I just got into this series and am really enjoying it. It's a surprise though- I don't have kids and have never wanted them and this is a series about midwives. However, it's about so much more! I did a search because I think I want to read the Memoirs the series is based on and found this at my library. (I just finished season 2).
What I liked about this book with the backgrounds on the characters- some of the characters are based on real people and others a mix of totally made up vs a composite of one person. It was refreshing to see a group of people who really care about what they are doing. I thought they made things as historically accurate as possible. I liked the background of the NHS (National Health Service). Overall, recommended for fans of the show.

Biographies/Memoirs

6. Mississippi to Madrid: Memoir of a Black American in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade by James Yates - first book I read in my first history class in college. That semester the class (HISTORY 101 for History Majors) was spent learning all about the Spanish Civil War and this was what my professor started with as a bridge between American history and the conflict in Spain. Many POC who fought in the Lincoln Brigade would go on to serve in WWII and had more experience fighting Germany than their white counterparts because they had already seen the destruction the Nazis could do in war via Spain. Also a theme in the book is living life under Jim Crow and then going abroad to fight for another people's liberation. Can't recommend this one enough.

 

7. Night by Elie Wiesel - should be required reading for every high school freshman in the US. And every member of the US political realm.

 

8. How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana - ditto the sentiments in number 7.

 

9. Call the Midwife series by Jennifer Worth - while I do love the show, the memoirs of a mid-wife/district nurse in the poorest area of London after the war is a must read, especially in light of how the NHS is being used as a pawn in the Brexit/PM race. The second book doesn't deal with pregnancy or childbirth but does deal with people who are otherwise invisible.

 

10. Plenty of Time When We Get Home (Love and Recovery in the Aftermath of War) by Kayla Williams - Kayla and Brian were friends, meeting through different times while both served in Afghanistan. Brian was involved in roadside bombing but nobody could know the depths of his injuries until much later. Kayla and Brian eventually fell in love and got married, but dealing with their own and each other's PTSD and Brian's physical injuries were challenging. Kayla and Brian are now working in the VA, hoping to create change in culture and attitude as well as policies that hinder a veteran's progress. I follow Kayla on Twitter and she is just a great person to highlight how women veterans are faring in the VA and what we can all do to help.

(Original Review, 2004-04-02)



Yes, dinosaurs did exist before the name was created by Richard Owen; they were probably known as dragons before in pretty much all myths around the globe. But the dinosaurs themselves only existed in the imagination of people once they were discovered and named by paleontologists.

 

 

If you're into stuff like this, you can read the full review.

With a thirst for adventure and a conflicted heart, one woman sets out to find herself and ends up discovering the world. Layla is a woman of strength. She gives of herself freely, but dreams of more then what she currently has. Her courage leads her into uncharted territory. Her life is back in the states. Texas holds structure. From a waiting fiance to a promising career, but she finds her heart in the rugged terrain and uncivilized culture of Behruz. In the arms of a man who offers no promises and the world of a people who need her expertise. She's found her voice, but is it worth the heartache and prejudice she continues to face? Midwife In Behruz has a heroine with the courage to challenge her world and change her destiny. Heroes and heroines aren't born they are made.

A gently written book with some good advice for caring for the terminally ill. Unfortunately, the strong Christian religious dogma was to the detriment of the overall good that this book could offer caregivers.