine Blevins is amazing, can't believe this was her first title, it was smooth, entertaining, and very knowledgeable. I will be eagerly waiting for her next work to come out. ( )

Years ago when Hannah Cameron’s husband, Alan came back from the war wounded he wasn’t alone. Alan was accompanied by a little girl named Maggie. Maggie was no ordinary girl. She was the only lone survivor of her town’s massacre. Now the years have past and Maggie is all grown up and Hannah and Alan are gone. The townsfolk have a name for Maggie; they call her “Dark Maggie”. At first when people started calling her that it was because she had dark hair but now the name has a whole new meaning... it’s because the townsfolk believe that Maggie is cursed and possess the dark eye.

One day an outsider plays a visit to town. He offers Maggie a chance to make her own way in the land of freedom, known as America. Maggie agrees and sets sail for America. Once there, Maggie is bought by a man named Seth Martin. This is when the adventure really starts for Maggie. Maggie is ready to experience all that American has to offer, including a handsome man named Tom Roberts.

What a bunch of interesting and intriguing characters, Ms. Blevins introduces first time readers to in her book Midwife of the Blue Ridge. I would categorize Midwife of the Blue Ridge as an Early American, Romance novel. Instantly I feel in love with this book as well as the story it told. Which is surprising to me as I enjoy reading historical novels but most have been more along the lines of Scottish, English, French, Ireland novels…notice a pattern here, not to say that there is anything wrong with these types of books; it’s just that I can’t remember many Early American books where I have enjoyed reading them so much as I did Ms. Blevins. Midwife of the Blue Ridge is Ms. Blevins first novel but I am sure we will hear from her again soon. ( )

This book left me with mixed feelings. The book is well written and seems very well researched, but I have a couple of issues with it. First, I feel like it needed to come with a warning that it contains graphically violent scenes. I'm not disputing the fact that the violence is historically accurate, just the fact that I picked up a romance novel and got scenes of torture that are still with me days later. My second issue, is that the scenes of torture, death and rape don't seem to have any lasting affect on the characters. The heroine goes through a lot of terrible things in the last third of the book but the emotional affects seem glossed over and within weeks everything is fine and she lives happily ever after. I feel like the author left me with some pretty horrible images and for no real reason since they weren't used to further develop or deepen the characters. ( )